AA Chicago Dogs

Dogs and Wingnuts Meet for First Time

Published on July 30, 2018 under American Association (AA)
Chicago Dogs News Release


Rosemont, Ill. - On the heels of a brief three-game road trip, the Chicago Dogs return home to host the Wichita Wingnuts for four games beginning Monday night at Impact Field.

The series opener marks another Mustard Monday at Impact Field, while Tuesday's game will feature the first Bark in the Park Night hosted by ABC 7 Chicago and the Anti-Cruelty Society. Game three of the series will play host to Wiener Wednesday at Impact Field, featuring $2 hot dogs, and Thursday's series finale will feature a fireworks display from the Village of Rosemont at 9:30 p.m., in the first Thursday home game in Dogs history. Thursday's game will be at a special time of 6:35 p.m.

Tickets to each game of the series are available in line at the Impact Field Ticket Office and online at www.thechicagodogs.com/tickets/

The four-game set marks the first ever meeting between Chicago and Wichita, as the Wingnuts are the last team in the American Association that the Dogs have yet to play. Chicago enters the series tied for fifth in the American Association's Northern division with a record of 26-40, while Wichita sits in third in the Southern division at 41-25.

Fresh off a sweep of the Sioux Falls Canaries over the weekend, the Wingnuts enter the series as one of the hottest teams in the American Association having won seven of their past ten games. Chicago dropped two of three games against the Kansas City T-Bones over the weekend, salvaging the series finale on Sunday.

Wichita has been a consistent club offensively throughout the season, and the polar opposite on the mound. The Wingnuts pitched to a league-best 2.35 earned run average in 13 games in the month of May, before ballooning to a 5.12 ERA in 27 games in June. So far in 16 games in July, the Wichita staff ERA is back down to 3.56. Over their past ten games, the Wingnuts have pitched to a 2.45 ERA, and have allowed more than three runs in a game just once.

Further quantifying the roller coaster year on the mound for Wichita, the Wingnuts have allowed three runs or fewer in a game 36 times this year. In those games Wichita has allowed just 1.8 runs per game. However, in their other 31 games, the Wingnuts have allowed 240 runs, good for 7.7 runs per game. Wichita has allowed their opponents to score double digit runs a league-high ten times this year, and allowed 54 runs in a four-game stretch from June 29 through July 3.

The Wingnuts have pitched to a 3.97 ERA overall this year, good for sixth best in the American Association, but removing the four-game stretch in which they allowed 54 runs would drop the Wingnuts team ERA all the way down to 3.45. That mark would be the lowest in the league.

At the plate, Wichita excels by manufacturing many of their runs. The Wingnuts sit in the top five of the league in team batting average (.277) and slugging percentage (.406) but they rank first in the American Association with 88 stolen bases, and second in the league in sacrifice hits (27). The Wingnuts possess two of the top three base stealers in the league in Zach Nehrir, whose 25 swiped bags rank him first in the league, and Logan Watkins, whose 17 steals ranks third.

The Wingnuts are averaging 1.3 stolen bases per game this year, and Wichita has stolen 41 bases in their past 20 games, for an average of 2.1 per game in that span.

Despite sitting in eighth in the league in home runs overall with 47 through their first 66 games, the Wingnuts feature the league's home run leader in Tony Thomas. Thomas, whom the Dogs traded to Wichita before the season to complete a deal for Chicago right-hander Josh Goossen-Brown, has 17 home runs, which is four more than the next highest individual total in the league. Thomas has nine more long balls than the next highest Wingnut as well. Thomas has hit 36 percent of the Wichita home runs this year. Only Dillon Thomas of Texas has accounted for a higher percentage of his team's home runs.

Thomas has been held without a homer in his last five games entering the series. He has suffered only four five game stretches without a long ball this season. Thomas also leads the Wingnuts in RBI with 52, and ranks second in the league overall.

