Chicago Dogs bats slug six home runs despite dropping game in prolonged 13-10 loss against Cleburne.
Storm clouds covered Impact Field throughout the day on Saturday, initially delaying the start of game five between Chicago and Cleburne.
Kenny Serwa, who was originally slated to start for Chicago, was scratched following the two and a half hour game delay. The ball was handed to lefty Matt Walker, to open the game on the mound.
A smart Chicago coaching decision to select a lefty pitcher against Cleburne bats. Cleburne had struggled in game four against Chicago lefty Brooks Gosswein, getting shutout over Gosswein’s eight innings of work.
Heading into game five of the series, Cleburne’s offense held a collective batting average of .187 against lefty pitching on the season.
Walker loaded the bases in the first inning, then gave up a single to Cleburne’s Brian O’Grady. O’Grady’s single drove in two runs, putting Cleburne on the board early.
Chicago immediately fought back. Dogs outfielder Narciso Crook stepped up to the plate with a runner on, and instantly made Cleburne’s lead disappear. Crook pounded the ball to the right-center field bleachers, a two run shot, tying the game at two-a-piece. Crook’s home run put himself back in the lead for American Association season home runs, with eight.
Dogs bats didn’t stop there. Dogs outfielder Johnni Turbo entered the batter’s box having two teammates in scoring position. Turbo delivered, smacking the ball through the infield, driving in an additional two runs.
The Dogs had found themselves in an early rally, but mother nature had other plans. The game entered back into rain delay, then shortly after was suspended for the rest of the night.
Rather than only playing game six on Sunday, it was declared that the remainder of game five would be played right before game six, creating a Sunday double header.
Walker continued his outing for the Dogs on the mound, loading up the bases in the top of the second inning. The only damage Walker allowed was an RBI sacrifice fly to Thomas Dillard.
The rallying Dogs offense carried over from the previous night, as shortstop Brantley Bell took one deep to left field, for his third home run of the season. Bell’s solo shot extended the Dogs lead to 5-3.
Bell’s home run started the trend of the long ball for Chicago. Shortly after Bell, Jacob Teter followed with a solo home run to right field. Teter’s shot, his seventh of the season, advanced himself to second in the American Association in season home runs.
In his next at-bat, Bell hit another solo home run, this time to dead center field. Bell’s two home runs in the game brought his season total up to four.
Crook couldn’t allow his teammate to be the only Dogs player with a two home run game. In the same inning as Bell’s second long shot, Crook hit his second of the game, a no-doubt home run over the left field wall, his ninth of the year.
Dogs third baseman Dusty Stroup, who hadn’t hit a home run since the second series of the season, took one deep in the fifth inning, adding the ninth and tenth runs to the scoreboard for the Dogs.
Even with the production from the offense, Dogs pitching stumbled throughout the game against Cleburne bats.
The Railroaders produced six runs between the fifth and seventh innings, but this wasn’t the last Chicago would see of Cleburne bats.
Chicago opted to use closer Joey Marciano in the eighth inning, hoping for the strong reliever to shut down the final five outs for the Dogs. Marciano, who leads the American Association in saves, successfully got the first two outs of his outing, escaping the top of the eighth inning.
Marciano, the 6’5 lefty, struggled immensely in the ninth inning. Marciano loaded up the bases, then gave up a bases-clearing double to Jaxx Groshans. After allowing four runs, Marciano was given the blown save, his first of the season.
Chicago’s offense wasn’t able to muster any runs in the bottom of the ninth, dropping the sought after victory, 13-10.
The post Dogs Beat Themselves in Game 1 appeared first on The Chicago Dogs.
[[{“value”:”Chicago Dogs bats slug six home runs despite dropping game in prolonged 13-10 loss against Cleburne. Storm clouds covered Impact Field throughout the day on Saturday, initially delaying the start of game five between Chicago and Cleburne. Kenny Serwa, who was originally slated to start for Chicago, was scratched following the two and […]
The post Dogs Beat Themselves in Game 1 appeared first on The Chicago Dogs.”}]] Read More
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