Dutton's gem not enough in 2-0 loss to Loons

LANSING, Mich. – Samuel Dutton pitched seven innings of one-run baseball, but the Lansing Lugnuts (0-6, 29-41) were shut out by the Great Lakes Loons (4-1, 40-29), 2-0, in front of a Thursday night crowd of 5,848 at JacksonⓇ Field™.

Dutton’s seven innings tied a career high, allowing a single run – a fifth-inning Logan Wagner RBI single – on five hits, two walks and two strikeouts.

“Outstanding,” Lansing manager Javier Godard said. “Solid job today. [He] pitched in the bottom of the zone and got weak contact and swing and miss with his changeup, so it was pretty solid today.”

“Thought it was one of the better outings [I’ve had],” Dutton said. “Obviously in that first inning I had two walks and really just wanted to get back in the zone after that, and I feel like I did.”

The Lugnuts had the chance to tie the game late with a ninth-inning threat. Rodney Green, Jr. lined a two-out single to center off Dilan Figueredo and pinch-hitter Myles Naylor drew a walk to put the tying runs on. But Figueredo struck out Carlos Franco to hand the Lugnuts a ninth straight loss.

Green’s single was Lansing’s third and final hit of the game. After a leadoff single from Pedro Pineda in the first, the Lugnuts went 25 at-bats before Carlos Pacheco hit another single. Ultimately, the Nuts were able to put one runner in scoring position in the game – Green, in the bottom of the ninth.

The Loons capped their night with an insurance run courtesy of an Eduardo Guerrero blast over the wall in left-center field off of reliever Tucker Novotny. Novotny pitched the final two innings of the ballgame, allowing two hits and one run with two strikeouts.

The Loons nearly scored earlier in the game, but Pacheco made a highlight play in center field in the fourth inning to keep a run off the board. After a Guerrero single, Cameron Decker knocked a ball out into center field that nearly went over Pacheco’s head. Instead, Pacheco made the difficult catch to end the inning.

“That was huge,” Dutton said. “That was awesome. He's a great outfielder, and I love having him out there, so really great play.”

“I wasn't surprised,” Godard said. “He does it every day pretty much. So I mean, it was a great play, don't get me wrong, but that's what he does, so that's what I expect from him.

“What makes him really good at [playing outfield] is he goes out there every day during [batting practice] and he works for it, and he works on reads and angles and stuff like that. …  He's a good outfielder because he works for it.”

Go get it, Carlos Pacheco!!! pic.twitter.com/ehZKF9qBTq

— Jesse Goldberg-Strassler (@jgoldstrass) June 25, 2026

Guerrero led the Great Lakes offense, going 3-for-4 at the plate with one RBI and the home run, and his teammate Chase Adkison went 2-for-4.

From the mound, Loons starter Jakob Wright pitched 5 ⅔ innings, allowing just one hit with three walks and three strikeouts. Davis Chastain and Dilan Figueredo finished the game in scoreless relief.

Halfway through the six-game series, the Lugnuts have been held to three combined runs on 16 hits in 27 innings.

“We're not playing our best ball right now,” Dutton said. “I mean, everybody knows that. So I think just coming in here, head down, every single day working, not taking anything for granted, I think that's just what we have to do. And that's as a whole team, not just the hitters, not just the pitchers, not just the relievers, just everybody as a whole.”

Starter Zane Taylor takes the mound for the Lansing Olive Burgers on Friday, facing off against Great Lakes lefty Sterling Patick. Gates open at 5:30 p.m. for a celebration of America’s 250th anniversary, with the longest LAFCU Fireworks Spectacular of the year taking place after the game. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05. For tickets and more information, call (517) 485-4500 or visit www.milb.com/lansing.

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