Lugnuts Tighten Race With Comeback Win
June 3, 2007 - Midwest League (MWL1)
Lansing Lugnuts News Release
Dayton, Ohio - Let the stretch run begin. With two weeks to go in the first half, the chase for the playoffs has tightened up, as the Lansing Lugnuts beat the Dayton Dragons in comeback fashion 6-4 Sunday afternoon at Fifth Third Field. The win trims the Dragons lead to four games in the East and pulls Lansing into a tie with West Michigan for second place.
Lansing trailed the game 4-3 in the eighth after Dayton scored two in the previous inning to take the lead. However the Lugnuts were able to put together an eighth inning rally to regain the lead from Dayton. After Yuber Rodriguez singled to lead the frame off, Matt Lane laced a double into right-center field to tie the game at 4-4. Sean Shoffit then dropped a bloop double in front of the diving Gerardo Cabrera in left field to put Lansing ahead 5-4. Raul Barron's RBI single scored Shoffit to add an insurance run to make it 6-4.
The Dragons had gained the upper hand in the seventh off of releiver Edward Rodriguez. Logan Parker tripled and scored on a wild pitch to tie the game at 3-3. Chris Heisy then delivered a pinch hit double off of the left field wall to score Cabrera from second to put Dayton up 4-3.
The Lugnuts had led 2-0 in the third before Dayton's Justin Turner punished a Graham Godfrey offering over the left-center field wall to knot the game at 2-2.
Lansing took the lead right back in the fourth when Jonathan Jaspe doubled into the left field corner to plate Shoffit and make it 3-2.
Graham Godfrey got the start for Lansing, but did not factor into the decision after throwing five innings and allowing two runs on four hits.
Instead Rodriguez (2-1) picked up the win in relief by tossing two innings and surrendering two runs on as many hits.
Paul Phillips notched second save in as many days, his seventh of the season.
Lansing (30-24) and Dayton (35-21) will continue the series on Monday night. Kyle Ginley (0-4, 6.26) will take the mound for the Lugnuts, while Rafael Gonzalez (8-1, 2.47) will pitch for the Dragons. First pitch is set for 7:00 p.m.
Midwest League Stories from June 3, 2007
- Cougars Bow to L'Kings - Kane County Cougars
- Lugnuts Tighten Race With Comeback Win - Lansing Lugnuts
- Chiefs Fall Further Behind First Place Beloit After 14-4 Loss - Peoria Chiefs
- Buckman's Swing Send Rattlers To Defeat - Wisconsin Timber Rattlers
- QC Stays Hot With Fifth Straight Win - Quad Cities River Bandits
- Loons Win Wild Affair - Great Lakes Loons
- Bees Go the Distance to Sweep Kernels - Burlington Bees
- See Saw Battle Goes To Lugnuts - Dayton Dragons
- Rain Suspends Whitecaps Game - West Michigan Whitecaps
- Conger and Pettit homer in 4-3 Kernels win - Cedar Rapids Kernels
- Cougars Fall in Extras - Kane County Cougars
- Chiefs Use Long Ball to Beat Beloit 6-4 - Peoria Chiefs
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