Dutton excels, but TinCaps walk off Nuts

FORT WAYNE, Ind. – Samuel Dutton allowed two hits in five scoreless innings, but the Fort Wayne TinCaps (2-4) walked off the Lansing Lugnuts (3-2), 2-1, on a Rosman Verdugo two-out RBI single in the bottom of the ninth on Thursday night at Parkview Field.

Dutton, the A’s 10th-round selection in 2025 from Auburn, continued an impressive start to the season for Lansing’s starting pitchers. Through five games, the starters have allowed just three runs in 24 2/3 innings, two of which came in the first inning of the first game of the year.

A night after scoring 15 runs on 15 hits and nine walks, the Nuts’ offense was held to five hits, one walk, and a first-inning Carlos Franco sacrifice fly.

Fort Wayne tied the game at 1-1 in the sixth on a Tucker Novotny wild pitch.

Jake Garland and Ryan Magdic blanked the TinCaps in the seventh and eighth innings, and Abel Mercedes struck out Jake Cunningham and Jonathan Vastine to open the ninth.

But Oswaldo Linares lined a double to left, Kasen Wells drew a walk, and Verdugo ended an 0-for-13 season-opening schneid with a base hit to left. Devin Taylor collected the ball and fired it in to catcher Dylan Fien, but the throw arrived at the same time as Linares. Fien was unable to secure it, and Linares scored the winning run.

The fourth game of the series will feature a top prospect duel between Lansing’s Zane Taylor (A’s No. 19 prospect) and Fort Wayne’s Kash Mayfield (Padres’ No. 4 prospect.) First pitch is 7:05 p.m. on Friday.

The Nuts next return home from April 14-19 against the West Michigan Whitecaps. For tickets and more information, call (517) 485-4500 or visit www.milb.com/lansing.

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