Kelly Blast Lifts Lugs to Marathon Win
July 10, 2015 - Midwest League (MWL1)
Lansing Lugnuts News Release
MIDLAND, Mich. - 20-year-old Juan Kelly's first Midwest League hit was a tie-breaking home run in the 15th inning, helping the Lansing Lugnuts (9-6, 51-34) to a epic 6-5 victory over the Great Lakes Loons (5-10, 43-40) late Thursday night at Dow Diamond.
The game lasted four hours and 31 minutes, 20 minutes shy of a 16-inning game between the Lugnuts and Loons held on April 16th in Midland.
That earlier marathon was decided by a Lugnut homer off a Loons position player pitching, with Rowdy Tellez homering off of Josmar Cordero - and this contest ended the same way. After using pitchers Derrick Sylvester, Cameron Palmer, Matt Campbell, Jose Molina and Bubby Rossman to work the first 14 innings, Great Lakes turned to utility infielder Jimmy Allen.
Allen (Loss, 0-1) struck out David Harris on three pitches to open the frame. That brought up Kelly, 0-for-6 with three strikeouts after getting called up from Short-Season Vancouver on Wednesday.
The youngster picked on the first pitch he saw from Allen, thumping a fastball well beyond the right field wall. It was only his third career home run in 176 professional games.
The blast made a winner of Jose Fernandez (Win, 1-2), who held the Loons scoreless from the 12th through the 14th innings.
The Loons threatened in the bottom of the 15th against Mark Biggs (Save, 1), putting the tying run at third and the winning run at second with one out. But Christian Gomez missed a suicide squeeze sign and fouled out, and Kelvin Ramos's wicked line drive was snared by Biggs in a snap reaction, clinching an emotional win.
Lansing had to fight back twice in the game, scoring twice in the third inning to overcome an early 2-0 deficit, and then using consecutive RBI hits from Alex Maldonado, Chris Carlson and D.J. Davis to rally out of a 5-2 hole in the eighth.
Carlson and Davis each had massive games; the former went 3-for-5 with three walks out of the leadoff slot, while the latter was 3-for-6 with a walk and a hit-by-pitch out of the 2-hole.
Lugs starter Jesus Tinoco put forth his fourth quality start of the year, limiting the Loons to two runs on six hits and one walk in six innings and striking out six in a no-decision.
After reliever Phil Kish allowed three runs in the seventh, Tim Mayza shut down the Loons for the next four innings before handing the ball over to Fernandez.
Lugnuts manager Ken Huckaby was ejected for the third time in 2015 after disputing a safe call at first base in the ninth inning by umpire Aaron Higgins.
The Lugnuts now proceed to Dayton, Ohio, opening a four-game series at Fifth Third Field at 7:05 p.m. Friday. Right-hander Conor Fisk (0-0, 5.87) starts in the opener opposite Dragons right-hander Jake Paulson (2-2, 3.72).
Lansing's next homestand is July 15-17 against the South Bend Cubs. For more information, call (517) 485-4500 or visit lansinglugnuts.com.
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