Aug 24, 2017 4 min read

The Wild Things had a good first inning and an even better ninth Thursday night, but they didn’t do enough to make up for what didn’t happen during the seven innings in between.

For one fleeting moment, everything looked good for the Wild Things and their Frontier League playoff chances.

Following a 74-minute rain delay that pushed back the start of the game, Bralin Jackson hit a solo home run to center field off Schaumburg starting pitcher Kit Fowler to give Washington a 1-0 lead only three batters into the bottom of the first inning.

It was a good start for a team desperately trying to gain ground in the wild-card race. The remainder of the night, however, was largely unproductive and forgettable, even if it did end with a two-run homer by catcher Kyle Pollock in the ninth inning.

Center fielder Sean Godfrey broke a tie with a two-run homer off the scoreboard behind the left centerfield wall in the sixth inning and East Division-champion Schaumburg went on to a 5-4 victory, sending the Wild Things to a costly defeat.

Washington began the night tied with River City, a half-game behind Windy City for the final wild-card playoff spot. Both River City and Windy City won Thursday, dropping the Wild Things to 1½ games out of a playoff berth with two teams to leapfrog. Washington and Windy City begin a key three-game series tonight in Crestwood, Ill. The Wild Things have 10 games remaining in the season.

“We’re making it tough on ourselves,” Washington manager Gregg Langbehn said. “We have to get at least two wins (at Windy City).

“Every game matters. The guys are well aware of where we’re at and what we have to do. This will not be a difficult series to get motivated for. It makes it fun when you’re playing for something.”

It wasn’t much fun against Schaumburg. Washington was held to five hits by three Boomers pitchers.

Just how unproductive of a night was it for Washington? First baseman Kane Sweeney went 0-for-4 and had his league-high consecutive on-base streak end at 34 games. It was only the fifth game in 86 that Sweeney has not been on base.

Schaumburg overcame Jackson’s home run by scoring single runs in the third and fourth innings against Washington starter Tyler Garkow (1-1), who struck out nine in six innings.

Washington tied the score at 2-2 with an unearned run in the fifth and it came without the benefit of a hit. Pollock reached on an error, advanced on a walk to Kenny Peoples-Walls and Mike Hill’s long fly out. Pollock scored on a wild pitch.

The game didn’t remain tied for very long. In the sixth, Zack Weigel drew a leadoff walk and Godfrey, the No. 5 hitter in the Boomers’ lineup, belted the tie-breaking homer. It was Godfrey’s ninth home run of the year.

“There were a couple of miscues and Garkow made one mistake,” Langbehn pointed out. “He threw a cutter to Godfrey and left it in the wrong spot, over the plate. He pitched well, though. He piled up the strikeouts and competed. He shouldn’t be disappointed.”

After giving up Jackson’s team-leading 15th home run, Fowler (4-2) retired the next 11 Washington hitters and did not yield another hit until James Harris led off the sixth with a single. Harris, however, was caught stealing on the next pitch.

The only other Washington hits were a two-out double by Rashad Brown in the eighth, Hector Roa’s single up the middle with one out in the ninth and Pollock’s home run down the left-field line in the ninth that cut Schaumburg’s lead to 5-4.

Fowler (4-2) gave up two hits over six innings. He was followed by two relievers with Jake Joyce getting the final three outs for his 13th save.

The Boomers got a key insurance run in the eighth, on doubles by Tanner Pinkston and Jack Parenty, off reliever Trevor Bradley.

“We just have to keep fighting,” Langbehn said. “That’s all we can do.”