MWL Great Lakes Loons

Keith's Single Gives Great Lakes Walk-Off Win

Published on July 3, 2023 under Midwest League (MWL)
Great Lakes Loons News Release


Midland, Mich. - The Great Lakes Loons (50-24) posted their fourth walk-off win of the season, a Damon Keith RBI single in the bottom of the ninth to down the Lansing Lugnuts (34-40) 5-4 on an 81-degree partly cloudy Monday afternoon at Dow Diamond.

Great Lakes is the first team at the High-A level and third in minor league baseball to reach 50 wins this season. They took four of six games from Lansing this week.

The Lugnuts tied up the game at four with a CJ Rodriguez RBI double in the top of the ninth. With one out away from extra innings, Dalton Rushing doubled up the right-field line. Yeiner Fernadez walked to set up Damon Keith with two on and two out. The 24th-ranked Dodgers prospect was 0-for-4 before ripping an 0-1 pitch through the infield to left-center field to win the game 5-4.

Justin Wrobleski, went six innings for the second time this season. The left-hander permitted three straight hits to begin the game, the third a Jack Winkler RBI single. After getting the next two outs, Clark Elliot drove home a run with a base knock. Winkler the trailing runner was thrown out at the plate by left-fielder Chris Alleyne.

Lansing extended their lead with an RBI double from Danny Bautista Jr. in the third. After that, Wrobleski retired the next seven he faced and 10 of the next 12. The Dodgers No. 29 prospect struck out five and allowed no walks.

The Loons had just one run through the first six innings. Jake Vogel singled to begin the bottom of the third and scored after an error at third base on a ball put in play by Yeiner Fernandez.

In the bottom of the seventh, Great Lakes scored three runs off three hits. Five consecutive Loons reached base, starting with a Frank Rodriguez single and Jake Vogel double. With one out, Taylor Young saw three balls and then was intentionally walked. Dalton Rushing, with the bases loaded, walked on five pitches to make it a one-run game.

A pitching change was then made with Tyler Baum brought in for the Lugnuts. Yeiner Fernandez slapped a 2-2 pitch up the middle to plate Vogel and Young giving Great Lakes a 4-3 lead.

Christian Suarez struck out two in the seventh. Lucas Wepf's High-A debut went without a hitch, as he worked a clean eighth. Benony Robles allowed the tying run in the ninth but stranded the potential go-ahead run on second base.

After the game, the Loons started their trek to Dayton, Ohio. They begin a six-game series against the Dayton Dragons, tomorrow The Fourth of July. The first pitch is at 7:05 p.m.

The Great Lakes Loons have been the Single-A partner of the Los Angeles Dodgers since the team's inception in 2007. Dow Diamond serves as the team's home and also houses the Michigan Baseball Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit public charity, and ESPN 100.9-FM. For tickets or information about the Loons, call 989-837-BALL or visit Loons.com.

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Midwest League Stories from July 3, 2023


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