Jul 31, 2022 4 min read

With one out, a runner on second base, and first base unoccupied in the sixth inning of a two-run game, nobody knew if Ian Walters would see a pitch to hit.

Well, Walters got one, and he made the most of it.

The Wild Things third baseman got a first-pitch fastball from Quebec pitcher and former teammate Michael Austin and smacked a two-run homer to right centerfield. The blast, Walters’ 10th home run of the season, broke open a close game and sent Washington on its way to an 8-3 victory over East Division-leader Quebec before a crowd of 2,541 Saturday night.

Washington was leading 3-1 in the sixth when it was Walters’ turn to step into the batter’s box. The Wild Things had Wagner Lagrange at second base after his RBI single scored Scotty Dubrule and gave Washington a two-run advantage.

Before Walters took his turn at bat, Quebec pitching coach Robert Carson made a trip to the pitcher’s mound and discussed strategy with Austin (7-3). The Capitales could have opted to intentionally walk Walters and set up a righty-righty matchup and potential inning-ending double play by pitching to Hector Roa. Quebec, however, opted to pitch to the lefthanded-swinging Walters.

“To be honest, I never thought about it,” Walters said of the potential of an intentional walk. “I was just hoping to get a pitch that I could hit hard.”

Walters hit Austin’s first pitch so hard that it gave Washington a 5-1 lead. Walters and Austin were teammates last summer with the now-defunct Southern Illinois Miners.

“That was weird for me,” Walters said of facing Austin. “There are so many former Southern Illinois guys in the league, and when I face one I try not to think about it and not try to do too much.”

Walters did plenty in this game, going 3-for-4 and driving in four runs. He had a two-run double in a three-run eighth inning.

Austin, who played for Washington in 2018, 2019 and part of last year before being traded to Southern Illinois, and Wild Things starter Stephen Knapp (3-2) each were facing their former team. Knapp, a sidearming righthander, played for Quebec last year and in 10 games early this season before being released. It wasn’t long until he was signed by the Wild Things. Knapp said there was some extra motivation pitching against his former teammates.

“Yes, definitely. I had gotten hurt and lost my role, but I’m happy to be in Washington now,” he said.

Relying on finesse and precision, Knapp pitched five innings, allowing only three hits and one walk. He struck out six.

“Against his former team, that was huge,” Walters said of Knapp’s performance. He had a bulldog mentality.”

Knapp said he also had an advantage facing hitters who were his former teammates.

“I know what their strengths and weaknesses are, so what I had to do was pitch to their weaknesses,” he said.

Knapp exited the game with a 2-1 lead, the result of a two-run first inning. Nick Ward led off the bottom of the first with a home run, his 16th of the season. Two batters later, Dubrule doubled and made it 2-0 by scoring after consecutive singles by Lagrange and Andrew Czech.

Quebec pulled to within 2-1 in the third as Kyle Crowl singled for his fifth hit of the series, driving in Marc-Antoine Lebreux, who had tripled.

After Walters’ home run gave Washington some wiggle room, the Capitales closed to within 5-3 in the eighth when catcher Jeffry Parra hit his 21st home run, a towering shot over the scoreboard off reliever Hayden Pearce.

Kenny Pierson, who earned his first save as a professional on Thursday in Ottawa, made it two in three days by getting the final five outs.

Notes

Washington manager Tom Vaeth was ejected in the top of the fifth inning by home-plate umpire after Clark Morgan after arguing an overturned out call at first base on a ball hit by Quebec’s Garrett Takamatsu. The call was changed to safe when the three umpires discussed the play after Quebec manager Pat Scalabrini argued that Washington first baseman Andrew Czech had bobbled a low throw. Vaeth was upset that the umpires did not confer earlier in the game when Washington’s Scotty Dubrule was retired on a ground ball that the Wild Things argued had hit his foot and should have been ruled a foul ball. … Washington reliever Dan Kubiuk pitched to three batters in the sixth inning and struck out all three. … Lagrange has six hits in the series.