Aug 20, 2016 4 min read

Two solo home runs, two scrappy pitchers who weren’t even with the Wild Things as little as 10 days ago, and two outs from a reliever who inherited a full-blown jam played big roles in getting Washington a much-needed victory Saturday night.

Third baseman Ricky Rodriguez and center fielder Chris Grayson hit the solo home runs, pitchers Christian Powell and Brandon Bixler combined for 7 1/3 strong innings and reliever Devon Davis pitched out of a bases-loaded, one-out situation in the bottom of the ninth as the Wild Things defeated the Schaumburg Boomers 2-1 at Consol Energy Park.

The win was the eighth for Washington in its last 12 games as the Wild Things try to make a late run at the Frontier League playoffs. Washington gained one game on Normal in the wild-card standings, pulling to within 1 1/2 of the CornBelters. River City is one game back of Normal. The Wild Things stayed 3 1/2 games back of first-place Joliet in the East Division. The Slammers won 16-0 at Gateway.

Washington has 14 games remaining in the regular season.

Powell, who was signed earlier this month when Trevor Foss’ contract was sold to the Cleveland Indians, pitched the first four innings, allowing the one Schaumburg run on three hits and two walks. It was the longest outing in a game for Powell since last September, when he was in the Houston Astros’ farm system.

“Powell was good,” Washington manager Gregg Langbehn said. “I was hoping he could go five innings but he got tired. He gave up a few hits but he threw strikes.”

Bixler (1-0), who was making his Wild Things debut, followed with 3 1/3 shutout innings. Bixler was signed Friday after pitcher Zac Grotz had his contract sold to the Los Angeles Dodgers. A lefty who worked quickly and threw strikes, Bixler gave up three hits but did not issue a walk. Not bad for a guy who was attending summer school in Orlando after pitching in two games – the last May 5 – for the Lancaster Barnstormers of the independent Atlantic League.

“Healthwise, I wasn’t right,” Bixler said. “I had groin strain. I went to summer school at Florida Gulf Coast and worked to get my body right.”

When ready, Bixler contacted Powell, who had signed with the Wild Things.

The two were close friends while playing in the Minnesota Twins’ farm system. Several days later, Washington suddenly had a need for another pitcher and Bixler filled the spot.

Rodriguez gave Washington a 1-0 lead three batters into the bottom of the first inning when he hit an 0-2 pitch from Schaumburg starter Seth Webster (7-8) over the advertising signs in left field. It was Rodriguez’s sixth home run of the season.

Schaumburg tied it at 1-1 in the fourth when Mike McClellan’s single through the left side of the infield scored Argenis Aldazoro from second base. Aldazoro, the Boomers’ left fielder, had three of his team’s six hits.

Washington shortstop Austin Wobrock began the bottom of the fifth with a 14-pitch at-bat that ended with a strikeout. It might have worn down Webster because four pitches later Grayson lined a home run down the right-field line to give Washington a 2-1 lead.

Schaumburg had a golden opportunity to tie or take the lead in the top of the ninth. A two-base fielding error and two walks loaded the bases with one out.

Davis then replaced Andrew Woeck on the mound and struck out both Nick Oberg and Tobias Moreno, both on 3-2 pitches, to end the game.

“Devon has been in that situation multiple times, though not always in the ninth inning,” Langbehn said. “You know he’s going to throw strikes. That’s not an easy thing.”

Schaumburg relief pitchers Jake Joyce and Dexter Price combined for three shutout innings. They retired all nine batters they faced and struck out the final eight. The last Washington player to put a pitch in play was first baseman Jimmy Yezzo to start the seventh inning.