Greys find home, hits at Consol
The Wild Things’ Jovan Rosa gets the ball a split second too late to tag out Greys’ Mike Gallic, who slides into third base for a triple in the third inning Tuesday at Consol Energy Park in North Franklin Township.
The Wild Things’ Shawn Smith pitches during the fourth inning of the game against the Greys Tuesday at Consol Energy Park.
0605_SPT_wildthings_04 Katie Roupe / Observer-Reporter Wild Things' Nick Akins fist bumps coach Bob Bozzuto after getting a first base hit in the fourth inning against the Grey's.
0605_SPT_wildthings_02 Katie Roupe / Observer-Reporter Wild Things' Jovan Rosa throws to first for an out during the second inning of the game against the Grey's off a grounded hit.
They are the team without a home, the club that never bats in the bottom of the ninth inning.
The Frontier League Greys are the league’s travel team, a collection of players who will spend 96 games this summer as the visiting team.
With the deck stacked against them each night, the Greys are expected to win about as often the football team that is seemingly everybody’s homecoming opponent.
Somewhere along the line, however, somebody forgot to tell that last bit of information to the Greys, who have been competitive from the start.
The Greys mixed power-hitting from their offense and a quality start from a 5-foot-10 guy with a relic of a pitch to cool off the surging Wild Things, 5-2, Tuesday night at Consol Energy Park.
Blake Bergeron hit a two-run homer and Balbino Fuenmayor, who was signed earlier in the day, added a solo shot to center field for the Greys, who made the most of only six hits off Washington starter Shawn Smith (1-1) and two relievers. Five of the Greys’ six hits went for extra bases.
Greys starting pitcher Joe Zeller (3-1), a knuckleball specialist, had the Wild Things’ hitters guessing and flailing for six innings, and the bullpen followed with three shutout innings.
The win improved the Greys’ record to 7-9.
“There are still little things we need to work on and get better at. The tough part is going to be late July and August, after being on the road all season,” said Greys manager Brent Metheny, who is the nephew of Bethel Park High School and former Waynesburg head football coach Jeff Metheny.
“This team is hungry. We can compete each night with any team in the league, which we proved tonight because Washington came in with the best record.”
Washington (10-6), which was coming off a 5-1 road trip, squandered too many scoring opportunities after building an early 2-0 lead. Zeller, who has been throwing the knuckleball for only two years and under the tutelage of former major league pitcher Charlie Hough, allowed six hits and two walks.
“A lot of guys say they throw a knuckleball, but they can’t. Joe throws a true knuckleball,” Methany said.
Zeller pitched well with the knuckleball last year in Class A while in the Chicago Cubs’ system. He even made one start in Class AA. But the Cubs had a change in management of their farm system during the offseason and Zeller and his floater pitch were deemed expendable. He was signed by Metheny, who wasn’t aware of Zeller being a knuckleball pitcher before contacting him and offering him a contract.
“When he kept the knuckleball down, it was good,” said Washington catcher Jim Vahalik, who had three of Washington’s seven hits. “When he left it up, it was hittable. We didn’t swing at the right pitches. … When you’re facing a knuckleball pitcher, you’re only going to get one good pitch to hit each at-bat.”
Nick Akins singled home Mark Samuelson to give Washington a 1-0 lead in the second inning, and Vahalik followed with a double to the right-field corner that drove in Stewart Ijames and gave the Wild Things a 2-0 lead.
The Greys got one run back in the third, then used three extra-base hits to take a 4-2 lead in the fifth. After a leadoff walk, Bergeron hit a two-run homer to left field to give the Greys the lead. Two outs later, Mike Gallic doubled off the wall and scored when Tillman Pugh put a triple down the right-field line, making the score 4-2.
Fuenmayor added a solo homer in the eighth off reliever Will Scott.
Washington, meanwhile, was stranding baserunners and striking out at an alarming rate. The Wild Things left 12 runners on base, and all nine of their strikeouts came over the final five innings. Each strikeout came with at least one runner one base.
“We didn’t make adjustments, especially with two strikes,” Vahalik said. “We need to eliminate that. With two strikes, we need to put the ball in play. When you see a knuckleball pitcher, sometimes that takes you out of your comfort zone.”
Before the game, Washington released outfielder Matt Fleishman. … Washington starting pitcher Justin Hall (2-0) had an arthrogram taken of his sore right shoulder Tuesday. Results are expected today. … Washington center fielder Darian Sandford, a switch-hitter, batted right-handed against the right-handed Zeller in the sixth inning.