Lugnuts Lugnuts keep playoff hopes alive for another day with 5-4 win
August 31, 2005 - Midwest League (MWL1)
Lansing Lugnuts News Release
LANSING- Yuber Rodriguez's RBI single in the bottom of the eighth inning scored Jason Armstrong with the game winning run as the Lugnuts(67-67, 30-35) stayed alive for a postseason berth for another day with a 5-4 win over Fort Wayne(64-71, 26-39) in front of 2,469 fans at Oldsmobile Park on Wednesday evening. Southwest Michigan's 7-2 loss to Kane County at C.O. Brown Stadium keeps the Devil Rays magic number at 1.
The Lugnuts winning rally was started in the bottom of the eighth when Charlie Anderson led off with a double off Neil Jamison(1-1). Jamison then intentionally walked David Hicks and Ryan Klosterman followed with a perfect sacrifice bunt on a 2-2 pitch to move pinch-runner Armstrong to third and Hicks to second. Jamison then intentionally walked Alberto Quintana to load the bases and Rodriguez slammed a deep single to center to drive in Armstrong.
Anderson's two-out double in the first scored Christian Snavely and gave the Lugnuts an early 1-0 lead.
In the third, an RBI double by Aaron Mathews and a sacrifice fly off the bat of Eric Nielsen scored Mathews to make it 3-0, the score that would last until the top of the seventh.
Jordan Timm worked five innings of shutout baseball with five strikeouts for Lansing and was online to earn his second win of the year, but Fort Wayne rallied for four runs in the top of the seventh off Dewon Day.
Chase Headley walked to start the inning and went to second on a single by Kelvin Vazquez. Tom Vincent then reached on a infield single and after some hesitation by David Hicks, his throw to first to retire Vincent bounced off Day's glove and allowed Headley to score and make it 3-1. The play sent Vazquez to third.
Baudilio Figueroa then had a sacrifice fly to center to score Vazquez and make it 3-2. Day fanned Josh Alley for the second out of the inning, but then walked Matt Thayer and gave up an infield single to Peter Ciofrone to load the bases. Matt Lauderdale then ripped a two-run double to right that scored Vincent and Thayer to make it 4-3. Ciofrone attempted to score as well but the relay throw nailed him at the plate to end the inning.
In the bottom of the seventh with their playoff lives on the line, Rodriguez collected a one-out single and went to third on a single by Eugenio Velez. Mathews then drove in Rodriguez with a single off Jamison to tie the game. Lansing left Velez and Mathews in scoring position later in the frame as Nielsen bounced out to end the inning and force extra innings before Rodriguez's heroics in the eighth.
Connor Falkenbach(1-0) got the relief win for the Lugnuts in his first game with the club, working the top of the eighth inning. He allowed one hit and had a strikeout.
The Lugnuts and Wizards wrapup their series tomorrow evening at 7:05 p.m. as Lansing sends right hander Danny Core to the hill. Fort Wayne counters with left hander Cesar Ramos.
Midwest League Stories from August 31, 2005
- It's Never Too Late For âTen Spot' - Cedar Rapids Kernels
- Kernels remain hot with 15-9 pounding of Swing - Cedar Rapids Kernels
- Swing set hr record in blowout loss - Quad Cities River Bandits
- Lugnuts Lugnuts keep playoff hopes alive for another day with 5-4 win - Lansing Lugnuts
- Snappers drop close one, lose ground In playoff race - Beloit Sky Carp
- Devil Rays inch closer to playoff berth - Southwest Michigan Devil Rays
- Everidge, Ford Lead Cougars Past D-Rays - Kane County Cougars
- The day after lags for the Whitecaps - West Michigan Whitecaps
- Dragons belt three homers, strike out 16 times in 5-4 loss to Wisconsin - Dayton Dragons
- Rattlers feel the breeze - Dayton Dragons
- He's back: Yarbrough returns to the Swing - Quad Cities River Bandits
- Bees Activate Vega - Burlington Bees
- Javier Herrera Activated for Tonight's Contest in Battle Creek - Kane County Cougars
- 'Caps Join Citadel and Red Cross Hurricane Relief Effort - West Michigan Whitecaps
- Chiefs to Help Hurricane Relief Fund - Peoria Chiefs
- Trio of pitchers leave while trio touch down in Lansing - Lansing Lugnuts
- Espinoza set to join Cedar Rapids rotation - Cedar Rapids Kernels
- Kernels team up with Red Cross to aid Katrina victims - Cedar Rapids Kernels
- BJ Surhoff bobblehead dolls for first 500 fans - Beloit Sky Carp
- LumberKings shutout Burlington - Clinton LumberKings
- Headley promoted to Fort Wayne - Fort Wayne TinCaps
- Ray sent to Giants in deadline deal - Cedar Rapids Kernels
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