Wild Things listless after break, fall to Lake Erie
Holly Tonini/Observer-Reporter
Wild Things Brett Marr is out on the tag by Crushers’ Dane Hutcheon.
Holly Tonini/Observer-Reporter
Wild Things’ Starting pitcher Michael Austin delivers a pitch against the Lake Erie Crushers.
Wild Things Brett Marr gets a hit against the Lake Erie Crushers.
Holly Tonini/Observer-Reporter
Holly Tonini/Observer-Reporter
Washington center fielder James Harris, right, was the Frontier League’s Most Valuable Player last season. he has been traded by the Wild Things to Winnipeg of the American Association.
After a four-day layoff – the annual all-star break – the Frontier League resumed its season Friday night. The Wild Things must have slept through their wake-up call.
Washington didn’t pitch well in its series opener against Lake Erie. The Wild Things also didn’t field well and didn’t generate much offense. And it came as no surprise that Washington didn’t win either.
Lake Erie scored eight runs over a two-inning stretch and defeated Washington, 8-2, before 3,011 at Wild Things Park.
Lake Erie began the night 3½ games behind first-place Washington in the East Division standings. The Crushers had a season-high 15 hits off five Wild Things pitchers.
“This is a big series for us,” admitted Lake Erie coach Emmanuel Quilles, who managed the Crushers in the absence of Cam Roth, who began serving a three-game suspension.
Perhaps Lake Erie needed the all-star break more than any team in the league. The Crushers, who bolted out of the gate fast and led the division for the first month, lost seven of eight before the break.
“Those four days were for starting over,” Quilles said. “We did not have a good week last week and said the season starts today.”
Lake Erie drained the drama from the game by scoring three times with two outs in the fourth inning and five times before making an out in the fifth. During a 12-batter stretch split over the two innings, the Crushers had 11 hitters reach base.
“You can’t win when you throw meatballs with two strikes,” Washington manager Gregg Langbehn said. “When you do that, that’s the kind of game you get. It was a very poor performance from our pitchers.”
The trouble for Washington started in the fourth when starting pitcher Michael Austin (0-2) walked Crushers left fielder Dustin Williams with two outs. It didn’t look like much at the time but it was similar to lighting the fuse on a keg of dynamite.
Bryan De La Rosa followed with a single and Dalton Wheat, the No. 9 hitter in the Crushers’ lineup, gave Lake Erie a 1-0 lead with a single through the right side of the infield. Dane Hutcheon then laced his third hit of the game, a two-run triple to the gap in right centerfield, and Lake Erie led 3-0. Hutcheon went 4-for-5.
Washington turned to its bullpen to begin the fifth inning and the results were disastrous. The first seven Lake Erie batters reached base and the Crushers led 8-0 before making an out. DeLaRosa had the big hit, a three-run double to center field.
Washington relief pitcher B.J. Sabol, who was making his second professional appearance, faced five batters in the fifth without recording an out. He gave up four hits, including two doubles, and a walk.
“How many times do we have to ask our offense to score runs?” Langbehn asked.
Washington’s only runs came in the fifth when center fielder James Harris hit his ninth home run of the season. Harris was one of six Washington players who participated in the all-star game Wednesday in O’Fallon, Mo.
Harris’ home run was the only time Washington had a baserunner advance past second base.
Lake Erie starter Sean Renzi (6-3) pitched six innings. He gave up five hits and four walks but allowed only two runs.
“Renzi is having a good year,” Quilles said. “He attacked their hitters and his breaking ball was good today.”
Extra bases
Trevor Bradley, James Meeker and Taylor Bloom combined for five scoreless innings of relief for Washington. Lake Erie’s Luke Watts and Louis Cohen tossed three scoreless innings behind Renzi. … Carter McEachern had two of Washington’s six hits.