Jun 15, 2016 4 min read

The Wild Things had erased an early four-run deficit. They had the momentum. They even had two outs in the top of the eighth inning.

That’s when Joliet’s little-used Hunter Ridge delivered an unexpected shot to the solar plexus that should have put Washington down for the count. The Wild Things, however, proved to be a good counter-puncher.

Ridge hit a two-run homer to right field that broke a tie, but Washington regrouped and rallied for six runs in the bottom of the eighth – the eventual game-winner crossing home plate on a bases-loaded hit batsman – as the Wild Things pulled out a 10-6 rain-filled victory Wednesday night at Consol Energy Park.

Washington scored six runs in the eighth against three Joliet relievers after Ridge had given the Slammers a 6-4 lead in the top of the inning with his first home run since last August.

“It was looking a little grim,” Washington manager Gregg Langbehn admitted.

A walk to David Popkins and Jimmy Yezzo’s second double of the game got the Washington comeback going. Andrew Heck’s one-out double just inside the third-base bag and down the left-field line tied the score at 6-6. Heck was 3-for-4 with three RBI.

Joliet reliever Brent Choban (3-4) walked Austin Wobrock with two outs and was replaced on the mound by Luke Crumley, who promptly walked Jamal Austin to load the bases. Crumley jumped ahead of Ricky Rodriguez 1-2 in the count before hitting the Wild Things’ third baseman with a pitch that forced home Heck and gave the Wild Things an improbable 7-6 lead.

Crumley then walked Bryan Haar to force in another run, and Popkins, batting for the second time in the inning, laced a two-run double off reliever Chris Rice to make the score 10-6.

“The bats came alive,” Langbehn said. “We were saying in the dugout that we have to be patient, string some things together and get into their bullpen. We had better at-bats late in the game and four walks helped.”

Kolin Stanley (2-1), who gave up Ridge’s go-ahead homer, was the winning pitcher in relief. Zac Grotz pitched a 1-2-3 ninth inning but did not qualify for a save.

After being held to three hits in the series opener, the Wild Things never sent more than four batters to the plate in an inning against Joliet starter Spencer Medick until the sixth. Washington’s offense was limited to a solo home run by Rodriguez in the third inning that cut Joliet’s lead to 4-1. It was Rodriguez’s third homer of the season.

“(Hitting coach) Mike Marshall said it best when he said, ‘You could have won a lot of money by betting in the sixth inning that we would score 10 runs,'” Langbehn said.

Joliet, as it did in the series opener Tuesday, forged a quick lead. The Slammers took advantage of two walks by Washington starter Luke Wilkins and a botched rundown play following a pickoff at first base to score two runs. The Slammers made it 4-0 in the second inning by stringing together three consecutive singles and scoring on a sacrifice fly and an RBI-single by Alfred Rodriguez.

Wilkins had a rare issue with control in the outing. He issued six walks in six innings but only the first two free passes came around to score.

“I was really proud of Luke,” Langbehn said. “He didn’t have his best stuff but he toughed it out. He gutted it out. He could have said it’s over and we’ll get pounded.”

Washington has won four of its last five games. … Wild Things catcher Alex McKeon threw out three Joliet basestealers.

… The game was delayed by rain for 17 minutes in the bottom of the first inning.