Brocato’s blast gives Wild Things 7th straight victory
Brocato’s blast gives Wild Things 7th straight victory
The Wild Things keep losing players to major league organizations.
Yet they haven’t lost a baseball game in more than a week.
Anthony Brocato hit a tiebreaking two-run homer in the bottom of the eighth inning that gave the Wild Things a 6-5 victory over the Mississippi Mud Monsters on Wednesday night at EQT Park.
Washington extended its winning streak to seven games.
Brocato’s home run, his team-high 11th of the season, came on a 2-0 pitch from Mississippi reliever Brayden Forsyth (1-3). It was a no-doubter, hit 456 feet down the left-field line and broke a 4-4 tie.
Hector Garcia was Washington’s scheduled starting pitcher for the game but he was scratched when the Toronto Blue Jays informed the Wild Things late Tuesday night that they were purchasing Garcia’s contract. Garcia is the fourth Washington player – and third pitcher – to be picked up by a major league organization this season.
Garcia’s departure made the game a bullpen affair for Washington.
Michael O’Hanlon, who was acquired in a trade with Ottawa two weeks ago, got the emergency start and he and relievers Jack Brodsky, Michael Foltz, Chad Coles and Landon Ginn combined to fill the innings, though not without some drama. The Mud Monsters’ Travis Holt tied the score at 4-4 with a two-run homer in the eighth, and A.J. Fritz led off the top of the ninth with a solo shot that cut the Wild Things’ lead to 6-5.
Ginn got the final three outs, with the help of a double play, for his second save.
Mississippi scored first, after Kyle Booker led off the second inning with a triple to the gap in right centerfield. He scored when Holt bounced out to third base.
Washington took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the third against Mississippi starter Art Joven, a sidearming southpaw whose delivery gave left-handed batters the appearance of the ball being thrown from somewhere near the right-field parking lot. Joven retired the first two Washington hitters in the third before Connor Peek reached on an infield single. Designated hitter Andrew Czech then worked the count full before hitting a long home run down the right-field line. The ball landed among the cars in the parking lot.
The Mud Monsters tied the score at 2-2 in fourth on three singles, including an RBI hit-and-run shot by designated hitter Andrew Semo.
The Wild Things moved back in front in the fifth and it was the bottom of the batting order that sparked the surge. Hunter Stokely led off by drawing a walk and catcher Isaias Quiroz, the No. 9 hitter, laced a double into the left-field corner to put two runners in scoring position. Antonio Monrory brought home Stokely with a groundout to second base and Peek blooped an RBI single down the right-field line.
Mississippi tied it at 4-4 in the top of the eighth when Kyle Baker drew a two-out walk off Coles and Holt followed with a two-run shot to center field. It was Holt’s second home run of the season and Washington’s first blown save since the opening game of the season.
Brocato’s tiebreaking home run came after Czech led off the inning by drawing a walk.
Extra bases
Czech’s home run gives him 96 in his career, which is three behind Brocato for third place on the Frontier League’s career list. … Garcia is the 55th player in the Wild Things’ 24-season history to go directly from Washington to affiliated baseball. The Fullerton, Calif., native had a 3-1 record, 1.33 ERA and 33 strikeouts in 27 innings. Garcia had walked only five batters. … Mississippi has never won at EQT Park. The Mud Monsters are 0-5 all-time in Washington and 3-14 all-time in the Eastern time zone.