Batters behind as Wild Things drop opener
Wild Things pitcher Matthew Sergey (23) is removed from the game during the fifth inning by manager Bob Bozzuto Friday in the season opener at Consol Energy Park. Above, the Washington Wild Things’ mascot revs up the crowd.
Washington’s Daniel Poma gets a first base hit in the third inning on Friday, May 15 against the Schaumburg Boomers.
The Washington Wild Things’ mascot revs up the crowd during the home opener against the Schaumburg Boomers on Friday, May 15.
Washington’s Daniel Poma slides safely into second base while Schaumburg’s Mike Schulze reached for the baseball during the third inning of Friday’s game.
Washington Wild Things’ CJ Beatty gets a first base hit in the first inning of the game on Friday, May 15.
Because the Frontier League allows for only a two-week spring training, pitchers are typically ahead of the hitters early in season.
That explains how the batters for the two-time defending league champion Schaumburg Boomers can start the year by going 2-for-18 with runners in scoring position.
And how the Wild Things can muster only one hit in 13 at-bats with runners in scoring position in one game.
However, the only statistics that matter in baseball are wins and losses. And, today, Schaumburg is undefeated, even if it’s hitters aren’t producing, and the Wild Things are winless.
Schaumburg scored a run in the fifth inning, and its pitchers thwarted several good scoring opportunities by Washington to defeat the Wild Things, 1-0, Friday night at Consol Energy Park, spoiling the home team’s season opener.
Schaumburg improved its record to 2-0. The Boomers opened the season Thursday at Windy City with a 2-0 win over the Thunderbolts. The Boomers have not allowed a run in 18 innings.
“It’s natural for pitchers to be ahead of hitters at this time of year, but you still have to go out there and get the job done,” Schaumburg manager Jamie Bennett said.
With both offenses struggling, it was no surprise the lone run Friday came courtesy of an error. Craig Massey, the No. 9 hitter in the Boomers’ lineup, raced home from third base in the fifth inning when an errant pickoff throw to first base by Washington starting pitcher Matt Sergey (0-1) went into foul territory and rolled down the right-field line.
Massey was on third base after leading off the inning with an infield single and advancing to second base when Mike Schulze was hit by a pitch and to third when Jordan Dean flied out.
The rest of the game was a nine-inning exercise in missed opportunities by both teams. Schaumburg couldn’t take advantage of nine walks by Washington pitchers, and the Wild Things left at least two runners on base in four innings and stranded 11 in the game.
“I thought we did a good job of keeping it to one run, and that one run came on a throwing error,” Washington manager Bob Bozzuto said. “We had too many walks for a 1-0 game.”
Four of Washington’s six games against Schaumburg last year went extra innings, and Bozzuto said he expected another close game. That’s why he brought the infield in during the second inning after a one-out triple by Alexi Colon. The unconventional move paid off when Michael Valadez hit a slow grounder to third baseman Sam Mende, who fired to catcher Maxx Garrett to retire Colon on a close play at the plate.
Washington, meanwhile, never could generate a clutch hit. The Wild Things’ best oportunity to score came in the fifth when they had two runners in scoring position with no outs. However, Schaumburg starter Eddie Cody (1-0) pitched out of the jam by getting a groundout to shortstop and two popouts.
The Wild Things also had a runner on third base with one out in the third inning but Cody escaped with a strikeout and flyout around a hit batsman.
“We let too many opportunities go by,” Bozzuto said. “It’s early in the year and I thought our hitters were starting to get there but just missing – they were popping up – but it’s coming.”
Washington’s four pitchers worked out of several jams, often started by walks. Schaumburg had runners on second and third in the fifth before Richie Mirowski replaced Sergey and got two strikeouts to end the threat. The Boomers also had two runners in the seventh before Steve Messner induced an inning-ending double play.
Washington, however, could never take advantage. The Wild Things were held to five hits. Their only hit with a runner in scoring position was a two-out infield single by Mende that moved Garrett to third base in the sixth but he was stranded there.
“We weren’t seizing the moment,” Bozzuto said. We had our chances. We just didn’t do get the job done.”
Chad Lobitan got the final four outs for a save. … Seth Webster, who pitched seven shutout innings for the Boomers, was signed Friday by the Atlanta Braves and assigned to their Rome (Ga.) affiliate in Class A. … The Wild Things are 7-7 in home openers and had won the last three. … Washington relievers Mirowski, Messner and Matt Purnell combined for 4 2/3 scoreless and hitless innings. Attendance was 2,414.