Aug 21, 2024 By Chris Dugan 4 min read

The Wild Things’ march toward a ninth division title in franchise history continued on an unseasonably crisp Tuesday night and in what has become their typical fashion – a close, well-pitched game.

Washington got a tiebreaking RBI double by Wagner Lagrange in the eighth inning and four pitchers combined on a seven-hitter for a 3-2 victory over the Joliet Slammers in a series opener at Wild Things Park.

The win drops Washington’s magic number for clinching the West Division title to 6 with 11 games remaining.

In the eighth inning, Washington’s Caleb McNeely greeted Joliet reliever Cameron Smith (2-2) with a leadoff single and moved into scoring position when Tommy Caufield hit a sharp single through the right side of the infield.

Lagrange then drove a pitch deep to left field that sent Joliet’s Liam McArthur back to the wall. McArthur tried to make a leaping catch but the ball hit the wall. McNeely had to hold up at second base until he saw McArthur didn’t make the catch. The Slammers had a chance to make a play at home plate but the relay throw sailed way too high as McNeely scored, giving the Wild Things the lead.

It was Lagrange’s second double of the game.

Gyeongju Kim pitched a 1-2-3 ninth inning for his league-leading 23rd save.

Christian James (2-1) pitched a scoreless and hitless eighth inning for the win.

Washington starter Jordan DiValerio worked the first six innings, allowing seven hits and two runs (one earned). He walked one and struck out three. Brendan Nail pitched the seventh inning.

Joliet took a 1-0 lead in the second, taking advantage of a fielding error by Washington second baseman. The one-out error allowed Antonio Valdez to reach base and he advanced to second on a wild pitch by DiValerio. Valdez scored on a two-out single by Chris Davis.

Washington answered with a run in the bottom of the inning. Miller drew a two-out walk off Joliet starter Zac Westcott and scored when Brandon McIlwain drove a ball off the batter’s eye in center field that went for an RBI double.

Joliet regained the lead at 2-1 in the sixth. First baseman Matthew Warkentin, who leads the Frontier League in both home runs and RBI, smacked a high drive off the batter’s eye, almost in the same spot as McIlwain’s, and pulled into third base with a leadoff triple.

Warkentin scored on a sacrifice fly by Jonathan Sierra.

The Wild Things again matched Joliet with a run in the bottom of the sixth, again with two-out hitting. Lagrange rifled a double the opposite way, down the right-field line. First baseman Andrew Czech followed with a single through the right side of the infield that drove in Lagrange.

Westcott, who earlier this year set the Frontier League’s career record for wins, breaking the record of former Wild Things pitcher Aaron Ledbetter, went six innings. He allowed two runs on six hits.

The Wild Things had nine hits, including two each by McNeely, Caufield, Lagrange and McIlwain.

Extra bases

Joliet manager Mike Pinto has one of the most interesting second jobs of all people in the Frontier League. Pinto is the drummer for San Antonio Transit, a Chicago tribute band. San Antonio Transit won the Best Tribute Band award this year at the San Antonio Country and Rock Music Awards. … The game marked the first time that Washington won at home when tied after six innings. They are now 1-5 in such games. … The series continues tonight at 6:05. Malik Barrington (5-4, 4.54) is scheduled to pitch for the Wild Things.