Watkins is Wichita's leading hitter from a batting average standpoint with a .326 clip that ranks him tied for twelfth in the league overall. Fellow Wingnut Abel Nieves sits right behind Watkins on the leaderboard with a .325 average. Nieves enters the series with Chicago eight for his last 16 with a double and six walks. John Nester has also been hot at the plate of late for Wichita, having gone eight for his last 19 and 16 for his last 37.

On the mound the Wingnuts feature two of the top five individual earned run averages in the league in Travis Banwart and Casey Harman. Banwart, who will start Thurday's series finale for Wichita, has the lowest ERA in the league at 2.12. The Wingnuts right-hander has pitched 14 consecutive scoreless innings entering the series. Chicago will miss Harman in the series.

Wichita starters have been brilliant this year pitching to a 31-15 record and a 3.63 ERA. However, Wingnuts relievers possess a 4.67 ERA. Chicago meanwhile, has been the exact opposite on the mound, as their starters enter the series with a 5.05 ERA in 346 innings this year, while Dogs relievers possess a 2.82 ERA in 236 innings. The Chicago pen has 11 more strikeouts this year than Dogs starters in 110 fewer innings.

The Dogs bullpen continues to be stellar in the month of July, having pitched to a 7-3 record with seven saves and a 2.14 ERA in 92.1 innings so far this month. That being said, Chicago is the only team in the league with more than three losses when leading after eight innings this year. The Dogs are 23-4 in such games.

After being plagued by the long ball for much of the month of July, Dogs pitchers held Kansas City to zero home runs in three games over the weekend. The Chicago staff has still allowed 30 home runs in 26 July games, the most of any team in the league in the month of July. The Dogs have allowed the second most home runs overall in the league this year, with 60 long balls surrendered. 40 of those 60 have been allowed at Impact Field.

At the plate, Chicago continues to enjoy their best month in July. The Dogs are batting .279 as a team in the month, with a .355 on-base percentage. Chicago has hit more home runs this month (19) than they had in June, thanks to a stretch at the beginning of the month in which the Dogs homered in eight straight games.

The Dogs offense has begun to be more dynamic in the month of July as well. The Dogs have stolen 14 bases in their past 16 games after swiping just 27 bags in their first 50 games. Kenny Wilson leads the team with eight stolen bases in just 22 games played. Additionally, Chicago has raised their overall slugging percentage, thanks in large part to a triples barrage. The Dogs sit second in the league with 24 triples as a team, and have hit 22 three-baggers in their past 36 games. Chicago has raised their slugging percentage 32 points since June 19, from .359 to .391.

A big reason for the uptick in extra-base hits is Dogs outfielder Rubi Silva. Silva has burst onto the scene for Chicago since joining the Dogs on July 13, having gone 21-65 (.323) with four triples, five doubles, and a home run. Silva enters the series riding a ten-game hitting streak, and has a hit in all but one of the 14 games he's played in for Chicago.

Edwin Arroyo, who has been the most consistent hitter all year for the Dogs, enters the series riding another hot streak of his own. Arroyo has hit in six consecutive games entering the series, and is 13-27 during the stretch. Arroyo leads the Dogs with six three-hit games this year, and 21 multi-hit games overall. Arroyo has a hit in 50 of the 63 games he's played in this year for the Dogs. The Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico native has a .335 batting average overall this year, ranking him tied for sixth in the league.

Chicago will move one of its best pitchers out of a stellar bullpen to start game one of the series in Jared Carkuff. Carkuff has pitched to a 4-2 record and a 1.78 ERA this year in 19 appearances, and possesses an impressive 40 strikeouts to just four walks. He will be countered by right-hander Jordan Cooper. Game two of the series features Chicago lefty Scott Barnes against Wichita right-hander Charlie Gillies. Game three sees Trevor Simms take the mound for Chicago against Tyler Kane for the Wingnuts. And the series finale will matchup Dogs left-hander Kylin Turnbull with Banwart.

All four game of the series will be broadcast at www.thechicagodogs.com/broadcasts/

Check out the Chicago Dogs Statistics

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



American Association Stories from July 30, 2018


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central