Jul 14, 2018 4 min read

The Wild Things are two games past the Frontier League’s all-star break but their bats seem to still be on vacation.

And their gloves, too.

Washington’s offense was shut down for the second consecutive night Saturday and the Wild Things committed three errors, one leading to four unearned runs, in a 6-2 loss to the Lake Erie Crushers.

The loss trimmed Washington’s lead in the East Division to one game over Joliet, which won at Windy City. Lake Erie pulled to within 1½ games of the Wild Things.

Just as in Lake Erie’s 8-2 win in the series opener Friday night, the Crushers used a five-run inning to forge a big lead, then gave up a late two-run homer to Washington.

The Crushers scored five times in the fourth against Washington ace Thomas Dorminy (7-3), who was one of the starting pitchers Wednesday in the all-star game. Only one of the five runs was earned.

With one out in the fourth, Lake Erie’s Doug Trimble walked and Dalton Wheat singled. Bryan De LaRosa then hit a grounder to second baseman Carter McEachern but his throw to second base to force Wheat was dropped by shortstop Brett Marr, loading the bases.

Tyler Cowles followed with a single, just out of the reach of Marr, to give the Crushers a 1-0 lead. After a strikeout, Aaron Hill smacked a two-run double and Kewby Meyer had a two-run single that gave lake Erie a 5-0 lead.

Lake Erie starter Alex Romero (5-4) took a shutout and five-run lead into the seventh inning but Washington third baseman Mike Hill hit his team-leading 11th home run, a two-run opposite-field shot down the left-field line.

Before the inning would end, the Wild Things would get the potential tying run to the plate. A single by designated hitter Jordan Edgerton and a ground ball by Marr that hit the third-base bag and went for a single brought James Harris to the plate with two outs. Romero struck out Harris on a 3-2 pitch to end the threat.

Romero scattered five hits in seven innings and set a season-high with 10 strikeouts. He retired 10 consecutive Washington hitters at one stretch.

Hill, Lake Erie’s second baseman, hit his first home run of the season, a solo shot to left field in the eighth inning off Washington reliever Frank Trimarco, to make it 6-2.

Lake Erie’s Seth Lucio and Logan Lombana each threw one scoreless inning in relief of Romero to finish the seven-hitter.

Extra bases

Lake Erie has won eight of its last nine road series. … After a Crushers batter struck out in the sixth inning – the third strike was called on an appeal play by base umpire Ron Whiting Sr. – Washington catcher Kyle Pollock was ejected by home plate umpire Jim Schaly. … Prior to the game, Washington placed first baseman Lou Mele on the retired list. Mele had been on the active roster all season but had played in only 15 games. He was batting .269 with three doubles, one triple, one home run and nine RBI. …Washington infielder Braxton Morris was not with the team for the second consecutive night. That left the Wild Things with 22 players.

Minor details

Former Wild Things pitcher Chris Smith (2011-12), who is with Class AAA Syracuse in the Washington Nationals system, had his streak of 13 consecutive scoreless appearances end Thursday when he gave up two runs against Pawtucket. Smith is 2-2 with one save and a 2.77 ERA in 31 games. … Left-handed pitcher Hunter Williams, who last year suffered from wildness in three starts for the Wild Things, has been terrific this year in the Colorado Rockies’ system. Williams is 2-0 with an 0.69 ERA for Class A Boise. He has issued only one walk and has 16 strikeouts in 13 innings out of the bullpen. In three starts for Washington last season, Williams walked 14 batters in 12 1/3 innings.