Pen Impresses, Rain Pours in 5-0 Loss
April 4, 2025 - Midwest League (MWL)
Lansing Lugnuts News Release
FORT WAYNE, Ind. - On a cold, windy, rainy, season-opening Friday night at Parkview Field, the Fort Wayne TinCaps (1-0) scored five runs in the first two innings and shut out the Lansing Lugnuts (0-1), 5-0, to open the Lugnuts' 29th season.
Lansing lefty Gage Jump received the Opening Day start in his professional debut - joining 2008's Trystan Magnuson as the only Lugnuts in franchise history to make their pro debut as the Opening Day starting pitcher. Coincidentally, Magnuson also lost to Fort Wayne.
18-year-old Padres No. 1 prospect Leo De Vries singled, stole second and scored to ignite a three-run first inning off Jump, then singled and scored again in a two-run second inning. Jump thwarted further offense by finishing off the first inning with back-to-back strikeouts and halting the second-inning rally with three straight whiffs, finishing a two-inning debut with five strikeouts alongside six hits, two hit batters, two wild pitches and no walks.
The Lugnuts' bullpen dominated from there, combining for six shutout innings of one-hit ball with no walks and seven strikeouts. Blaze Pontes tossed the third and fourth innings, Jake Christianson worked the fifth and sixth, Yehizon Sanchez fanned De Vries in the seventh, and Corey Avant wrapped things up with a 1-2-3 eighth.
But the Nuts' offense was blanked on five hits and seven walks by Enmanuel Pinales (3 2/3 innings) and four TinCaps relievers, stranding 10 runners and finishing 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position.
In the losing cause, Clark Elliott drew three walks, Joshua Kuroda-Grauer collected a pair of singles in four at-bats, Jared Dickey doubled and walked, and CJ Rodriguez singled and walked.
19-year-old Lugnuts right-hander Steven Echavarria makes his Midwest League debut in the second game of the three-game series, set for 1:05 p.m. Saturday. Fort Wayne counters with right-hander Isaiah Lowe.
The Nuts return to Michigan's state capital on Tuesday, opening the 66-game home schedule with a six-game series against the Great Lakes Loons from April 8-13. S ingle game tickets are on sale at the Jackson ® Field™ box office, available for purchase at (517) 485-4500 or online at milb.com/lansing.
Midwest League Stories from April 4, 2025
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