Wild Things writing their own script
Washington’s CJ Beatty attempts to field a ground ball behind Gateway Grizzlies baserunner Chris McClendon during the first inning Thursday.
Washington Wild Things starting pitcher Tyler Elrod works in the first inning against the Gateway Grizzlies Thursday.
Logic has been of little use to the Washington Wild Things during this recently concluded, six-game homestand.
The Wild Things, seven games out of the final wild card spot in the Frontier League prior to Thursday’s game against the Gateway Grizzlies, won five of six, scoring seven or more runs in each of the past four games.
But perhaps the most unlikely feat was this: On Thursday night, pitcher Tyler Elrod started opposite Tim Brown, the former lugging an 18.90 earned-run average into his first professional start, the latter third in the league with 11 wins and three complete games.
So, naturally, Elrod outdueled Brown en route to a 10-1 victory for the Wild Things in front of 1,225 at Consol Energy Park, the fourth straight win for Washington, all over teams fighting for playoff spots.
Elrod, who played college baseball at The Master’s College in the NAIA, pitched six sparkling innings to earn his first professional win, allowing one run on two hits and three walks while striking out seven.
“It always feels good,” Elrod said. “Whatever level you’re on, when you get a win, it always feels good.”
Despite entering the game with a 2.73 ERA in 115 1/3 innings, Brown coughed up nine runs in 5 1/3 innings – eclipsing the total for his previous six starts combined. He walked in a run. It was Brown’s first loss since June 2.
The Wild Things scored five times in the sixth inning to turn this one into a laugher, the first on a walk to shortstop A.J. Nunziato. Second baseman C.J. Beatty followed with an RBI single, center fielder Quincy Latimore drove in two more with a single, and designated hitter Mark Samuelson’s sacrifice fly scored Beatty.
The win raises Washington’s record to 40-44, as the Wild Things hit the road for three games at River City and three more at Traverse City.
“It feels wonderful just to get back to playing baseball the way we knew we could play,” Beatty said. “Unfortunately it’s looking like we’re on the outside of the playoffs right now, but the guys are playing loose, the way we should have been playing the whole year.
“It’s fun again. And we love coming to the ballpark right now.”
Gateway (46-38), meanwhile, lost for the ninth time in its past 11 games, a slide that, if it continues, could send the Grizzlies tumbling out of the playoff race.
Nobody scored in the top of the fourth inning, but that’s not to say everything happened as expected.
Six batters went to the plate. None scored. Elrod struck out the side. He even shook off right fielder Jet Butler’s rocket of a line drive, one that Elrod had little time to react to before it pelted him in the side.
Elrod hit his only snag in the first: Second baseman Jonathan Johnson led off with a single, third baseman Chris McClendon walked, and Johnson scored on an error charged to Beatty.
Beatty made up for it in the bottom half, though, driving a low-and-outside pitch the opposite way for a double to score left fielder Shain Stoner.
Third baseman Jovan Rosa made it 2-1 with a single deep in the hole between shortstop and third base, scoring Beatty.
The Wild Things padded their lead with runs in the fourth and fifth innings. Right fielder Stewart Ijames reached on an error and scored on a sacrifice fly from first baseman Nick Boggan in the fourth.
Nunziato led the sixth off with a single and came around to score on a throwing error on Gateway first baseman Jose Flores, the Grizzlies’ third error of the game.
Extra bases
Nunziato had three hits and scored three runs. … Ijames also scored three runs. … Beatty has nine RBI in his past three games.