Mr. Smith steals the show: ties game in 8th, wins it in the 9th

LANSING, Mich. - Kevin Smith came through with a game-tying home run in the eighth inning followed by a game-winning single with two outs in the ninth, lifting the Eastern Division-leading Lansing Lugnuts (24-13) to a thrilling 4-3 victory over the Dayton Dragons (18-16) on Monday night at Cooley Law School Stadium.

The Lugnuts have won six consecutive games, matching their longest winning streak of the season. They also improved to 5-0 against the Dragons, pulling off their second straight walk-off win against Dayton.

Third baseman Smith was honored earlier in the day as the Midwest League Player of the Week for the second time in 2018, thanks to a 12-for-24 hitting performance on the Lugnuts' road trip to Wisconsin - and then took the first step toward a third straight weekly honor.

The Dragons had rallied from a 2-0 deficit with two runs in the sixth and one in the seventh, bringing a 3-2 lead to the bottom of the eighth inning. Facing reliever Austin Orewiler, Smith led off the eighth by drilling his fifth home run of the year to right-center field.

After Maverik Buffo (Win, 5-1) pitched a scoreless ninth, completing his fourth inning of relief, the Lugnuts went back to work against Orewiler (Loss, 3-2). With two outs, Chavez Young flared a single to left and stole second base with Smith at the plate, putting himself in scoring position. Smith handled the rest, sending a grounder sizzling back through the middle, and Young dashed home ahead of center fielder Stuart Fairchild's throw.

Smith finished the game 3-for-4 with a walk, raising his batting average to .387 and increasing his league-leading base hits total to 53, his league-leading RBIs to 33, his league-leading extra-base hits to 26, his league-leading total bases to 91, and his league-leading slugging percentage to .664. He has reached base safely in 33 out of 34 games played this year and has hit safely in 22 of his last 23 games.

Lugnuts starter Donnie Sellers struck out four batters in five scoreless innings in a no-decision, scattering three hits.

Kevin Vicuña also supplied a three-hit game for the Lugnuts, raising his batting average to .324.

The Lugnuts go for a seventh straight victory at 10:35 a.m. on Tuesday, a Grand Slam School Day on a Dollar Deal Day. Right-hander Colton Laws (7.20 ERA) takes on Dayton right-hander Adrian Rodriguez (1.50) in the starting match-up. To purchase tickets and live the Lug Life, visit lansinglugnuts.com or call (517) 485-4500.

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