MWL1 Lansing Lugnuts

Down Early, Nuts Rock Fort Wayne's World

Published on August 20, 2018 under Midwest League (MWL1)
Lansing Lugnuts News Release


Chavez Young of the Lansing Lugnuts
Chavez Young of the Lansing Lugnuts
(Lansing Lugnuts)

LANSING, Mich. - Trailing 4-1 early against MLB Pipeline's top rated left-handed pitching prospect, MacKenzie Gore, the Lansing Lugnuts (32-25, 75-52) used homers and sacrifice flies to score four unanswered runs for a 5-4 win over the Fort Wayne TinCaps (27-28, 59-65) on Monday afternoon at Cooley Law School Stadium.

The Lugnuts won two of three games in the series, improving to 6-1-1 in their last eight series.

Gore, the third overall pick in the 2017 draft, entered the bottom of the third inning having allowed only three home runs in 252 batters - but Samad Taylor and Chavez Young launched back-to-back home runs to narrow the deficit to 4-3. It was the first time the Lugnuts had hit back-to-back home runs since Bo Bichette and Vladimir Guerrero, Jr. achieved the feat on June 28th, 2017.

Andres Sotillo opened the bottom of the fourth inning with a double, moving to third on one of Gore's four wild pitches and scoring the game-tying run on a Jesus Navarro sacrifice fly.

The Lugnuts followed the same formula in the fifth. Young led off against reliever Evan Miller (Loss, 4-5) with an automatic double to left. Three batters later, Brandon Grudzielanek delivered a sacrifice fly, giving the Nuts a 5-4 lead.

Nuts starter Maximo Castillo (Win, 10-5) gave up five hits and four runs in a six-batter span in the second inning. The 19-year-old was strong otherwise, giving up only one other hit, not issuing a walk, and racking up seven strikeouts, including the last four batters he faced. Castillo became just the fourth Midwest League pitcher to reach ten wins.

His bullpen handled the rest: Matt Shannon gave up two hits in three scoreless innings, striking out one, and Dany Jimenez (Save, 12) gave up a leadoff triple in the ninth to Jack Suwinski before locking the game down with a pop up to shallow center and two straight strikeouts.

Young finished the game 2-for-3 with two steals, two runs scored, a walk, a double and his eighth home run of the year. Bryan Lizardo added a single, double and walk in four plate appearances.

The Lugnuts head on the road next, opening a three-game series Tuesday at Bowling Green followed by a four-game series at Dayton. The Nuts' next home game will be at 7:05 p.m. on a Winning Wednesday, August 29th, against the Great Lakes Loons, starting a three-game series. To purchase tickets and live the Lug Life at Cooley Law School Stadium, visit lansinglugnuts.com or call (517) 485-4500.

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Chavez Young of the Lansing Lugnuts
Chavez Young of the Lansing Lugnuts
   



Midwest League Stories from August 20, 2018


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