September 4, 2012
Aleson Escalante took the loss in the Lugnuts 15-6 loss on Monday afternoon, but he and his teammates are prepared for the playoffs which begin Wednesday against Fort Wayne. (photo credit: Whitecap Wendy)
The Lansing Lugnuts fell to the Lake County Captains 15-6 in their final regular season game Monday afternoon. But while the Lugnuts lost, the fans won as they celebrated Fan Appreciation Day at Cooley Law School Stadium. In addition to participating in many giveaways, fans also had the opportunity after the game to go on and the field and get autographs from all of the players and coaches.
The Lugnuts finished their second half with a 35-33 record (82-54 overall) and look forward to starting a best-of-three playoff series against the Fort Wayne TinCaps. Game one will be played in Fort Wayne on Wednesday night. The Lugnuts will host game two Thursday night and game three (if necessary) Friday night, all three games will start at 7:05.
The season has seen many players promoted to the Dunedin Blue Jays as Marcus Walden, Jesse Hernandez, Jon Berti, Kevin Pillar, and Kenny Wilson have all made the trip to Florida to finish their seasons. Speaking on this matter, Lugnuts’ Manager, John Tomargo Jr. said, “We’ve done a great job sending players to Dunedin. That’s what we are ultimately here to do is make players better.”
With the departure of players, the Lugnuts have also welcomed many new players in the second half. Two players who have really stood out since arriving in Michigan, include Nick Baligod, who batted .291 with eight doubles, three homeruns, seven RBIs, and 20 runs scored in 29 games, and Chris Peters, who batted .274 with seven doubles, one triple, nine RBIs, and scored 15 runs in 28 games.
One player that has been huge for the Lugnuts all year at the plate is K.C. Hobson. Hobson is batting .273 with 133 hits, 43 doubles, two triples, ten homeruns, and 84 RBIs. Hobson is first in the Midwest League in doubles, second in the league in RBIs, and eighth in the league in hits. “Tomargo was K.C.’s hitting coach last year and has been a tremendous help to K.C this year too,” said Lansing’s Hitting Coach, Kenny Graham. “K.C. is more focused on his at bats, getting the work in, and being a better competitor at the plate.” Graham added, “Butch Hobson is also a big asset for K.C. as he’s been his coach his whole life. Being able to turn to his Dad for help with his swing is a big asset in his career.”
The Lugnuts will turn to their talented young rotation during their playoff run. Justin Nicolino was 10-4 with a 2.46 ERA with 119 strikeouts and only 21 walks. Justin finished first in the Midwest League in ERA, tied for sixth in wins, and tied for seventh in strikeouts. Anthony DeSclafani was 11-3 with a 3.37 ERA with 92 strikeouts and 25 walks. Anthony tied for fifth in the Midwest League in wins. Noah Syndergaard was 8-5 with a 2.60 ERA with 122 strikeouts and 31 walks. Noah finished third in the Midwest League in strikeouts. Aaron Sanchez was 8-5 with a 2.49 ERA with 97 strikeouts and 51 walks.“The entire pitching staff has done a tremendous job this season.” stated Tomargo.
Recognizing how talented and dedicated this Lansing Lugnuts team has been all season, let’s hope that their success continues into the playoffs and that they can soon be on their way to winning a Midwest League Championship.