Four-run inning key to Wild Things win
If the Wild Things are to climb into the Frontier League’s West Division playoff race – the top three finishers advance to the postseason – then they will need games like they had Friday night, one in which the backup catcher and a relief pitcher who has been in Washington less than a week played more than casual roles.
J.C. Santini, the Wild Things’ backup catcher who has been getting more playing time as a late, delivered two key hits, including one in a four-run sixth inning, Anthony Brocato stole home and added a two-run homer off the foul pole, and reliever Matt Dallas retired six of the seven batters he faced as the Wild Things pulled away for a 8-2 win over the Joliet Slammers before a crowd of 1,620 on Fireworks Night.
Washington was locked in a 2-2 tie in the bottom of the sixth inning when it scored four times against Joliet starter Cam Aufderheide (1-7) and reliever Chandler Brierley.
Andrew Czech led off the key inning with a double – the third consecutive inning in which the Wild Things hit a leadoff double – and gave Washington a 3-2 lead when he scored a single up the middle by Wagner Lagrange.
Scotty Dubrule walked with one out and Santini followed with a hit-and-run single through the right side that scored Lagrange and made it 4-2.
Dubrule scored on a single by Robert Chayka and a wild pitch allowed Santini to race home and score, making it 6-2.
Chayka went 3-for-5 with a stolen base out of the leadoff spot and added a sensational diving catch in the ninth inning to take away a hit from Joliet pinch-hitter Phillip Steering.
Washington starter Justin Showalter (5-3), who had blanked Joliet 1-0 in a prior start, pitched the first six innings. He allowed only two runs.
In the seventh, Washington turned the game over to reliever Matt Dallas, a rookie from the University of Oregon, who made his professional debut earlier in the week. Dallas gave up a single to Joliet first baseman Zach Bierman to start the seventh, then retired six consecutive batters.
Christian James pitched a scoreless ninth inning to secure the Wild Things’ second consecutive win.
Meanwhile, Washington added on to its lead in the eighth when Brocato hit an opposite-field two-run homer that clanked off the right-field foul pole. It was Brocato’s team-leading 20th home run of the season.
Joliet scored twice in the fourth inning to take a 2-0 lead but Washington responded with single runs in the fourth and fifth to tie. In the fourth, Brocato hit a leadoff double and was at third base when Nick Gotta walked. With Dubrule at the plate, Gotta broke for second base. When the throw went from the Slammers’ catcher went to second base, Brocato raced home just ahead of the return throw to make it 2-1.
In the fifth, Santini led off with a double down the left-field line, moved up a base on a single by Chayka and scored on a sacrifice fly by Wes Darvill.
Extra bases
Joliet outfielder Christian Fedko is the son of former WPXI-TV sportscaster John Fedko. Christian Fedko did not play Friday but entered the series with a .283 batting average, which ranks second among all Slammers. … Cole Cook (5-2, 2.08) will pitch for Joliet tonight against Washington’s Dariel Fregio (1-0, 2.70).