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Estes excels in Nuts’ dominant 6-1 win

August 25, 2022

APPLETON, Wisc. – Joey Estes turned in his best start of the year, and the Lansing Lugnuts (23-28, 48-69) rolled to a 6-1 victory over the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (24-27, 60-56) on Thursday night at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium. The 20-year-old Estes, acquired from the Atlanta Braves

APPLETON, Wisc. – Joey Estes turned in his best start of the year, and the Lansing Lugnuts (23-28, 48-69) rolled to a 6-1 victory over the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (24-27, 60-56) on Thursday night at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium.

The 20-year-old Estes, acquired from the Atlanta Braves in a four-player package for Matt Olson following a season in which he was named the 2021 Low-A East Pitcher of the Year, needed only 74 pitches, 49 for strikes, to shut out the Timber Rattlers on one hit in six innings. He walked just one while striking out six.

Left fielder Joshwan Wright led an 11-hit attack with a 3-for-5 showing; third baseman Sahid Valenzuela keyed a three-run eighth with a two-run single; and first baseman Shane McGuire drove in runs in the third, eighth and ninth innings, backing Estes’s strong showing.

Lansing shortstop and leadoff hitter Max Muncy, playing on his 20th birthday, went 2-for-4 with an HBP, a run scored and two stolen bases.

The game featured a key return and a couple of debuts for the Lugnuts: Right fielder Lawrence Butler appeared in his first game since dislocating his elbow on July 4, going 1-for-3 with a double, two walks, a stolen base and two runs scored. Meanwhile, Estes was followed to the mound by the first 2022 draft picks to reach High-A Lansing in TJ Czyz and Micah Dallas. 12th-rounder Czyz struck out two Timber Rattlers around a double in a scoreless seventh, and eighth-rounder Dallas followed with two strikeouts of his own in a perfect eighth.

An RBI single from Wisconsin’s Eduardo García in the ninth off Calvin Coker prevented the Nuts from completing the shutout.

Having won two of the first three games in the six-game series, the Lugnuts send right-hander Jake Walkinshaw (3.97 ERA) against Wisconsin right-hander Israel Puello (6.21) on Friday night at 7:40 p.m. Eastern, 6:40 p.m. local time.

At the conclusion of the current road trip, the Lugnuts return home September 6-11 to close out the season against Dayton. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit lansinglugnuts.com or call (517) 485-4500.

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