Wild Things win game, lose pitcher
TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. – Luke Wilkins and Andrew Woeck combined on a six-hit shutout, Jimmy Yezzo homered and the Wild Things defeated the Traverse City Beach Bums 2-0 Thursday night.
The win was Washington’s seventh in 10 games and moves the Wild Things to within 1½ games of the final wild-card playoff berth currently held by Normal. The CornBelters lost 4-3 at Florence.
Earlier in the day, the Los Angeles Dodgers purchased the contract of Wild Things pitcher Zac Grotz. A right-hander from Burlingame, Calif., Grotz had a 4-2 record, 10 saves and a 1.36 ERA in 46 1/3 innings. Grotz recently moved from closer to starting pitcher after Washington’s Trevor Foss was purchased by the Cleveland Indians.
Foss and Grotz are the only Frontier League players sold to major league organizations since July 18.
Losing both Foss and Grotz has depleted the Wild Things’ pitching staff but Wilkins (3-6) came through against the Beach Bums. Wilkins allowed five hits over seven innings and pitched out of a jam in the seventh.
Woeck allowed one hit and struck out two over the final two innings for his fourth save.
Yezzo gave Washington a 1-0 lead with a solo homer in the fourth inning off Beach Bums starter Kramer Champlin (4-6). It was Yezzo’s 11 homer of the season.
Traverse City loaded the bases with two outs in the seventh, but Wilkins got Casey Rodrigue to fly out to end the threat.
Austin Wobrock singled with one out in the eighth and scored on Andrew Heck’s triple to make the score 2-0.
The Wild Things begin a 10-game homestand tonight against the Schaumburg Boomers.