Wild Things show fight in extra-inning win
Over the course of a 96-game Frontier League season, most teams are guaranteed to win 30 games and lose 30. It’s what you do in the remaining 36 games that separate the playoff teams from the ones who will be watching, and not playing, baseball in September.
Among those 36 games will be ones in which a team must find a way to win when not playing its best baseball. There also will be a handful of games that will go to the gimmicky tiebreaker inning. There also will be games when the opponent doesn’t land its knockout punch and keeps you within striking distance when you shouldn’t be fighting for a win.
Those three scenarios summed up the Wild Things in their game Tuesday morning against Joliet. And Washington took advantage of each of them.
Washington didn’t play well, but Joliet couldn’t deliver the knockout punch after forging a big lead, allowing the Wild Things to hang around. The game went to the 10th-inning tiebreaker and the Wild Things won, 8-7, on, of all things, a throwing error on the back end of what could have been a double play.
Robert Chayka started the bottom of the 10th inning on second base as Washington’s tiebreaker runner. Jeff Liquori, who had a big game with two home runs and a double, was intentionally walked.
Tyreque Reed then laced a shot up the middle that appeared to be ticketed for a game-winning hit. Instead, Joliet shortstop Brayline Marine made a phenomenal diving stop and flipped the ball to second baseman Antonio Valdez for a force of Liquori. As Valdez attempted to throw to first base to complete a double play, Liquori slid into second and onto the top of Valdez’s foot, which prevented him from stepping into the throw. It sailed high and went to the retaining wall, allowing Chayka to come around and score the winning run.
“We’ve shown some fight,” Washington manager Tom Vaeth said. “It has been out of necessity.”
Washington fell behind 7-2 in the sixth inning when Joliet took out starting pitcher Gunnar Kines and then the game quickly became interesting. Kines, who threw a one-hit shutout against Washington back on May 22, allowed only three hits – two of them solo homers by Liquori, Washington’s right fielder.
The game quickly turned as the Wild Things scored four times in the sixth to pull to within 7-6. The first run scored on a passed ball, then Ethan Wilder, Brett Roberts and Cael Chatham hit consecutive RBI singles.
Washington tied it at 8-8 in the eighth. Andrew Czech reached on an error, and a balk put a runner in scoring position. Groundouts by Wagner Lagrange and Wilder brought home pinch-runner Kadon Morton.
“I like that we came back from 7-2. They pitched us back into it by walking some guys,” Vaeth said. “The positive spin is we found a way to win. You need those to balance things out. There will be games when you feel like you played well enough but didn’t win.”
The key half inning was the top of the ninth. Joliet loaded the bases with no outs on three singles against reliever Jacob McCaskey. The former Cal Vulcans standout got out of the jam by inducing a forceout at home plate on a grounder to first base and following it with two strikeouts.
“We do have fight,” Liquori said. “It’s one of those years.”
In the top of the 10th, Joliet started with a tiebreaker runner on second that was quickly erased when Dylan Goldstein hit a line drive to Reed at first base, who snagged it and doubled pinch-runner Jeissy De La Cruz off second.
Chad Coles (1-0) was the winning pitcher, facing only two batters.
Joliet’s Brandon Heisel hit a two-run opposite-field homer off Washington starter Regi Grace, who had been stellar in his first three starts. Liam McArthur had an RBI single in the fourth that made it 4-2.The Sluggers’ four-run sixth came against the Wild Things’ bullpen.
Joliet outhit Washington 14-7. The Wild Things also walked seven batters.
“Our pitching has to improve or we’re not going anywhere,” Vaeth said.
Extra bases
Joliet played Sunday in Pearl, Miss. It was a 17-hour bus drive to Washington. … Slammers manager Mike Pinto was ejected in the middle of the eighth inning while arguing an out call at first base. … The series continues Wednesday with a 6:05 p.m. start. … All Frontier League teams had to get down to 24 active players before Tuesday. Washington had been playing with 25 and released rookie pitcher Connor Blantz, who was signed last week and had appeared in only one game.