Great Lakes picks up split with Lansing

The Great Lakes Loons earned a split in their four-game series with the Lansing Lugnuts Thursday night with a 4-2 victory in front of a lively Oldsmobile Park crowd of 7,672.

Given Kutz (3-1) started for the Loons and earned the victory, throwing five innings allowing two runs (both earned). Both Lugnuts runs scored against Kutz were plated in the first inning on a two-run double by first baseman Manny Rodriguez.

But the Loons battled back with a run in the third inning. Preston Mattingly walked with two outs in the third and stole second base. He then scored on a base hit by Andrew Lambo to pull the Loons to within one.

However, the big inning for the Loons’ offense was the fifth. Jaime Ortiz blasted his ninth home run of the year off starter Chi-Hung Cheng (3-4) with one out to tie the score at two. Later in the frame, an Alex Garabedian single scored Mattingly to give the Loons’ a 4-2 lead.

Great Lakes tacked on an insurance run in the eighth on Alfredo Silverio’s single which scored Lambo.

Lambo recorded three hits in the game and has hits in five of his last seven at bats. Mattingly scored twice in the ballgame. Erik Kanaby had two hits in the game. Ortiz reached base three times on a homer and two walks.

The Loons (33-44 overall, 3-5 second half) return to Dow Diamond to start an eight-game homestand Friday, opening with four games against South Bend. Friday is Jersey off the Back Night, presented by MidMichigan Health. Loons’ players will be wearing their home uniforms, and lucky fans could leave Dow Diamond with a game-worn home Loons jersey.