Captains Avoid Six-Game Nuts Sweep in 10 Innings
Published on August 9, 2026 under Midwest League (MWL)
Lansing Lugnuts News Release
LANSING, Mich. - After a ninth-inning rally by the Lansing Lugnuts (18-23, 47-58) forced extra innings, a Jonah Advincula RBI double and a Jeffrey Mercedes two-run homer in the 10th led the Lake County Captains (18-22, 55-49) to an 11-9 win on Sunday afternoon in front of a crowd of 4,237 at Jackson Field™.
The loss denied the Lugnuts their first-ever six-game series sweep. It also halted Lansing's six-game winning streak and eight-game home winning streak.
Trailing 8-4 through six innings, an Ali Camarillo two-run homer in the seventh and a Daniel Bucciero two-out, two-run single in the ninth tied the score.
Pinch-hitter Jared Sprague-Lott had a chance to drive in Bucciero at second for the winning run, but stuck out swinging against Conner Whittaker.
Facing Abel Mercedes in the 10th, Advincula's RBI double plated placed-runner Tyler Howard and Mercedes followed with his second homer of the game for an 11-8 lead. Mercedes loaded the bases with walks, but Jose Dicochea relieved him and set down three straight batters, including strikeouts of Jace LaViolette and Anthony Martinez, to give the Nuts a chance. In the bottom of the 10th, a C.J. Pittaro groundout and a Bryan Arendt sacrifice fly scored placed-runner Sprague-Lott, but Gunner Gouldsmith flied out to left fielder Tommy Hawke to end the game.
The Captains benefitted from five home runs in the ballgame. In addition to his blast in the 10th inning, Mercedes sent a solo shot to right field in the fourth. Francisca also hit a pair of homers; the Dominican Republic native pulverized the fourth pitch of his at-bat in the third for a 458-foot solo homer onto the concourse in right-center field, and he hit another solo shot in the sixth, this one a 359-foot bomb into the ivy in right field off reliever Darlin Pinales for Lake County's eighth run.
Jace LaViolette opened the scoring in the first inning off starter Devin Kirby-Williams with a two-run shot to right.
Over four innings, Kirby-Williams allowed seven hits, six runs, and three walks with three strikeouts. Riley Huge fired a single inning, giving up two hits, a run and a walk before Pinales was called upon for two innings, allowing only the single run. Luis Carrasco pitched a scoreless eighth and Mercedes blanked the Captains in the ninth but allowed three runs (two earned) in the 10th.
Before the seventh inning, all of the Lugnuts' scoring was in the second. After Myles Naylor led off the frame with a double and advanced to third on a Pittaro ground out, Arendt plated his teammate with his first double with the Lugnuts, a shot into right-center field.
After a Gouldsmith walk, a Pineda three-run homer (his second of the series) supplied the other runs in the four-run inning.
Pineda, Guedez, Camarillo and Arendt all finished with two hits, and Pineda (3 RBIs), Camarillo (2 RBIs), Bucciero (2 RBIs) and Arendt (2 RBIs) supplied the scoring.
After the Midwest League off day on Monday, the Lugnuts head to Comstock Park to face the West Michigan Whitecaps from Aug. 11-16 before returning home for their penultimate homestand against the Peoria Chiefs from Aug. 18-23. For tickets and more information, call (517) 485-4500 or visit www.milb.com/lansing.
Midwest League Stories from August 9, 2026
- Chiefs' Late Rally Steals Win in Series Finale - Quad Cities River Bandits
- Chiefs Erase Five-Run Deficit for Sunday Victory - Peoria Chiefs
- Cubs Slug Past Kernels 13-1, Take Series Finale - Cedar Rapids Kernels
- Rattlers Take Game and Series from Sky Carp - Wisconsin Timber Rattlers
- Quintero Hits Go-Ahead Home Run in Ninth, Loons Win 8-6 and Take Series - Great Lakes Loons
- Cubs Get Back on Track with 13-1 Beatdown of Kernels - South Bend Cubs
- Captains Avoid Six-Game Nuts Sweep in 10 Innings - Lansing Lugnuts
- Loons Score in 9th, Spoil Dragons Comeback Effort to Top Dayton, 8-6 - Dayton Dragons
- Fort Wayne Drops Series Finale at Home - Fort Wayne TinCaps
- 'Caps Take Five of Six in Fort Wayne, 8-2 - West Michigan Whitecaps
- TinCaps Game Information: August 9 vs. West Michigan Whitecaps (Tigers Affiliate) - Fort Wayne TinCaps
- Dayton Dragons GameDay Notes for Sunday (1:05 PM vs. Great Lakes) - Dayton Dragons
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
