Evansville downs Washington, but spread still wide
When the calendar turned from July turned to August, the six games that were left between the Wild Things and Evansville Otters looked like a showdown for first place in the Frontier League’s West Division.
The Wild Things drained some of the drama out those matchups before the first game was played Friday night. Washington has been running away from the pack, pushing out to a 10½-game lead over both Evansville and Schaumburg.
Though first place is out of reach for Evansville – at least this weekend – the Otters showed plenty of fight and pitching in the series opener against Washington. Zach Smith threw six shutout innings and combined with two relievers on a three-hit shutout as Evansville won, 4-0.
It was the second time the Wild Things have been shut out, each coming in August.
The Wild Things had only two baserunners reach scoring position and just one made it to third base.
The frustration among the Wild Things’ hitters could be measured by the speed and distance of Scotty Dubrule’s bat flip in the sixth inning.
With Evansville leading 1-0, Dubrule hit a hard smash back up the middle that seemed ticketed for the outfield and a base hit. The righthanded Smith (1-1), however, flung his glove behind his back and somehow stabbed the hard-hit baseball. It was one of those ESPN web gem kind of plays.
As Smith was throwing to first base for the out, Dubrule flung his bat in frustration and it ended up against the netting in front of the Wild Things’ dugout.
It was that kind of Friday night for Washington.
Smith had started the season in the Pioneer League, where had a 7.88 ERA in 15 outings (one start). In his first start with Evansville after four outings in relief, Smith stymied Washington, allowing only two singles in six shutout innings. Augie Gallardo followed with two innings of relief, striking out the first four batters he faced. Jake Polanic pitched the ninth inning.
Washington starter Sandro Cabrera (7-3) allowed only one unearned run through the first six innings before Evansville pushed across three runners in the seventh. Cabrera gave up five hits and three runs (two earned) in 6 2/3 innings. He did issue four walks.
Cabrera had his Wild Things contract purchased by the Miami Marlins organization earlier this month but that transaction was rescinded. It was Cabrera’s first start since returning to Washington. Cabrera had his five-game winning streak snapped.
Evansville took a 1-0 lead in the fourth with the help of a Washington error. The Otters’ Justin Felix hit a one-out line drive at Hector Roa in center field. Roa took a step back, then came in as the ball dropped in from of him and bounced past him, rolling all the way to the wall. The single and two-base error put Felix on third base. He scored on a two-out double grounded down the third-base line by Andy Armstrong, the No. 9 hitter in the Otters’ order.
Cabrera kept the Wild Things in the game until the seventh when his pitch count reached 110. Singles by Armstrong and Elijah McNamee chased Cabrera with two outs. Isaac Mattson replaced Cabrera and gave up an RBI single to former Wild Thing J.R. Davis and a two-run opposite-field double into the corner by Zach Biermann that made the score 4-0.
Extra bases
Washington shortstop Nick Ward (bruised hand) missed his second consecutive game after being hit by a pitch from Florence’s Kent Klyman on Wednesday night. Outfielder Anthony Brocato (hamstring) also sat out a second straight game. … Washington released four players from their inactive list: outfielder Breland Almadova and pitchers Marrick Crouse, Shane Kelso and Eric Mock.