Offense missing as Wild Things lose, 2-1
Quick, somebody check Lost and Found.
Surely, the Wild Things’ offense has to be there.
For the third time in six games, Washington’s hitting went missing between the foul lines Saturday night and the result was a 2-1 loss to Evansville at Wild Things Park.
The loss dealt a blow to Washington’s already slim playoff chances. The Wild Things fell to 6½ games behind Evansville for the final wild-card spot in the Frontier League’s West Division with 13 games remaining.
Washington is 3-3 over its last six games with each of the losses coming in low-scoring and well-pitched fashioned. There was a 1-0 loss last Sunday at Evansville, a 2-1 setback to Gateway on Thursday and the loss Saturday.
Washington manager Tom Vaeth opted not focus on his team’s lack of hitting but rather Evansville pitcher Braden Scott (3-1), who was masterful over seven innings. The lefty, who rejoined the Otters in July after being released from the Toronto Blue Jays organization, allowed four hits and no walks.
The Wild Things’ lone run came when right fielder Anthony Brocato led off the bottom of the first inning with a home run to left centerfield. It was Brocato’s 26th home run of the season, which ranks fourth in the Frontier League but first among players not on the New Jersey Jackals.
After Brocato’s home run, Washington didn’t have another baserunner until the fifth inning.
“We had plenty of offense (Friday) night,” Vaeth said. “Their kid pitched a really good game tonight. It was probably the best game he’s pitched since he came back from the Blue Jays. He had a really good fastball and his location was better than it was last week against us.”
Washington put two runners on base in only one inning, the fifth. That’s when Andrew Czech hit a two-strike single to start the inning and end a streak of 12 in a row retired by Scott. Two batters later, Scotty Dubrule singled to right field to put runners on first and second.
Scott, however, ended the inning with a popout and strikeout, the only two at-bats the Wild Things had all night with runners in scoring position.
The loss spoiled a fine pitching performance by Washington rookie Zach Kirby (0-3), who allowed five hits and two runs over six innings. The rookie from Loyola Marymount allowed five hits and two runs. He did not walk a batter and struck out a career-high eight.
Kirby was the losing pitcher in the 1-0 game at Evansville six days earlier.
Evansville tied the score at 1-1 in the third when second baseman Ethan Skender lined a double just inside the left-field foul line to start the inning and scored on a single by George Callil.
Skender, who did not play in the Otters’ last three games, figured in both Evansville runs.
“He had been struggling,” Evansville manager Andy McCauley said. “He had been batting .108 over the last 10 games so when we were in Florence this week we decided to give him three days off. He looked fresh and humbled.”
The Otters went ahead 2-1 in the fifth when Skender hit a hanging slider from Kirby on a 3-2 pitch and drove it over the wall in left field for his eighth home run.
“That’s part of the learning process for a young pitcher,” Vaeth said. “If you’re going to get beat, don’t get beat on your third-best pitch. When you get beat on your third-best pitch, it’s tough to take.
“It’s a shame (Kirby) has three losses. Every game he’s pitched, he’s given us a good outing. We have trouble scoring runs for him.”
Skender’s home run came at the end of a long at-bat. It started with Skender trying unsuccessfully to convince home plate umpire Jim Schaly that he was hit in the hand by a Kirby pitch.
The Wild Things probably wish Skender had argued a stronger case.
Evansville’s pitching made the one-run lead hold up. The Otters’ hard-throwing righthanders Kevin Davis and Jake Polancic followed Scott’s outing by retiring the final six Washington hitters, four via strikeout. Polancic pitched the ninth inning for his 14th save, one off the league lead.
“I like the back end of our bullpen,” McCauley said. “Davis, Leoni De La Cruz and Polancic have been lights out. I just wish we had more than a one-run lead tonight.”
Extra bases
The teams combined for 23 strikeouts and zero walks. … Game time was 2 hours, 6 minutes. … Washington relievers Christian James, Justin Goossen-Brown and Lukas Young each threw one scoreless inning.