MWL Great Lakes Loons

Loons Take Series, Win 6-1 in Sunday Finale

August 27, 2023 - Midwest League (MWL)
Great Lakes Loons News Release


Midland, Mich. - The Great Lakes Loons (71-48) (26-28) won their first home series since July 14-16th besting the Fort Wayne TinCaps (61-59) (29-25) 6-1 on a 69-degree partly cloudy Sunday at Dow Diamond.

Three Loons had a multi-hit game including Damon Keith. He cranked his tenth homer of 2023, a two-run insurance shot in the eighth. Keith started the second with a double. Kenneth Betancourt laid down a bunt single, that was fielded by Fort Wayne starter Victor Lizarraga and thrown errant to first, making it 1-0 Loons.

Next-up Taylor Young walked on six pitches and stole second base, his 50th stolen base. The third player in Loons history to eclipse 50 stolen bases in a season. With two in scoring position, Alex Freeland muscled a ball into left-center field, to plate two. The 22-year-old sliced an RBI single in the fifth inning after Taylor Young walked and stole second base for a second time.

Great Lakes began their day using an opener, Benony Robles. The left-hander struck out two in a scoreless first inning. Hyun-il Choi took over from there, earning a season-high six strikeouts across four innings. The right-hander retired the first six he faced, allowing just two hits a bunt single from Tyler Robertson, was scored by a Carlos Luis RBI single.

Choi threw twice in the series, with a combined 10 strikeouts through nine innings and only two earned runs given up.

The Loons used four relievers for the final four innings. Lucas Wepf recorded a strikeout and double play after a single and walk started the sixth. Mitchell Tyranski got a lineout, popup, and groundout in the seventh. Christian Suarez struck out two in the eighth, and Michael Hobbs, for the second time in the week grabbed the final three out in a 6-1 win.

After an off day, the Great Lakes Loons begin the final regular season home series. The Loons face the Dayton Dragons, with game one in a six-game series on Tuesday, August 29th. The first pitch is at 7:05 p.m.

Tuesday is a Hometown Heroes night presented by HSC. Active duty military, veterans, first responders, and healthcare workers receive a free hot dog meal at the game by showing a service-related ID.

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 August 27, 2023


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