It is Ijames who lifts Things
It was hard to tell which play by Washington right fielder Stewart Ijames in the sixth inning of the Wild Things’ game Saturday night against the Frontier League Greys was more impressive.
Was it Ijames’ strong throw to home plate and catcher Jim Vahalik that cut down Blake Bergeron, who was trying to score the go-ahead run from second base on a single?
Or was it Ijames’ long home run to right-center field on the first pitch of the bottom of the inning?
Each figured prominently at the end of the Wild Things’ 5-4 victory before 1,448 at Consol Energy Park.
Ijames’ home run, his fourth of the season, broke a 4-4 tie and sent Washington to its third win in the four-game series that concludes today.
Widl Things manager Bart Zeller was quick to say which play by Ijames was most important.
“The throw to the plate,” he said definitively. “He’s proven that he can throw from there.”
Ijames, a rookie, has seen the majority of his playing time at first base and recently has seen spot duty in right field. He played both the outfield and first base at the University of Louisville.
Al Yevoli (1-1), the third of five Washington pitchers, was the winner with 1 1/3 scoreless innings. He was followed by Amalio Diaz and Jhonny Montoya, each throwing a scoreless inning of relief. Diaz struck out three batters on only 10 pitches in the eighth, and Montoya retired the Greys in order in the ninth for his third save.
The Greys, the league’s travel team, forged a 4-0 lead in three innings against Washington’s Anthony Collazo, who was making his first start since June 19. The Greys had two on with two out in the top of the first when designated hitter Mark Micowski hit a drive to deep right-center field that Ijames tracked down but had glance off his glove at the wall. Two runs scored, and Ijames was charged with an error.
A double to the gap in left-center field by catcher Chris Kay, the Greys’ No. 9 hitter, drove in Alvaro Ramirez and gave the Greys a 3-0 lead in the second. In the fourth, left fielder JJ Muse hit his third home run of the season, and second of the series, to give Greys starter Matt Costello (1-3) a 4-0 lead.
Washington began to chip away at the deficit, and it was an error that allowed A.J. Nunziato to reach base in the bottom of the third that got the Wild Things going. Vahalik followed with a well-placed double inside the third-base bag.
Washington then pulled off a perfect suicide squeeze play as Darian Sandford dropped down a bunt single as Nunziato scored Washington’s first run. Vahalik came home on a sacrifice fly by Shain Stoner, and the Wild Things had cut the Greys’ lead in half at 4-2.
Ijames (2-for-4) went the opposite way with a pitch in the fourth and smacked a one-out double down the left-field line. Two batters later, Nunziato hit Washington’s third double of the game, driving in Ijames and cutting the deicit to 4-3.
Washington stole the tying run in the fifth. Sandford drew a leadoff walk and stole both second and third. One out later, Jovan Rosa’s groundout to second allowed Sandford to score.
Two innings later, Ijames capped the comeback with his solo home run.
“That was a great team effort tonight,” Zeller said.
Extra bases
The Greys are 3-9 in one-run games. … Zach Fleshman relieved Collazo in the fifth and threw 1 2/3 scoreless innings. … Sandford stole three bases to bring his league-leading total to 31.