Aug 25, 2021 4 min read

There was a sparse crowd Wednesday night at Wild Things Park, and those who stopped by to see why the lights were on had precious few reasons to cheer.

The Wild Things and Tri-City ValleyCats could push only one run across home plate, and it proved to be a costly one in Washington’s drive for a Frontier League playoff berth.

Three Tri-City pitchers combined on a four-hit shutout and the ValleyCats got a run-scoring hit from first baseman Brad Zunicka in the first inning to beat the Wild Things, 1-0.

The loss snapped Washington’s five-game winning streak and dropped the Wild Things two games behind first-place Sussex County in the Northeast Division with 17 to play. Sussex County routed New Jersey, 9-3.

Tri-City, which fell out of first place in the Atlantic Division with a loss to Washington Tuesday night, started the night a half-game behind Quebec, which played at New York. That game was not complete by press time. Quebec will be in Washington for a weekend series starting Friday.

Only the four division winners will qualify for the playoffs.

Tri-City’s Bryan Valdez (1-0), a crafty lefthander, who had thrown only 14 innings all year, tossed six shutout innings and was followed on the mound by Jervic Chavez and Trey Cochran-Gill. The latter got the final four outs for his 19th save.

Washington starter Ryan Hennen (9-3), who threw a two-hit shutout last Friday at Lake Erie, went seven innings, allowing five hits and one run. He struck out six. Two of Hennen’s three losses have come against Tri-City.

After Hennen retired the first two ValleyCats hitters in the top of the first inning, right fielder Willy Garcia doubled to the gap in left centerfield. First baseman Brad Zunica then hit the sixth pitch of his at-bat into right field to score Garcia with what turned out to be the game’s only run.

Washington had chances early against Valdez. The Wild Things loaded the bases with no outs in the second, getting a leadoff single by first baseman Tristan Peterson, a solid single by designated hitter Bralin Jackson and a walk to left fielder Grant Heyman.

Valdez, however, needed only two pitches to get out of the jam. Hector Roa hit the first pitch to him on the ground to third baseman Juan Silverio, who threw home in time to get a forceout of Peterson. Right fielder Joe Campagna then hit the first pitch he saw to Silverio, who started an around-the-horn inning-ending double play.

Seven times Washington hitters put the first pitch of an at-bat into play. They went 0-for-7.

Washington had only two hits the rest of the way, both by third baseman Andrew Sohn. He singled with two outs in the third inning but Scotty Dubrule bounced into a fielder’s choice.

In the eighth, Washington had another scoring opportunity and it started with, of all things, a strikeout. Shortstop Nick Ward struck out on a 3-2 pitch from Chavez but the ball eluded catcher Jhon Nunez and went to the backstop. Ward alertly raced to first base to reach safely on a strikeout-wild pitch with one out. Sohn then singled through the left side of the infield but Dubrule again bounced into a fielder’s choice as Ward moved to third base.

At that point, Tri-City manager Pete Incaviglia brought in Cochran-Gill, a righthander, to face Peterson. Washington countered with a pinch-hitter, lefty Andrew Czech, who hit a broken-bat roller back to the mound to end the Wild Things’ final threat.

Notes

It was the second shutout of the season for Tri-Valley’s pitching staff. The ValleyCats entered the game with a 5.04 team ERA.