Wild Things blanked by three Slammers pitchers
JOLIET, ILL – Three Joliet pitchers combined on a seven-hit shutout as the Slammers defeated the Wild Things 4-0 Saturday night.
The loss dropped Washington 1½ games behind Windy City for the final wild-card playoff spot in the Frontier League.
The Wild Things had plenty of good scoring opportunities early in the game but could not convert. Hector Roa hit a one-out triple in the third inning but was stranded there after two strikeouts. In the third inning, Washington loaded the bases with one out but a strikeout and fielder’s choice kept the game scoreless.
Joliet scored three runs, including a two-run single by Luis Diaz, the No. 9 hitter in the Slammers’ batting order, in the fifth inning and added another run in the sixth on a wild pitch.
Luis Cruz started on the mound for Joliet but exited in the third with an injury. Tyler House (3-3) and Skylar Janisse followed. Slammers pitchers combined to strike out 11 Washington hitters.
Starter Ethan Gibbons (6-6) went 4 1/3 innings for Washington.