Jul 10, 2022 3 min read

The promotion Sunday evening at the ballpark was called Christmas in July.

The Wild Things apparently found a lump of coal in their stockings.

The Joliet Slammers played the role of the Grinch and became only the second visiting team all season to steal a series in Washington by defeating the Wild Things, 10-3.

Joliet, which received six shutout innings from starting pitcher Trevor Charpie and home runs from Brylie Ware and Luke Mangieri, won two of three from the Wild Things in the series and climbed back to the .500 mark at 26-26.

“We just weren’t real good tonight,” Washington manager Tom Vaeth said. “We had a stinker the first of the series (a 7-2 loss) and a stinker tonight.”

The Wild Things did receive a Christmas in July gift – Florence defeated Evansville, 8-3, which keeps Washington in sole possession of first place in the West Division, one game ahead of the Otters.

The loss was the third in four games for Washington. That’s not the way you want to enter what could be a pivotal 15-game stretch. The Wild Things play their next 12 games on the road, a stretch that will be interrupted by the all-star break. When Washington finally returns home July 29, it will be against the East Division-leading Quebec Capitales.

The Wild Things begin a three-game series Tuesday at Gateway, then move to Evansville for a weekend set ahead of the all-star break. It will be the first of three series between the Wild Things and Otters, and the only one that will be played at Bosse Field.

“Every team hits a lull during a season and we’re in ours,” Vaeth admitted. “The schedule is what it is. We have to find a way to grind our way out of this, whether we play Evansville at home or here. We’re going to be on the road, so maybe we’ll stay in bed and get some extra rest. Nobody is going to feel sorry for us. It’s on me and my coaching staff to manage things better.

“We were playing .610 baseball and that’s hard to do. And Evansville has been right there with us. It’s natural for there to be some bumps in the road. Good teams manage it. Bad teams don’t and go on a downward spiral. We’re a good team.”

Joliet scored in four consecutive innings to build an 8-0 lead in the sixth. The Slammers led 10-0 in the eighth. That was more than enough cushion for Charpie (3-2), who struck out six.

Wild Things pitcher Daren Osby was activated off the 14-day injured list and started. It was a rocky return as Osby gave up nine hits, five walks and five runs over five innings.

“It needs to be better, for sure,” Vaeth said.

Ware, the Slammers’ cleanup hitter, smacked a three-run homer off reliever Jake Pilarski in the sixth that gave Joliet an 8-0 lead. Mangieri added a two-run homer off the scoreboard in the eighth against Christian James.

Washington spoiled Joliet’s shutout bid by scoring three runs in the bottom of the ninth. The Wild Things had only one hit in the inning, a two-run double by Landon Barns. Joliet reliever Cole Stanton walked the first three batters of the inning and four overall.

Extra bases

Jared Mang had three of Washington’s seven hits. Cole Brannen had a two-out triple in the second. … It was the first home series Washington has lost since the season opener against New York.