Loons’ rally falls short against Lugnuts

Great Lakes was finally able to get its offense going against the Lansing Lugnuts Sunday, but it was too little too late as the Loons fell 8-7 at Oldsmobile Park.

The Lugnuts jumped out to a big 8-2 lead thanks in part to a five-run third inning highlighted by Travis Snider’s 3-run homer. Snider, the new Midwest League leader in runs batted in (87), hit a three-run shot off Loons’ starter Steven Johnson.

But the Loons would fight back, scoring a run in the sixth on Trayvon Robinson’s second home run of the season, and plating three more in the eighth off Lugnuts’ reliever Zach Dials.

In the ninth, the Loons threatened to tie the game when James Peterson’s RBI-single brought the Lansing lead to a single-run and put the tying run 90 feet away at third base. But it wasn’t meant to be as Juan Rivera’s suicide squeeze attempt got pinch-runner Francisco Lizarraga thrown out at the plate before Robinson struck out to end the game.

Johnson (3-6) picked up his sixth loss of the year going only three innings and allowing seven of Lansing’s eight runs. Arismendy Castillo and Blake Brannon pitched a combined six innings of relief and allowed only one run to keep the Loons in the ballgame.

Ron Lowe (2-1) picked up his second win of the season by working three innings and allowing two runs in relief of starter Graham Godfrey who pitched three scoreless innings.

Offensively, the Loons left 11 runners on base during the ballgame.