Things power way to victory
When the Wild Things signed outfielder David Popkins and first baseman Lee Orr, a pair of power hitters with considerable experience in Class AA, to contracts during the offseason, this is the kind of game Washington envisioned.
Popkins moved into a tie for the Frontier League home run lead by hitting his 18th of the season, a three-run bomb in the bottom of the first inning, and Orr homered for the second consecutive night as the Wild Things defeated the Lake Erie Crushers, 6-3, to salvage a win in the three-game series.
The victory moved the Wild Things back into sixth place in the East Division, a half-game ahead of the Crushers.
Popkins staked Washington to a 3-1 lead in the bottom of the first inning with his long drive to left field off Lake Erie starter Brad Zambron (5-2). Orr made it 4-1 when he led off the second inning with his ninth homer of the season, taking a fastball the opposite way to right centerfield.
Neither of the home runs were wall-scrapers. Both cleared all three tiers of advertising and left the ballpark.
“That’s exactly what we expected of those guys,” Washington manager Bob Bozzuto said.
In addition to being a good night for Popkins and Orr, the game proved to be a record-tying one for Washington closer Jonathan Kountis and showed that Wild Things starter Luke Wilkins (5-2) still baffles the Crushers.
Wilkins, a native of Australia, allowed only one earned run over 6 2/3 innings for his second victory in three starts against Lake Erie. He has given up only one earned run to the Crushers in 22 2/3 innings.
“Luke has their number, for sure,” Orr confirmed.
Kountis pitched a 1-2-3 ninth inning for his sixth save of the season. He tied Jim Popp (2004-06) for most saves in franchise history with 38.
After scoring 10 first-inning runs against Washington over the first two games of the series, Lake Erie settled for one against Wilkins, and it was the only earned run the right-hander has given up to the Crushers. Austin Prott led off the game with a single, moved to third when Jose Barraza hit a book-rule double and scored on Anderson Hildalgo’s groundout.
The lead didn’t last long as Popkins hit his 10th home run of July and Orr pushed the gap to 4-1 an inning later.
After a slow start to the season and going on the disabled list because of four bulging discs in his back, Orr was activated for the Lake Erie series. The two home runs in as many nights show that the first baseman’s back and bat are healthy.
“I’m starting to get there. I’m feeling healthy,” said Orr, who hit eight home runs in 222 at-bats last year for Class AA San Antonio.
“My back was hurting because of the bulging discs, but it’s under control now. I changed my swing a little to take some of the stress off my back. I’m doing things at the plate I haven’t done since I was in college. Now it’s just a matter of getting into a good rhythm.
“I wasn’t feeling well for the last month and took some time off. When you do that, you think about how much you love playing this game and about doing anything you can to get back out here.”
Washington took a 6-2 lead by scoring twice in the fourth. Popkins and Matt Ford each scored on a fielding error on a ball hit by Austin Wobrock.
The Crushers scored two unearned runs in the sixth on singles by Hildalgo and Juan Sanchez, then made it interesting in the seventh by loading the bases with two outs. Reliever Steve Messner, who walked two batters in the inning, worked out of the jam by striking out Barraza.
Matt Purnell pitched a scoreless eighth to set up Kountis’ save.
Bozzuto said that if the Wild Things are to climb into the wild-card playoff race, then Orr could be a key factor.
“He’s got to do it,” Bozzuto said. “He’s healthy and he’s had some rest. He’s a competitor. He’s not a .185 hitter. He plays great defense and he has speed.
“The whole coaching staff believes our answers are right here in this clubhouse. There is no wavering. These guys can play this game. If everybody can do what they’re capable of, then it’s possible.”
Prior to the game, Washington placed pitcher Richie Mirowski on the suspended list and signed pitcher Kolin Stanley. Mirowski was the Wild Things’ starting pitcher Wednesday night. He has an 0-3 record and 4.76 ERA in 19 games (two starts) but struck out 42 in 28 1/3 innings. Stanley is a rookie out of Marshall University and led the Thundering Herd this spring with a 2.65 ERA in 28 outings. … Third baseman Sam Mende left the game shortly after tweaking his knee sliding into second base in the first inning. Bozzuto said the substitution was only precautionary. … Six of Popkins’ last seven home runs were solo shots. … Washington won the season series with the Crushers, 6-3. … The Gateway Grizzlies signed left-handed pitcher Dillon Haviland, a McDonald native and South Fayette graduate. Haviland was drafted in the 48th round by the Pittsburgh Pirates after his senior year at South Fayette in 2010. He did not sign and played at Duke. Haviland had a 3-1 record and 3.40 ERA in 17 games this spring for the Blue Devils.