April 8th, 2017 at 5:59 am 
by Harold Uhlman The 2017 Great Lakes Loons season started somewhat like their 2015 and 2016 seasons. That is, with weather playing the dominant role. The opening day parade planned for Main Street in Midland was canceled on Thursday, April 6 and will not be rescheduled.
Later in the day the decision was made to postpone the opening day game along with the pre-game celebration and honoring of the of 2016 Midwest League champions.
On Thursday, there were also some roster changes announced for the Great Lakes squad. The 7-day DL list made its first appearance of the season with seven members on it added to the Loons roster, five of them pitchers: Victor Gonzalez, Garrett Harrison, Joe Mortillaro, Jeremiah Muhammad, and Jeff Paschke, along with infielders Cristian Gomez and Matt Jones.
In a bit of a surprise, right-hander Jordan Sheffield will remain at extended spring training along with outfielder Darien Tubbs. Their spots on the Loons roster were filled by right-hander Parker Curry who was signed as a minor league free agent by the Dodgers in July, and by 20-year-old outfielder Shakir Albert.
Following the cancellation of the much-anticipated opening day game on Thursday, it was quickly announced that the game would be made up as part of a doubleheader with the visiting Lansing Lugnuts on Friday, with the first 1000 fans at Dow Diamond receiving a 2016 commemorative championship banner.
This time the elements cooperated with a promise of warm, fine weather, at least until Monday.
Leo Crawford
Left-hander Leo Crawford, who turned 20 in early February, was called upon to make the Loons first start of the season. Play-by-player announcer Chris Vosters’ first “out” call of the 2017 season was a pop up to Crawford’s battery mate, 18-year-old Keibert Ruiz.
Jeremy Rodriguez’s first infield as Loons manager had a pair of 19-year-olds on the left side of the infield with Oneil Cruz at third base and Brendon Davis at shortstop. Steady Zach McKinstry started at second base with former catcher Gersel Pitre holding down first base. Former catcher, Brazilian Luis Paz, started as the designated hitter.
Spark plug Saige Jenco returned to left field with Cody Ross in center field and 19-year-old Carlos Rincon in right field.
Crawford was not quite as sharp as usual, giving up one earned run on four hits and two walks over 3.1 innings. A second run scored by compliments of an error, a balk and a sacrifice fly.
In the bottom of the third inning the Loons responded with three runs to take the lead on two hits, a walk, a Lugnuts error and a passed ball.
Right-hander Tony Gonsolin followed Crawford to the mound and although he struck out five over 2.2 innings, he gave up the lead in the top of the fifth inning on a single to Lansing shortstop Bo Bichette and an opposite field home run to third baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Guerrero is 18 years of age while Bichette is 19.
Bichette increased the Lugnuts lead to 5-3 in the top of the seventh inning with an opposite field home run of his own off Loons reliever Nolan Long. Lansing scored one more run in the top of the seventh inning to come away with a 6-3 win.
The second end of the doubleheader had at least one surprise in the Loons lineup. Lenix Osuna, son of former Dodger reliever Antonio Osuna, started for the Loons. It was a surprise in that Osuna has started only one previous game in his four-year minor league career.
His second start lasted but 1.1 innings in which he gave up only one hit but combined with three walks resulted in two earned runs. Osuna was relieved by German born Sven Schuller who stranded two of three inherited runners. Schuller tossed 2.1 innings giving up two hits while striking out two.
With the score still 2-0 for the Lugnuts, Schuller was relieved by Parker Curry in the top of the fourth inning. Curry struck out six in 3.1 perfect innings. The Loons were not able to mount enough offense to overcome the 2-0 Lansing lead and dropped both ends of the doubleheader.
It’s back to the drawing board for the next two games as the Loons meet those same Lugnuts in Lansing on Saturday on Sunday before moving on to Lake County for a three-game set.
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