Bieber's Strong Rehab Start, Cozart's Career Night Push Captains Past Lugnuts 7-2
MWL Lake County Captains

Bieber's Strong Rehab Start, Cozart's Career Night Push Captains Past Lugnuts 7-2

July 23, 2025 - Midwest League (MWL)
Lake County Captains News Release


EASTLAKE, Ohio - In the first game of a scheduled six-game series, the Lake County Captains (13-12, 48-43) defeated the Lansing Lugnuts (11-14, 47-44) by a final score of 7-2 at Classic Auto Group Park in Eastlake.

Two-time MLB All-Star RHP Shane Bieber (ND), serving a rehab assignment for the Cleveland Guardians, headlined the night with a rehab start for the Captains. The 2020 American League Cy Young Award winner worked three innings of two-hit, one-run baseball, striking out four with no walks in 43 pitches (30 strikes). His lone run allowed was the first of the game, courtesy of a sacrifice fly from Lugnuts 2B Casey Yamauchi.

Offensively, Captains C Jacob Cozart, MLB Pipeline 's No. 14 Guardians prospect, spearheaded a seven-run night for the Lake County offense with a go-ahead grand slam in the bottom of the fourth. This was his sixth home run of the season, and the first of his career at Classic Auto Group Park.

A half-inning later, Lansing C Davis Diaz chipped into the Captains' lead with an RBI single. His second hit of the night made it a 4-2 ballgame.

After quiet fifth and sixth innings for Lake County, 2B Christian Knapczyk and 1B Ralphy Velazquez, MLB Pipeline 's No. 6 Guardians prospect, added a pair of RBI singles in the home half of the seventh to extend the Captains' advantage to 6-2.

Lake County would plate the night's final run in the bottom of the eighth. The Captains began the half-frame with back-to-back doubles from SS Jose Devers and Cozart, the latter of which drove in Devers. Cozart's second extra-base hit of the night gave Lake County a 7-2 lead and secured his career-high fifth RBI of the contest.

Following a scoreless eighth inning of work, it would take four batters for Captains RHP Josh Harlow to close out the win. The right-hander turned in two scoreless innings of relief, striking out three.

For Lake County, LHP Michael Kennedy (W, 2-1), MLB Pipeline 's No. 17 Guardians prospect, earned his second win of the season. The southpaw tossed four stellar innings of piggyback relief, allowing one run on two hits and striking out a pair, while walking one.

RHP Corey Avant (L, 3-5) suffered his fifth loss of the year for Lansing. The right-hander allowed four runs on four hits, walking two and striking out five.

The second game of this week's scheduled six-game series between the Captains and Lugnuts is scheduled for Wednesday night at 7 p.m. The game will be broadcast on the Bally Sports Live App and MiLB.com, with social media coverage courtesy of @LCCaptains on X and Instagram.

Notes to Know

- RHP Shane Bieber made his first start for the Captains since April 30, 2017 versus the West Michigan Whitecaps, a 3,005-day span. The right-hander has now thrown 35 strikeouts to just one walk in six career starts for Lake County.

- C Jacob Cozart recorded a career-high five RBI on Tuesday night. This marked his first five-RBI performance since April 18, 2024 for North Carolina State versus North Carolina.

- 1B/LF Ralphy Velazquez extended his on-base streak to 17 games on Tuesday night. The 2023 first-round pick out of Huntington Beach HS (CA) is batting .329 (23-for-70) with six doubles, one triple, two home runs, eight RBI, eight walks, and a .926 OPS during this span.

Check out the Lake County Captains Statistics



Midwest League Stories from July 23, 2025


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