Jul 17, 2017 5 min read

Before the slide could get any worse, and before embarking on a seven-game road trip, the Wild Things put two of their best players, left fielder Bralin Jackson and pitcher Chase Cunningham, in charge of building some momentum and ending what has been a rough stretch.

Jackson’s bat and Cunningham’s arm got the job done in rather impressive fashion.

Jackson hit two of Washington’s four home runs, and Cunningham pitched into the eighth inning, as the Wild Things defeated Windy City, 7-3, Sunday evening to salvage the final game of the three-game series coming out of the Frontier League’s all-star break.

The win snapped the Wild Things’ five-game losing streak.

Windy City won the first two games of the series, including a stunning 10-inning come-from-behind victory Saturday night, but Washington came out of the blocks quickly Sunday, scoring four runs on homers in the first inning against Windy City starter Zac Westcott (5-4). Jackson hit a three-run homer, and three pitches later third baseman Mike Hill followed with a solo shot that gave the Wild Things a 4-0 lead.

That was enough for Cunningham (7-1) and two relievers, who kept Washington in front the rest of the way.

The win pulled Washington to within one game of second-place Windy City in the East Division standings.

“We still have a long way to go but it was important for these guys to win and have some success,” Washington manager Gregg Langbehn said. “Winning this game was a two-game swing in the standings. It’s much better to be one game behind Windy City than three at this point. You don’t want to have to make up extra games in August.”

Windy City pulled to within 5-3 in the top of the eighth, but in the bottom half of the inning Jackson hit his second home run of the game and 11th of the season, a drive into the parking lot behind left field, to seal the win.

Though Jackson, who is from Kansas City, was the Most Valuable Player in the Frontier League All-star game Wednesday in Joliet, Ill., he had been in the midst of a hitting slump over the last month that caused his batting average to tumble more than 70 points to .269. He was 3-for-4 Sunday with five RBI.

“He had much better at-bats today and he was so much more relaxed,” Langbehn said. “He had been so jumpy and out of whack.”

Jackson whacked a pitch from Westcott in the first inning down the left-field line to give Washington a 3-0 lead. Hill’s home run was an opposite field shot to left field. It was Hill’s eighth home run of the season.

Those two swings were enough of a cushion for Cunningham, who has been a riddle for Windy City. He entered the game with a string of 21 consecutive scoreless innings, dating back to last season, against the ThunderBolts, so when they pushed across a run in the fourth inning, ending the streak at 24 innings, it was cause for celebration in the third-base dugout.

“For the past two years, Cunningham has bene fantastic,” Windy City manager Ron Biga said. “He commands the strike zone. He doesn’t miss his spots. He runs the fastball in on you and has a good changeup. … he pitches to contact and keeps you off balance.”

Cunningham took a three-hitter into the seventh inning before tiring. Windy City scored an unearned run in the seventh to make it a 5-2 score, and knocked Cunningham out of the game with one out in the eighth following a single by Blair Beck and a double by Coco Johnson.

Reliever Davis Adkins inherited a second-and-third jam and allowed only one run, on a single by Kyle Wood (3-for-4) before getting two strikeouts to work out of the high-leverage spot.

Cunningham gave up seven hits and issued only one walk over 7 1/3 innings.

“Even though Windy City has some really good hitters, and have shown that they can come back, we still felt very comfortable with Chase on the mound,” Jackson said. “He’s a guy who is not afraid to pitch inside on hitters, and pitchers who do that are the most successful.”

Closer Zach Strecker, who pitched three innings Saturday, pitched the ninth inning to secure the win, though it was not a save situation.

“I had no intention of using Strecker. He threw 45 pitches Saturday night,” Langbehn pointed out. “Then, about an hour before the game, he told me he wanted to pitch the ninth inning in this one. That shows you how important this game was not only to him but to the team.”

First baseman Kane Sweeney gave Washington a 5-1 lead in the sixth with a solo home run, his eighth of the season. The ball landed on top of the batting cage behind the right-centerfield wall. … The Wild Things begin a three-game series Tuesday night in Marion, Ill., against the Southern Illinois Miners before moving on to Evansville, Ind. The Wild Things and Otters will play four games in three days including the completion of a game that was suspended in the third inning June 18 with Evansville leading 2-0. That game will be part of a doubleheader Saturday. … The Wild Things have been playing with the league-minimum 22 active players. Langbehn said they are attempting to add another pitcher for the road trip.