Foss goes distance as Wild Things split with Grizzles
Washington Wild Things pitcher Trevor Foss pitches in the top of the fourth inning against the Gateway Grizzlies on Wednesday, June 29.
Washington shortstop Austin Wobrock throws to first baseman Logan Uxa to complete a double play for the final out in the first game of Wednesday’s doubleheader against the Gateway Grizzlies. The Wild Things won 5-1.
Momentum has been an elusive concept for the Wild Things as they have hovered around the .500 mark all season and struggled to put together an extended winning streak.
One thing, however, has been comforting to first-year manager Gregg Langbehn. Every fifth game he gets to write the name of Trevor Foss onto his lineup card at the pitcher position, then sits back and watches the right-hander complete what he starts.
Foss threw his league-leading sixth complete game, a five-hitter, as Washington won the opening game of a doubleheader over the Gateway Grizzlies, 5-1, Wednesday night at Consol Energy Park. The win improved Foss’ record to 6-2.
It was Foss’ second win of the season over Gateway. He defeated the Grizzlies 4-3 in the season opener in Sauget, Ill. This time, he issued only one walk and struck out five.
“Another cheap one,” Foss said referring to the complete game being only seven innings. All minor league doubleheaders are seven innings in length.
Chase Cunningham, Washington’s starting pitcher in the second game, tried to do his best Foss impersonation as he threw six shutout innings but Washington’s bullpen was unable to protect a one-run lead. Gateway used a two-run, two-out single by Logan Davis – the No. 9 hitter in the Grizzlies’ lineup – in the top of the seventh to win the nightcap, 2-1, and salvage a split.
Foss gave up a fourth-inning run when Gateway strung together three consecutive hits, but thanks to a game-ending double play he retired 10 of the last 11 batters he faced.
“I got away with a lot of pitches early,” Foss said.
Foss had thrown five consecutive complete games until lasting only five innings in his last start, June 22 at Traverse City.
“Trevor has great late movement on his pitches,” Langbehn said of his ace. “That’s the key to his success. He gave up one run early and then locked it down after that.”
This time, he was sharp and supported by a pair of two-run innings from his offense.
“He’s been pretty good. He doesn’t throw a lot of pitches. He pitches to contact and has a wipeout curveball. He pitches to contact and is very efficient in what he does.”
The Wild Things gave Foss all the support he would need in the third inning when first baseman Logan Uxa singled, moved to third on a double by shortstop Austin Wobrock, and each scored on Jamal Austin’s single. Washington made it 4-1 in the fourth when David Popkins doubled and eventually scored on fielder’s choice, and Nick Ferdinand scored on a sacrifice fly by Kyle Pollock.
Bryan Haar’s sac fly in the fifth brought home Austin and made it 5-1. Foss did the rest.
Gateway pitcher Dakota Smith (2-1), an outfielder in college at Kansas, threw a one-hitter in the nightcap, allowing only a clean single through the right side by Ferdinand in the second inning, when the Wild Things scored their only run. Popkins drew a leadoff walk and moved to second base on Ferdinand’s hit. With one out, Grant Fink hit a ground ball to first base that looked like a sure inning-ending double play but the relay throw from Davis, the Grizzlies’ shortstop, sailed over first baseman Ben Waldrip for an error, allowing Popkins to score from second base and give Washington a 1-0 lead.
Smith, whose fastball hit 94 mph, retired the last 15 Washington batters. He walked only one and struck out eight.
That one run seemed like it was all the offense the Wild Things would need as Cunningham breezed through the first six innings, allowing only two singles. He did not walk a batter and retired 12 in a row at one stretch.
Cunningham was replaced by Zac Grotz (0-1) to start the seventh and trouble began when the Washington closer issued a leadoff walk to Blake Brown on a 3-2 pitch. Waldrip followed with a single but Josh Bunselmyer struck out after failing to put down a bunt. A groundout advanced the runners to second and third with two outs.
After falling behind 0-2 in the coumt, Davis rolled a two-run single just inside the third-base bag and up the left-field line to give Gateway the 2-1 lead.
“We gave up three runs in a doubleheader and all of them came on 0-2 pitches. You don’t have to throw strikes on 0-2,” Langbehn said.
“We lost the game – gave it away. Our bullpen has done a very good job all year but we just didn’t close it out. You can’t walk the leadoff guy, and (Zac) doesn’t walk many guys.”
The blown save by Grotz was only the second all season by Washington’s bullpen. That’s the fewest blown saves in the league. … The Wild Things released starting pitcher Brandon Hinkle (2-3, 6.75) Monday, one day after giving up eight hits, four walks and six runs in 4 1/3 innings at Schaumburg. Washington played with only 23 active players – one under the league maximum – and 10 pitchers. … The doubleheader begins a stretch of 14 games in only 11 days for Gateway.