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Slammers live up to name, sweep Wild Things

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The Joliet Slammers, who have led the Frontier League’s East Division for more than a month, owe the largest portion of their considerable success to their impressive hitting. The Slammers have scored 161 more runs than Washington and sport a team batting average 40 points better than that of the Wild Things.

The difference in the offenses was apparent Friday night as Joliet swept a pivotal doubleheader from the Wild Things, 5-1 and 4-2, and moved closer to clinching the division title.

Joliet, which produced 20 hits in the doubleheader, increased its lead over Washington to 4½ games with eight remaining in the regular season. The news wasn’t any better on the wild-card front as Washington slipped to 2½ games behind River City.

“We have to win the next two to give ourselves any hope of winning the division,” Washington manager Gregg Langbehn said. “We’re not in a good spot divisionwise, but we still have a chance in the wild card. We probably have to win six of the next eight, and that still might not be good enough. We have play and not mope and fell sorry for ourselves.”

First baseman Mike Garza capped a five-run fifth inning in the opener with a three-run homer and starting pitcher Liam O’Sullivan became the Frontier League’s first 10-game winner by throwing a five-hitter and working out of some early jams.

Charlie White, the No. 9 hitter in the Slammers’ lineup, drove in two runs and Joliet scored single runs in four different innings during the nightcap.

For Washington, it was a frustrating night filled with missed opportunities. The first inning of the opening game set the tone for the home team.

The Wild Things’ Andrew Heck laced a triple to the gap in left centerfield to start the bottom of the first. Ten pitches later, he was still there and the inning was over. Shallow flyout, groundout and strikeout.

It was that kind of night.

Washington’s Jimmy Yezzo started the second inning with a double off the wall in right field. He stayed at second base. Groundout, strikeout and popout.

Ricky Rodriguez started the fourth with a groundball double down the left-field line. He did advance to third on a groundout but was stranded there after a strikeout and another groundout.

That was nine at-bats with runners in scoring position in four innings with no hits and no runs. It didn’t get any better by game’s end as Washington went hitless in 12 at-bats with runners in scoring position. For the two games, Washington was 1-for-17 with runners on second or third base. Joliet, meanwhile, converted its scoring opportunities, going 6-for-13.

“When you hit that poorly you probably don’t deserve to win,” Langbehn said. “That was two games of pathetic offense. I’m not going to be kind about it.”

After being held to two hits through the first four innings, Joliet solved Washington starter Matt Fraudin (7-7) in the fifth, scoring five runs, all with two outs. Jake Gronsky and former Wild Things third baseman Carter Bell had run-scoring singles to give Joliet a 2-0 lead. Garza followed with a long three-run homer to left centerfield.

“I wasn’t getting the low strikes,” Fraudin explained. “I was bringing the ball up and leaving it up. Then it was a snowball effect.”

Garza was activated off the suspended list Aug. 15 and has two home runs in 10 games.

O’Sullivan (10-1) came within one out of a shutout. Washington broke up the bid when Grant Fink doubled, advanced to third on an error and scored on Austin Wobrock’s groundout.

“It’s not over yet,” Joliet manager Jeff Isom said. “In the first inning of the opener, when they hit the leadoff triple, I said ‘Oh, no, we’re in trouble.’ But O’Sullivan, that was the best he’s pitched in terms of making good pitching when needed most.”

In the nightcap, Joliet forged a 2-0 lead in the second inning against Washington starter Brandon Bixler (1-1). Rodriguez’s eighth home run of the season, a solo shot leading off the fourth, pulled Washington to within 3-2, but the Slammers scored an insurance run in the sixth.

Winning pitcher Chris Rice (4-1) threw five innings for the win. Zach Hirsch got the final six outs for his first save.

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