Lugnuts Take Middle Game from Whitecaps

August 28, 2015 - Midwest League (MWL1)
West Michigan Whitecaps News Release

COMSTOCK PARK, MI - The Lansing Lugnuts built a big lead early, and coasted to a 7-5 victory over the West Michigan Whitecaps Friday at Fifth Third Ballpark.

Lansing took the early lead with three runs in the second inning, as Josh Almonte delivered an RBI-triple, and a run-scoring double by Austin Davis gave the Lugnuts a 3-0 advantage. They'd add a run in the fourth when Danny Jansen plated a run with a single, but the Whitecaps answered in the fourth when Francisco Contreras laced a two-run double to the left field corner, cutting the Lansing lead in half in making the score 4-2. After Lansing added a sacrifice fly in the fifth, Jansen added a two-run double in the seventh to put the game out of reach for West Michigan. Contreras drilled a two-run triple to the right-center field gap to bring the score to 7-5 in favor of Lansing, but the five-run deficit proved to be too much as the Whitecaps snapped a three-game winning streak.

Whitecaps starter Jeff Thompson (6-10) allowed five runs on eight hits in six innings in suffering his eleventh loss. Tim Mayza (3-1) allowed a run in earning his third win of 2015. Carlos Ramirez tossed a scoreless ninth to pick up his eighth save in the contest. The Whitecaps see their record fall to 36-24 in the second half and 69-60 overall. The Lugnuts second half mark improves to 27-32, with a 69-60 record on the year. Contreras led the Whitecaps with his double, triple, and four RBI in the contest. West Michigan's lead over South Bend and Lake County now stands at six games in the race for the Eastern Division wildcard. The Whitecaps magic number stands at five with 10 games left to play.

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