Chicago Dogs take series opener against Kansas City Monarchs, 6-4.
A lot of tension was in the air at Impact Field for the 2023 Wolff Cup Championship rematch between the Chicago Dogs and the Kansas City Monarchs.
Matt Walker, the starting pitcher for the Dogs, was originally slated to start the series finale in Sioux Falls, until the game was postponed to a later date due to weather.
Walker got off to a shaky start in the first inning, putting two runners on base for former Major Leaguer Travis Swaggerty, who hammered a three run home run to left field. Swaggerty is one of three former Major Leaguers on the Monarchs roster.
Walker quickly rebounded from his rocky first inning, not allowing any additional runs until the fifth inning, where he allowed one.
Walker, the winning pitcher, finished his night with a pitching line of five innings pitched, four runs on seven hits, one walk allowed and three strikeouts.
The Dogs offense rolled into the series hot, scoring five runs in the first five innings.
The Dogs bats pounded the ball in the second inning. Jacob Teter, Zion Pettigrew and Jesus Lujano all hit doubles, scoring two runs.
Bats continued to flash after catcher Antonio Barranca mashed his first Dogs home run, a solo shot to left field in the fourth inning.
Barranca has seen plenty of playing time behind the dish, allowing Nick Dalesandro to take rest or play the outfield. Barranca’s strongarm and his high on base percentage has allowed Dogs manager Jeff Isom to feel comfortable with the platoon between the two catchers.
The next inning, Brantley Bell smoked the ball to left-center field, his fifth home run of the season.
Heading into the late innings, the Dogs had a one run lead, which didn’t last long, as Dogs outfielder Narciso Crook banged a solo home run to left-center field, his 13th of the season. Crook’s home run tied himself for first in the American Association with long balls, tied with Cleburne’s Brian O’Grady.
Relieving Walker, Davis Pratt and Cal Djuraskovic both threw shutouts out of the bullpen, combining for three innings of one hit pitching.
With a two run lead, Dogs pitching coach Stu Cliburn sent the big man, Joey Marciano, to close out the game in the ninth inning. Marciano was absolutely electric, striking out the side, topping out at 98 miles per hour, sealing the victory in the opener.
The Dogs will look to take the series in game two, behind John Baker on the mound.
The post Chicago Dogs take series opener against Kansas City Monarchs appeared first on The Chicago Dogs.
[[{“value”:”Chicago Dogs take series opener against Kansas City Monarchs, 6-4. A lot of tension was in the air at Impact Field for the 2023 Wolff Cup Championship rematch between the Chicago Dogs and the Kansas City Monarchs. Matt Walker, the starting pitcher for the Dogs, was originally slated to start the series finale […]
The post Chicago Dogs take series opener against Kansas City Monarchs appeared first on The Chicago Dogs.”}]] Read More
Interested in web3 and pro baseball? If so, get your own web3 (NFT) baseball domain name! Click this link to discover more information.
If you are looking for savings and free shipping on baseball equipment and gear then Click Here or click on this image:
Discover more about the available NFTs specific to affiliated and independent minor league baseball teams and players: Independent Minor League Baseball NFT non-fungible tokens and digital art
Get notified of upcoming independent baseball tryouts from either of these services: first service or the second service. Prospective players can find some helpful resources here
See the list of former / folded independent baseball teams since 1993 and get non-official merchandise featuring those teams: Former Independent Baseball Teams And Merchandise
Do you collect or sell baseball cards and other sports memorabilia? If so, then here are some helpful resources plus where to get independent baseball merchandise from folded teams. Click Here to discover more.