Jul 6, 2015 5 min read

Jeff Isom has witnessed many amazing comebacks at Consol Energy Park.

As the Wild Things’ manager during their first two seasons (2002 and ’03) in the Frontier League, Isom watched as his teams developed a reputation for winning with fantastic finishes, stealing wins in the late innings with stunning regularity as they made the playoffs in each of those seasons.

Isom oversaw another mind-boggling rally Sunday, but his time he orchestrated it from the opposite side of the field, as the visiting manager.

Joliet scored five runs in the top of the ninth inning to defeat the Wild Things, 7-5, at Consol Energy Park.

“I guess there is still a little magic left in Falconi Field,” Isom said, forgetting that the ballpark that has been so kind to his teams underwent a name change several years ago.

“That’s the kind of memories I have of this place. I’ve had a lot of success here. I’ve added a few pounds and grey hairs since the last one, but I’ve seen a few of those kind of comebacks in this place.”

The Wild Things aided the comeback by letting Joliet stay within striking distance. Washington forged a 5-2 lead in the fifth inning but did not score again. The Wild Things left 13 runners on base including 11 over the final five innings.

Washington starting pitcher Luke Wilkins was tremendous, allowing only five hits, one walk and two runs over eight innings.

“That win was special,” Isom said. “I still don’t know how we did it. We produced nothing against Wilkins. He did a fantastic job.”

After throwing 106 pitches, Wilkins turned the game over to the bullpen in the ninth inning and that’s when everything unraveled for the Wild Things.

Matt Purnell (1-1), who had a save in the second game of Saturday’s doubleheader, walked the first two batters he faced to open the door for a comeback. The Slammers then got singles by hot-hitting Mike Garza and Phillip Bates to pull to within 5-4 with no outs.

Washington manager Bob Bozzuto brought in reliever Richie Mirowski, who struck out the first batter he faced, but a passed ball allowed the runners to advance to second and third.

Jack Cleary, the Slammers’ catcher, then hit a sinking liner into center field as the Wild Things’ Danny Poma charged in and attempted to make a shoestring catch. The ball hit front of Poma and kicked off his body, rolling to the wall as Garza and Bates scored to give Joliet the lead. Cleary hustled all the way around the bases and beat the throw to home plate to make the score 7-5 on the single and three-base error.

“We should have scored more than five runs. That being said, when it’s 5-2 in the ninth you can’t let ’em get on base with walks,” Bozzuto said.

“Luke pitched of a heck of a game and deserved to win. He turned the game over to guys who have done it all year but didn’t get the job done. It’s aggravating.”

Washington had a chance in the bottom of the ninth, putting its first two batters on base but Poma’s sacrifice bunt was popped up to Joliet pitcher Navery Moore, who easily doubled Austin Wobrock off second base.

“We’ve got to get better,” Bozzuto said. “We can’t have this. Guys have to step up and do their job. … They’re full capable of that, but it’s getting to the point where you’re seeing a pattern – guys hitting .200 and experienced guys making mistakes. That can’t happen.”

Washington had five hits in the third inning, including a run-scoring single by Scott Kalamar and David Popkins’ league-leading 12th home run, a solo shot. Joliet pulled to within 3-2 in the fifth, but Matt Peters, a rookie from California University, had a two-run single that made it 5-2. The Wild Things stranded eight runners over the next three innings.

“I was talking to (Washington third baseman) Carter Bell in the eighth inning, after they left the bases loaded, and I said you had chances to bury us,” Isom said. “We’ve been guilty of it, too. You’re looking for that one big hit to break the game open and it never comes. Bell said that is the way it’s been here all year. I told him we’re right there with you.”

That was, until Sunday.

“It’s frustrating,” Bozzuto said. “We went 4-2 on the homsetand but that’s not what we wanted.”

It was Washington’s final game until after next week’s all-star break. … Popkins hit four home runs during the six-game homestand. … Garza, a former Texas high school player of the year, was 7-for-13 with six RBI in the series.