Bullpen Dominates, Knight Walks Off
Published on July 17, 2017 under Midwest League (MWL1)
Lansing Lugnuts News Release
LANSING, Mich. - Rodrigo Orozco forced extra innings with an RBI double in the ninth, Nash Knight delivered a walk-off RBI single in the 12th, and the Lansing Lugnuts (9-16, 46-45) rode a masterful bullpen performance to a 4-3 victory over the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (11-14, 37-56) on Monday afternoon at Cooley Law School Stadium.
Lugnuts relievers Juliandry Higuera (2 innings pitched), Andrew Deramo (3 IP) and Jared Carkuff (2 IP; Win, 1-0) combined to work eight scoreless, hitless innings, setting down the final 20 Timber Rattlers batters of the game.
The Nuts' bullpen pitched 14 total innings in the three-game series, all scoreless. Lansing won two of three games, finishing the six-game homestand with a 3-3 mark.
Down 3-2 with two outs and the bases empty in the bottom of the ninth, Andres Sotillo came through with a double to left-center off Daniel Brown (Blown Save, 2). Orozco followed with a hooking liner down the left field line, bringing in pinch-runner Nick Sinay to tie the game.
In the 12th, Orozco came through again, reaching on an infield single against Miguel Sanchez (Loss, 3-5) and stealing second base. Following a strikeout of Joshua Palacios, Wisconsin intentionally walked Edward Olivares. Sanchez retired Mitch Nay on a flyout to right before Knight dropped a broken-bat single into right field to score Orozco.
It was the Lugnuts' fourth walk-off win of the year.
Orozco, who delivered the game-tying run and scored the game-winning run, reached base five times in all, going 4-for-5 with a walk to raise his batting average to .276.
Lugnuts starter Kyle Weatherly allowed three runs on four hits in five innings in a no-decision, serving up back-to-back solo home runs to Ronnie Gideon and Trever Morrison in the second inning.
The Nuts narrowed a 3-0 deficit to 3-2 on a Mattingly Romanin sacrifice fly in the fifth and a Javier Hernandez RBI double in the sixth, setting up the drama late.
A Midwest League off day is scheduled for Tuesday, and then the Lugnuts head on a six-game road trip to Quad Cities and Cedar Rapids stretching from Wednesday, July 19, through Monday, July 24.
The next Lugnuts home game is a Winning Wednesday on July 26 against the Dayton Dragons, opening a seven-game homestand. Tickets may be purchased at the Cooley Law School Stadium box office, by calling (517) 485-4500 or via lansinglugnuts.com.
Midwest League Stories from July 17, 2017
- Peoria defeats Fort Wayne - Fort Wayne TinCaps
- Chiefs Win 2-1 in 12 - Peoria Chiefs
- Cubs Edge Kernels in 2-1 Pitchers' Duel - Cedar Rapids Kernels
- Bullpen Dominates, Knight Walks Off - Lansing Lugnuts
- Wisconsin Timber Rattlers at Lansing Lugnuts - Wisconsin Timber Rattlers
- Dragons Fall to Cougars 2-1 in Road Trip Finale - Dayton Dragons
- Solid Pitching, Lemieux Fronts Cougars Winning End to Home Stand - Kane County Cougars
- Big Inning Puts Bees over Captains - Burlington Bees
- Cedar Rapids Bounces Back with Win - Cedar Rapids Kernels
- Ravel, Nine-Run 8th Key Nuts Rout - Lansing Lugnuts
- No End for Streak for Loons - Great Lakes Loons
- Cougars Edge Dragons 2-1 on Sunday - Dayton Dragons
- Bandits Blanked by Whitecaps Sunday - Quad Cities River Bandits
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