MIDLAND, Mich. - A three-run homer off the bat of Jared Walker secured a 4-3 victory for the Great Lakes Loons in the three-game series rubber match against the Kane County Cougars at Dow Diamond on Sunday.Kane County starting pitcher Mack Lemieux was incredible for his team, striking out a
MIDLAND, Mich. - A three-run homer off the bat of Jared Walker secured a 4-3 victory for the Great Lakes Loons in the three-game series rubber match against the Kane County Cougars at Dow Diamond on Sunday.
Kane County starting pitcher Mack Lemieux was incredible for his team, striking out a career-high nine hitters in 5.1 innings of work. Lemieux, who the Arizona Diamondbacks took in the 6th round of the 2016 MLB Draft, gave up one run (zero earned) on three hits and two walks.
The first pitch by Lemieux's replacement, Carlos Bustamante (L, 1-1), was driven by Walker over the fence in right field. The two-run shot put the Loons ahead 4-3 in the sixth inning. Along with hitting a home run, Walker scored the first run of the game after Gersel Pitre reached on a throwing error by the Cougars in the second inning.
Walker went 1-for-3 in Sunday's game with three runs batted in, two runs scored and a hit by pitch. He also leads the team with a .906 OPS (on-base plus slugging).
With Max Gamboa leaving the bases loaded with nobody out in the fifth inning, Logan Salow (W, 3-0) entered the game to do damage control. Salow allowed the runners to score, so Gamboa finished with three earned runs on four hits and four walks. Once the inherited runners were off base, Salow dialed in on the mound. He struck out three hitters in 2.0 innings. The relief work was the 23-year-old's third appearance with the Loons since being traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers from the Oklahoma Athletics on April 25.
Marshall Kasowski took the ball from Salow and only got better as his time on the mound continued, racking up five-straight strikeouts at one point in the game in 2.0 scoreless innings.
Great Lakes reliever Aneurys Zabala (SV, 1) never had a save opportunity with the Los Angeles Dodgers organization until going up against the Cougars in the ninth inning. He retired three of four he faced for his first save since 2016 as a member of the Seattle Mariners organization.
After finishing a six-game homestand, the Loons do not return to Dow Diamond until May 14 for a four-game series against the Bowling Green Hot Rods. The Loons next game is against the Beloit Snappers on the road at 7:30 p.m. on Monday.
The Great Lakes Loons have been the Single-A partner of the Los Angeles Dodgers since the team's inception in 2007. Dow Diamond serves as the team's home and also houses the Michigan Baseball Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit public charity, and ESPN 100.9-FM. For tickets or information about the Loons, call 989-837-BALL or visit Loons.com.
