Cozart Slam Helps Caps Top Lugs
July 22, 2025 - Midwest League (MWL)
Lansing Lugnuts News Release
EASTLAKE, OH - Jacob Cozart slugged a go-ahead grand slam off Corey Avant, and the Lake County Captains (13-12, 48-43) took the opener of a six-game series from the Lansing Lugnuts (11-14, 47-44), 7-2, on Tuesday night at Classic Auto Group.
The game drew a crowd of 4,003 Cleveland Guardians fans, eager to see two-time American League All-Star Shane Bieber rehabbing his way back to the Majors from Tommy John.
But it was the Lugnuts who scored first, thanks to a Davis Diaz single, two Bieber wild pitches, and a Casey Yamauchi sacrifice fly in the third inning, Bieber's final frame. In the end, the right-hander struck out four while allowing two hits (including a T.J. Schofield-Sam double) in three innings, departing with a 1-0 deficit.
Avant cruised through the first three innings with five strikeouts, but with one out in the bottom of the fourth, gave up a single to Ralphy Velazquez, walked Jaison Chourio, hit Jose Devers, and served up Cozart's sixth home run of the season. It was just the second homer the Wingate product had allowed all year.
The Nuts managed only one further run, a Diaz RBI single in the fifth, while the Captains tacked on a pair of insurance runs on four singles against Jake Pfennigs in the seventh followed by a Cozart RBI double in the eighth.
In defeat, Diaz and Rodney Green, Jr. each finished 2-for-3, with Green stealing his 11th base of the year.
Right-hander Steven Echavarria starts the second game of the series at 7 p.m. Wednesday, taking on Lake County right-hander Sean Matson
The Nuts play the Captains through Sunday, returning home from July 29-August 3 to host Cedar Rapids. T ickets are available for purchase at the stadium box office, (517) 485-4500 or online at milb.com/lansing.
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