Washout: Game 5 rained out, rescheduled for Tuesday night
The Wild Things and their fans have waited 17 years for a Frontier League championship, so what’s another day of waiting, right?
Game 5 of the best-of-5 league championship series against the Joliet Slammers was rained out Monday night and rescheduled for 7:05 p.m. Tuesday at Wild Things Park. The league announced the decision to postpone at 3 p.m. Monday.
“Based on (Monday’s) weather conditions, Game 5 of the Frontier League championship series will be postponed tonight,” Frontier League commissioner Bill Lee said a press release. “We want to make sure that, for a Game 5, it is played under the best conditions possible for both teams. The forecast for Tuesday is good.”
Washington vice president and general manager Steve Zavacky agreed with the league’s decision to postpone.
“We believe (Tuesday’s) weather forecast provides the best opportunity for the players to perform and for the fans to enjoy Game 5 of the Frontier League championship series,” he said.
The postponement won’t change Washington’s pitching situation. Lefty Thomas Dorminy will start for the Wild Things, who staved off elimination, evened the series at 2-2 and forced Game 5 by winning 2-1 Saturday night at Joliet.
Dorminy was the winning pitcher in Game 1. He gave up 10 hits in seven innings but allowed only two runs as Washington won, 3-2.
The rainout could give Joliet one more pitching option. Righthander Liam O’Sullivan, who won a league-high 11 games during the regular season, might be available for the Slammers. O’Sullivan threw 78 pitches in 4 2/3 innings in Game 3 Friday night.
The Wild Things are in the finals for the third time in team history. They lost in four games to Richmond in 2002 and in five games to Windy City in 2007. Joliet won the league championship in 2011.
All tickets for Game 5 are $5 to sit anywhere in the ballpark, and kids 12 and under get in free and eat for free.