The Jared McDonald show leads Lugnuts past the Captains 10-3
BY TIM SHIRER
CAPTAINS BEAT WRITER
(EASTLAKE, OH) - The Lake County Captains and Lansing Lugnuts continued their six-game series on Thursday night. The Captains won the first two games including Wednesday night’s slugfest 14-10. The tables were turned on the Captains tonight as Jared McDonald put on a show leading the Lugnuts to an 10-3 win sending the 1,552 fans at Classic Park home disappointed.
The Lugnuts got on the board early in the first inning of Captains starter Mason Hickman. Hickman righthander retired the first two Lugnuts and then issued a base on balls to Tyler Soderstrom. The big blow in the inning came one pitch later when McDonald blasted his fifth home run of the season onto the scorched grass behind the right centerfield wall.
The Jared McDonald show continued in the third inning. With two runners on base and one out McDonald smashed his second home run of the night over the right center field fence, his sixth of the season to give the Lugnuts a 5-0 lead.
The Captains got on the board in the bottom of the fourth inning off Lansing starter Joey Estes when Jonathan Rodriguez belted his sixth home run of the season to pull the Captains to with in four runs at 5-1.
The fifth inning brought us act three of the Jared McDonald show. Act three consisted of a two-run home run by McDonald, his third of the game and seventh of the season. For good measure, the Lugnuts added another un in the inning to extend their lead to 8-1.
The Lugnuts added their ninth run in the seventh inning courtesy of four singles, the final single was of the RBI variety by Joshwan Wright driving home Patrick McColl.
The Captains pulled to within six runs in the eighth inning with one out Angel Martinez drew a walk and rode home on a Joe Naranjo’s 12th home run of the season.
The Lugnuts added one final run in the ninth inning for good measure.
Estes picked up the win for the Lugnuts going five innings allowing just the one run on three hits. He issued two walks and struck out five Captains hitters. With the win Estes improves to 1-4 with a 4.94 ERA. Hickman took the loss for Lake County. The big righthander went four innings allowing five runs all earned on five hits including two of the three McDonald home runs. He also issued two base on balls while striking out four Lugnuts. With the loss Hickman falls to 2-5 with a 5.11 ERA.
The two clubs will continue the series on Friday night at 7 pm. Blake Beers will take the mound for the Lugnuts. Beers, a righthander is 0-1 with a 3.10 ERA. The Captains will send Rodney Boone to the hill. Boone, a lefty is 0-2 with a 6.75 ERA. Boone was an 8th round pick by the Cleveland Indians in the 2021 July draft.
POSTED 06/30/2022 22:08