EASTLAKE, Ohio – In Game 3 of a six-game series, the Lake County Captains (21-20) defeated the Lansing Lugnuts (18-24) by a final score of 11-1 on Thursday night at Classic Auto Group Park in Eastlake.
Lake County paired a quality start from LHP Franklin Gómez (W, 2-0), his first as a Captain, with a powerful offensive night to earn its third straight win to begin this week’s series. The Captains struck for 11 runs on 12 hits, including three home runs.
Gómez had an impressive outing, allowing just one run on two hits, striking out five and walking two in six innings of work.
Lake County got on the board quickly just three batters in. SS Dean Curley, MLB Pipeline’s No. 12 Guardians prospect, hit an RBI single to drive in DH Jace LaViolette, MLB Pipeline’s No. 7 Guardians prospect, who reached base with his first career pro triple.
Lansing scored its lone run of the night in the following inning, tying the game with an RBI single from 3B Gunner Gouldsmith.
In the home half of the second, the Captains took the lead back for good with a towering home run from 1B Nolan Schubart, MLB Pipeline’s No. 28 Guardians prospect, his seventh long ball of the year.
Lake County blew the game open in the fifth inning, plating five runs in the frame. LF Tommy Hawke logged an RBI single before Curley smashed a grand slam over the left field wall to give the Captains a 7-1 lead.
Lake County added another pair of runs in the seventh inning thanks to a two-out, two-run double from CF Aaron Walton, MLB Pipeline’s No. 17 Guardians prospect, which made it a 9-1 contest.
One inning later, the Captains plated the final two runs of the night with a two-run home run from 3B Maick Collado, his second homer of the year.
RHP Zane Taylor (L, 3-3), MLB Pipeline’s No. 19 Athletics prospect, suffered the loss for Lansing, allowing seven runs (six earned) on eight hits in five innings, striking out seven and walking one.
Game 4 of this week’s six-game series between the Captains and Lugnuts is scheduled for Friday night, May 21, at 7 p.m. Lake County will celebrate In Our Baseball Era Night at the ballpark, where the Captains will also host their first postgame Fireworks Friday show of the season. The game will be broadcast on the Bally Sports Live App, the MiLB App, and StreamGuys, with social media coverage courtesy of @LCCaptains on X and Instagram.
NOTES TO KNOW
- The Captains scored double-digit runs for the second time in this week’s series on Thursday night. Lake County has scored at least 10 runs in six games this season.
- OF Aaron Walton extended his hitting streak to 12 games with a two-run double and a single on Thursday night. The 66th overall pick of the 2025 MLB Draft out of Arizona is batting .400 (20-for-50) with five doubles, four home runs, 12 RBI, seven walks, three stolen bases, and a 1.232 OPS during this span.
- LHP Franklin Gómez recorded a quality start for the Captains on Thursday night, the sixth of his pro career and first since July 9, 2024 for St. Lucie (Single-A, Mets) versus Lakeland (Single-A, Tigers). The Ocumare de la Costa, Venezuela native leads the Midwest League with a 2.08 ERA this season.
- INF Dean Curley reached base in three of his four plate appearances, going 2-for-3 with his first pro grand slam, five RBI, and a walk on Thursday night. The 2025 second-round pick out of Tennessee ranks top-three in Minor League Baseball with 46 walks (second) and a .491 on-base percentage (third).
About the Lake County Captains:
The Lake County Captains are the professional High-A Affiliate of the Cleveland Guardians located in Eastlake, Ohio. Our mission is to honor the rich history of our organization, while also introducing baseball to a new generation of fans through innovative means. We are committed to supporting our community, sports teams, and each other by demonstrating passion and having fun every day.