Chayka, Wild Things slam ThunderBolts
The Wild Things are having grand time against the scuffling Windy City ThunderBolts.
For the second consecutive night, a Washington outfielder hit a grand slam, and the Wild Things mixed a 14-hit attack with a quality start by Zach Kirby for an 11-2 victory Wednesday.
Right fielder Robert Chayka’s grand slam came on the heels of one Tuesday by center fielder Caleb McNeely in Washington’s 8-2 victory in the series opener.
“We’re having fun,” said Chayka, who is in his second season with Washington. “I feel like we’re clicking. If someone is down, there is somebody else there to pick us up. There are no bad vibes in the dugout.”
The win assured Washington of remaining in at least a tie for first place in the Frontier League’s West Division. The Wild Things began the night tied with Schaumburg.
Chayka hit a grand slam in the fourth inning to give Washington a 5-2 lead. Chayka finished the game 3-for-4 with six RBI and was a double shy of hitting for the cycle. He had a chance to become only the second player in Washington history to hit for the cycle when he stepped to the plate in the seventh inning but bounced into a fielder’s choice.
“That time, I was going for it,” who is a native of Chicago. “We were up 11-2 at the time and it’s not like I had to be a team player in that at-bat. I was looking to smoke the ball.”
Windy City, which is 1-7 on its current nine-game road trip that ends tonight, led 2-1 in the top of the fourth inning after Thunderbolts right fielder Kingston Liniak hit a solo home run off Kirby.
In the bottom of the fourth, Wagner Lagrange hit a one-out single off Windy City starter John Mikolaicyk (0-1), and Andrew Czech and Quincy Latimore each drew walks, loading the bases for Chayka. The right fielder hit a 1-1 pitch into the parking lot beyond left field to give the Wild Things a 5-2 lead and swing the game’s momentum.
Chayka added a two-run triple into the gap in right centerfield an inning later as the Wild Things stretched the lead to 9-2.
Kirby (3-1), a righthander, pitched eight innings for the first time in his two-year career. He allowed four hits and two runs (one earned). He struck out seven and did not walk a batter.
Kirby could appreciate the 11-run outburst by his teammates. In Kirby’s last six starts in 2023, Washington scored a total of seven runs.
“I trust all of our pitchers,” Chayka said. “Even if we’re down early, I know we’re going to score and that our pitchers are going to deal.”
Windy City scored an unearned run in the top of the first inning but McNeely picked up where he left off Tuesday, when he drove in five runs. McNeely hit the third pitch of the game from Mikolaicyk over the wall in left centerfield to tie the score. McNeely also had an RBI double in the seventh inning. He has a team-high 27 RBI while batting from the leadoff spot in the order.
Extra bases
Reliever Hunter Stevens was activated off the injured list and pitched a 1-2-3 ninth inning. The Wild Things placed pitcher Nick McDonald and first baseman Tyreque Reed on the seven-day IL. Washington had 23 players on the active roster, one under the league limit.