MWL Great Lakes Loons

Lugnuts Outlast Loons in 10-Inning Home Opener, 4-3

April 7, 2023 - Midwest League (MWL)
Great Lakes Loons News Release


MIDLAND, Mich. - The Great Lakes Loons (High-A Affiliate Los Angeles Dodgers) began their 16th season of baseball, in front of 2,465 fans at Dow Diamond. The Lansing Lugnuts (High-A Affiliate Oakland Athletics) outlasted the Loons 4-3 in 10 innings on a 40-degree night in Midland.

Ronan Kopp received the opening day start and struck out six over three innings. The lone run of the first five innings came in the first, as Lansing's Max Muncy, the A's 10th ranked prospect on MLB.com rifled a double to left-center that scored Caedan Trenkle who led off the game with a single. The Lugnuts would remain hitless over the next four innings.

The Loons were contained by Joelvis Del Rosario, who went 4.2 innings allowing just three batters to reach. Austin Gauthier had the only Loons hit through the first six innings singling to right field in the bottom of the first inning.

The bullpens battled in the middle innings. Great Lakes' Robbie Peto had back-to-back 1-2-3 innings. Lugnuts centerfielder Caedan Trenkle once again reached base to start the top of the sixth, being hit by a pitch. Max Muncy once more delivered looping a ball to left-center and scoring Trenkle from second after he reached scoring position on a stolen base. Lansing's Kumar Nambiar retired the four batters he faced closing out the sixth with a strikeout.

In the seventh, the Loons compiled four of their five hits and knotted up the game at two. Alex Freeland and Damon Keith, 27 and 26 respectively on MLB.com's Dodgers top 30 prospect list began the seventh with back-to-back base knocks.

Both runners moved into scoring position after a flyout and Yeiner Fernandez plated Freeland with a sacrifice fly to right. With two outs, Yunior Garcia sliced an infield single to short that brought the score to 2-2.

In the eighth and ninth, the Loons and Lugnuts mustered just one base-runner. Michael Hobbs, who worked a 1-2-3 ninth, stayed in for the tenth. With a runner starting at second, Lazaro Armenteros lofted a ball to right, Damon Keith made the catch, but an errant throw allowed the inherited runner to advance. Jonny Butler's RBI single gave the Lugnuts a 3-2 lead.

After a Butler stolen base, with two outs Max Muncy searching for his fourth hit popped it up. A bobble and drop from Loons first baseman Yunior Garcia allowed Butler to cross the plate and make it 4-2.

The bottom of the tenth began with Ismael Alcantara pinch-running and beginning on second. After a groundout to the pitcher, Alcantara moved to third. A flyball to right was not deep enough to score the runner, but an error at short, with two outs was. Jack Owen would retire Taylor Young to end the game, a flyout to center.

The Loons return to Dow Diamond for game two of the season when they face the Lansing Lugnuts. First pitch at 1:05 p.m.

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Midwest League Stories from April 7, 2023


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