May 22, 2022 3 min read

There are two ways to look at the Wild Things’ 19-6 thumping of the Empire State Greys on Sunday that capped a three-game series sweep.

The optimist will say that Washington, which is above .500 for the first time since the opening game this season, has built some momentum with a four-game winning streak and their first series win.

A more cautious person will say don’t jump to any quick conclusions about the Wild Things, that the last three wins in that streak have come over the Frontier League’s homeless traveling team that has not shown an ability to beat an opponent. The Greys are winless at 0-9 and their statistics show an even uglier story.

Washington manager Tom Vaeth is somewhere between those two evaluations.

“It was a good series sweep,” he said. “We had some guys who were struggling with the bat who got a little healthier. We definitely have to play better this week.

“You take positives when you can. In this series we were able to get some two-out hits, and the way the game played out Saturday night (a 3-2 Washington win), we found a way to win that one. Small victories, but victories nonetheless.”

The Wild Things scored in each of the first four innings, finished with 17 hits and smacked four home runs.

Shortstop Nick Ward hit his fifth home run of the season, matching his season total from last year. It was a solo homer in the second inning and put Washington up 5-0.

Left fielder Wagner Lagrange led off the fourth with an opposite-field home run. Catcher Alex Alvarez hit a three-run homer three batters into the nine-run sixth, and third baseman Ian Walters capped the big inning, belting a three-run homer to right field.

Every Washington hitter in the starting lineup had at least one RBI and only designated hitter Ramon Osuna, who hit the game-winning home run in the eighth inning Saturday night, went hitless in the series finale. Alvarez and first baseman Andrew Czech each drove in four runs.

Empire State took advantage of two Washington errors in the third inning to score four runs and added two more tallies in the fifth to cut the Washington lead to 9-6. The Wild Things broke the game open with the nine-run sixth inning. Three of the 12 walks issued by Empire State pitchers came in the sixth.

The Greys have many problems and they are significant. Through nine games, they have an anemic .182 team batting average, which went up after collecting 11 hits against four Washington pitchers, including starter Hayden Pearce (1-0). Empire State’s team ERA is a whopping 11.13 and the Greys have been outscored 102-23.

“Look, they’re not going to go winless,” Vaeth said, “but they’re on the schedule and you have to take care of business. The game Saturday could have gone either way.”

Washington will continue its nine-game homestand Tuesday when it plays the Tri-City ValleyCats. The New Jersey Jackals will be in Washington next weekend.

“We’re over .500 for the first time, that’s always a positive,” Vaeth said. “We have two good ballclubs in here this week so we have to play better.”