Wild Things armed for second-half run
The first half of the Frontier League season couldn’t have ended much better for the Wild Things. Washington won each of its last three series, and six of its final eight games, to move into a tie for first place in the East Division with the Joliet Slammers. The Wild Things (27-22) have a winning percentage that is .002 better than the Slammers.
“It was a very positive first half,” Washington manager Gregg Langbehn said. “We probably should have had a few more wins, but every team can say that.”
Washington begins its second half tonight (7 p.m.) at Consol Energy Park against the West Division-leading Southern Illinois Miners. Southern Illinois (34-17) has the league’s best record. It’s the first of six games between the Wild Things and Miners in only 10 days.
That the Wild Things are in first place at this juncture is a testament to Washington’s pitching staff and defense, along with Langbehn’s patience.
The Wild Things lead the league with a 3.45 ERA but that has often been offset by a lineup that had the league’s lowest batting average until the final day of the season’s first half.
Pitcher Trevor Foss (7-2, 2.36) leads the league with seven complete games and is fifth in ERA at 2.36. Though selected for the all-star game that was played Wednesday in Florence, Ky., Foss did not pitch. He threw a 119-pitch complete game Sunday in a win over Schaumburg.
Foss, who has been tougher to hit than the lottery, is the only Washington pitcher with more than three wins, but six members of the staff have a sub-3.00 ERA and closer Zac Grotz is third in the league with nine saves.
“We’ve had excellent pitching and I’ve been happy with our defense,” Langbehn said. “Our hitting has been much better recently.”
Though his offense had a team batting average below .230 for the majority of the first half of the season, Langbehn stuck by his hitters and made only three significant changes to that part of the roster. First baseman Logan Uxa joined the team in mid-June and is batting .316. He was the Frontier League Player of the Week after hitting .526 with two home runs leading into the all-star break.
Washington signed center fielder Chris Grayson and second baseman Jamodrick McGruder last week. Since Grayson joined the team, Washington has a 5-1 record.
Right fielder David Popkins (.297, 7 home runs) has been the team’s most consistent hitter. Third baseman Ricky Rodriguez (.308, 5 home runs) has been an impact hitter since being moved to the No. 2 spot in the batting order and designated hitter Jimmy Yezzo has overcome a slow start to lead the team with eight home runs and 26 RBI.
“The biggest thing is now we’re sustaining innings,” Langbehn said. “Before, it had been so sporadic. We hit a lot of solo home runs, we’d draw a lot of walks but have no hits to go with them. The situational hitting has gotten better, too. We’re getting two-out RBI, and those are backbreakers when you’re on the opposite end of them. We’ve been doing the little things that get you team wins.”
Though in first place, the Wild Things hardly have margin for error in the crowded East. Last-place Traverse City is only six games behind Washington and the Beach Bums won seven of eight games going into the all-star break.
Southern Illinois will bring the league’s best road team to Washington. The Miners (16-8) and Wild Things (14-9) are the only teams with fewer than double-digit losses on the road.
The Miners are second in the league in hitting at .279 and its pitching staff is tops in quality starts (31). One pitcher who won’t be available to Southern Illinois is Josh Kimborowicz (8-0, 2.34), who leads the league in wins. Kimborowicz had his contract purchased Tuesday by the Los Angeles Dodgers. Kimborowicz, however, might be replaced by Adam Lopez, last year’s Frontier League Pitcher of the Year. Lopez began this season on the disabled list with a shoulder injury and made his debut July 5. Lopez has made only three relief appearances.