Lansing - There's a simple saying in baseball, if you can't hit you can't score. Such was the case Tuesday night at Oldsmobile Park for the Fort Wayne Wizards, as the Lansing Lugnuts shut them out 5-0.
Two Lugnuts (14-18) pitchers, starter Anderson Tavarez and reliever Ryan O'Malley combined to pitch a three-hit shutout of the Fort Wayne Wizards (15-17).
Tavarez did most of the work, going seven innings while striking out six, walking two, and giving up only one hit on the night. That hit happened to be the first batter he faced.
After giving up the hit, Tavarez pitched a near flawless seven innings. At one stretch, the righty was able to retire 11 straight batters.
"I kept the ball inside and down in the strike zone," Tavarez said. "I was able to keep it there (down and in) because I had great control of all of my pitches tonight."
Tavarez has by far been Lansing's best pitcher this year. With an 11-5 record, he is the clear No. 1 starter for manager Julio Garcia's club. No other starter has more than seven victories. In his last nine starts Tavarez has not given up more than three runs in any of those games.
On Tuesday, the Lugnuts gave Tavarez the lead in the second inning. Third baseman Casey McGehee and designated hitter Keith Butler each drew walks on 3-2 pitches. After a fielder's choice and a strikeout, right fielder Jason Fransz hit an RBI single to right.
The run support continued in the third inning, when the 'Nuts added another run. Lansing left fielder Nick Jones led off the inning with a double into the left center gap. McGehee scored Jones with a base hit to center field.
Wizards starter Cory Doyne (0-4) provided some help for the Lugnuts cause in the fourth inning. Doyne pitched to five batters in the inning but did not retire one of them. He walked two batters, hit another, and threw a wild pitch.
To Doyne's credit, though, he did not receive much help from his teammates. Errors by second baseman Peter Stonard and third baseman Kervin Jacobo assisted the Lugnuts efforts.
All told, Lansing scored three runs on no hits in the inning by taking advantage of the Wizards mistakes. The three runs were more than enough for the Lugnuts pitchers.
After Tavarez exited the game, Ryan O'Malley came in and finished off what Tavarez had started. O'Malley threw two shutout innings and only gave up two hits in the process.
The Lugnuts big hitter on the night was Fransz, who was went 2 for 3 with one RBI and a walk. He provided the offense for Tavarez.
"I have to do what's best for the team, whether I am hitting fourth or eighth, like I was tonight," Fransz said.
With the win, the Lugnuts snapped a two game skid and began their effort to climb out of the second half cellar in the Midwest Leagues Eastern Division.
The Wizards and Lugnuts do battle again Wednesday afternoon in the third game of a four game set. The game starts at 12:05 p.m. at Oldsmobile Park, 505 E. Michigan Ave., in Lansing.
