Jul 8, 2022 4 min read

There are many reasons why the double-play ground ball is called the pitcher’s best friend.

It can end scoring threats. It can clean up messy innings. It can keep the pitcher in the game and give him a chance to figure out what adjustments he needs to make against the opponent’s lineup.

One double-play grounder did all of the above for Joliet’s Alec Thomas.

Thomas worked out of a tight spot in the first inning with the help of a double play, then pitched hitless ball for the next four innings, sparking the Slammers to a 7-2 victory over the Wild Things Friday night.

Thomas (2-2), Joliet’s starting pitcher, failed to retire each of Washington’s first five batters. The lone out the Slammers recorded in that span came when the Wild Things’ Nick Ward overslid second base on a stolen-base attempt.

Thomas gave up a walk to Ward (erased on the caught stealing) and an infield single to Jared Mang, hit Scotty Dubrule with a pitch and walked Wagner Lagrange to load the bases. Andrew Czech then laced a one-out single through the left side as Mang scored to make it a 1-1 game as the bases remained loaded.

It didn’t look good for Thomas, who seemed to be struggling with his footing, twice asking home-plate umpire Ronnie Whiting to look at the mound’s landing area.

Washington’s Hector Roa then stepped to the plate with the bases loaded and Thomas’ outlook changed dramatically with one pitch. Roa hit a hard grounder to Joliet’s Tyler Depreta-Johnson, which triggered a shortstop-to-second-to-first double play that ended the inning, the threat and Washington’s night.

The Wild Things didn’t have another hit off Thomas, who pitched five innings. At one stretch, he retired eight straight Wild Things, including five in a row with strikeouts. Thomas struck out six but did walk five.

Joliet relievers Logan Schmitt and Jared Liebett followed and combined for three scoreless innings. Washington scored its second run in the ninth inning when Roa crossed home plate on a fielder’s choice grounder by Cole Brannen.

After Czech’s single in the first inning, Washington did not have another hit until Ian Walters led off the seventh with a single. The Wild Things finished with only five hits, two by Walters.

Joliet took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning as Slammers center fielder Matt McGarry hit a two-out solo homer to left field off Washington starter Stephen Knapp(1-2). It was McGarry’s eighth home run of the season.

Matt Burch gave Joliet a 2-1 lead when he led off the second inning with a home run to right field, his sixth of the year. Brylie Ware scored when Lane Baremore bounced into a bases-loaded fielder’s choice in the sixth inning, giving Joliet a 3-1 lead.

The Slammers added four runs in the eighth, one on an RBI double by McGarry, one a single by Burch and two on a single by Luke Mangieri.

Knapp gave up seven hits and two runs in 4 2/3 innings.

Extra bases

The game was delayed for nine minutes in the top of the third inning when a strip of turf — the white stripe on the outside of the running lane — near first base became torn and popped up. Wild Things executive director Steve Zavacky repaired the turf and was given a round of applause from the fans on the first-base side. … Washington rookie reliever kaleb McCullough tossed two scorless innings with three strikeouts. … The game marked the start of the season’s second half for Washington. The Wild Things ended the first half with a 32-16 record. … This is Washington’s last home series until July 29-31 against East Division leader Quebec.