Captains roll to big victory over Lugnuts

Captain managers Luke Carlin had two reasons to be mightily pleased on June 13 at Classic Park.

On the field, in a day game that unfolded in bright sunshine and summer-like temperatures, the Captains rode a middle-inning scoring flurry to an 11-3 victory over the Lansing (Mich.) Lugnuts.

The Captains improved to 28-38 with their second straight win over the Midwest League playoffs-bound season over the Lugnuts, a full-season Single A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. Lansing clinched a playoff berth on June 11 and is headed to a second-place finish in the MWL’s Eastern Division.

“It’s nice to see us step up against a well-deserving playoff team,” Carlin said.

The Lugnuts struck first with a three-run outburst against Lake County starter Jean Carlos Mejia in the top of the third inning. Ryan Noda led off with a 439foot blast over the fence in right-center field. Two batters later, Brock Lundquist slammed a two-run shot to right field.

Lake County answered with three runs in the bottom of the fourth inning, tacked on thee more in the bottom of the fifth and essentially settled matters with five runs in the bottom of the sixth.

The Captains sent 24 batters to the plate in those three frames and collected nine hits. Left fielder Oscar Gonzales doubled in a run in the fourth inning and followed that with a tworun double in the sixth. Jose Vicente rifled a tworun home run to left-center field in the sixth. The Lugnuts hurt themselves with four wild pitches and three errors that produced four runs for the Captains.

Mejia gave up three runs on seven hits in 3 1/3 innings. He is on a 65-pitch limit after missing five weeks with various injuries. Relievers Nick Gallagher, Skylar Avery and Kyle Nelson blanked the Lugnuts over the final 5 2/3 innings on two hits.

Gallagher (1-2, 4.04 ERA) earned the victory with three scoreless innings of work.

Lansing starter Matthew Gunter (0-3, 4.76 ERA) took the loss. He surrendered six runs on four hits and four wild pitches in five innings.

Carlin’s post-game smile was broadened by the knowledge his wife, Kim, and their two daughters would soon arrive in Northeast Ohio after making the long drive from the family’s home in Texas.

Since going to spring training in Arizona on Feb. 8, Carlin said, he’s only been with his family for three days during a brief vacation in early May.