Sha, Locos Dice up Fort Wayne
July 5, 2025 - Midwest League (MWL)
Lansing Lugnuts News Release
LANSING, Mich. - Pitching in front of his father and brother, Tzu-Chen Sha pitched two-hit ball over five innings to earn his first High-A win, and the Lansing Locos (6-8, 42-38) beat las Manzanas Luchadoras de Fort Wayne (9-5, 40-39), 5-1, on a Copa de la Diversión Saturday night at Jackson® Field™.
The win put Lansing in position to clinch a series split with a win on Sunday for the third consecutive week.
The 21-year-old Sha, a native of Taiwan, had allowed six runs in three innings vs. Dayton in his Midwest League debut a week prior. But this night was far different, beginning with strikeouts of Brandon Butterworth and Ryan Jackson in the opening inning. In the end, a home run by Butterworth off the foul pole in the third inning was Sha's only run allowed.
Kai Roberts followed with a single, was promptly erased on a double play, and Sha went on to retire the final eight batters he faced before departing, including a strikeout of Ethan Long.
Jake Christianson (two innings), Henry Gómez (one inning) and Blaze Pontes (one inning) blanketed the Fort Wayne batsmen from there, combining to allow two hits and no walks while striking out five.
The Lansing offense handled its business early, too, taking a 3-0 lead in the first off Eric Yost via a Tommy White sacrifice fly, Nate Nankil RBI single and Ryan Lasko run-scoring fielder's choice.
Joshua Kuroda-Grauer added a two-run single in the sixth off of Nick Wissman, delivering Lasko and Davis Diaz, to close out the scoring.
Kuroda-Grauer finished 2-for-4 with a pair of singles, extending his on-base streak to 20 games. Nankil added a pair of singles and a walk in four plate appearances.
Right-hander Grant Judkins starts the 1:05 p.m. Sunday finale, opposing Fort Wayne right-hander Luis Gutierrez. Gates open at 12 noon, for a Princess-themed Capital City Market Kids Day featuring postgame Kids Run the Bases. There will also be a huge baseball card giveaway, presented by the Joe Torre Safe at Home Foundation. T ickets are available for purchase at the stadium box office, (517) 485-4500 or online at milb.com/lansing.
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