Dogs Even Series Behind Kipper's Gem, Stellar Defense
September 12, 2021 - American Association (AA)
Chicago Dogs News Release
First baseman K.C. Hobson's leaping attempt drew leather, but didn't halt Dylan Kelly's line drive in the first inning. As the ball trickled into right field, the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks jumped out to a 1-0 lead in game two of the North Division Championship Series.
It wasn't the first-inning performance Dogs ace Jordan Kipper envisioned, but the American Association Pitcher of the Month in August trusted the arsenal that earned him the playoff start. Over the next six innings, Kipper mowed down the RedHawks' lineup.
Kipper finished Saturday night's playoff matchup tossing seven innings while allowing nine hits, one run, zero walks and seven strikeouts to power the Dogs to a crucial 7-1 win to even the series. Kipper caught fire at the end of the regular season, allowing just five runs in his last seven starts across 43 innings with 51 strikeouts, and carried that dominance into the postseason.
After allowing an early run, Kipper said he focused on his breathing in order to calm down and mentally reset. Kipper developed a slider during the offseason, which is a pitch he never threw before but is now is wipeout pitch.
"[My slider] adds more to my arsenal," Kipper said. "I can go to any pitch in any count and I feel comfortable doing it.
It was quite the feat for Kipper to shut down the RedHawks, who finished the 2021 regular season with a league-leading team batting average of .304. Fargo-Moorhead also finished second in the American Association in slugging percentage, runs and home runs.
While Kipper was firing on all cylinders after allowing an early run, it took some time for the Dogs lineup to get hot. But in the fourth inning, Dogs third baseman T.J. Bennett blasted an opposite field home run spark the batting order.
Bennett was acquired by the Dogs in July after spending the last two years as an assistant coach at Illinois State University, but has been a crucial addition to the lineup from the moment he joined the team. Bennett finished the regular season with a team-high .357 batting average and nine home runs.
His knack for hitting opposite field moonshots was on display yet again on Saturday night as he tied the game at one run apiece in the fourth inning. Following Bennett's lead, Brennan Metzger ripped a line drive to right field that Fargo's John Silviano misplayed, allowing Ryan Haug to score from first base. Metzger was thrown out at third, but it was enough to give the Dogs a 2-1 lead in the fifth.
RedHawks starter Ryan Flores left one in K.C. Hobson's wheelhouse in the sixth inning, and Hobson made him pay. Hobson padded the Dogs' lead with a moonshot over the right centerfield wall, giving the Dogs a 4-1 lead.
Kipper's night was capped off by a diving stop and glove flip from Johnny Adams to turn the double play. Adams said he has practiced the glove flip throughout the season, which allowed him to execute in a key moment.
"This is playoff baseball," Adams said. "Every play has meaning behind it, so when you can make those plays in those situations they fire you up a little bit."
Not only was this one of the most impressive defensive plays of the Dogs' season, but it also came at a potential breaking point in the game.
The RedHawks put two runners on base with one out in the seventh, but Adams' highlight-reel glove flip kept the Dogs on top, 4-1. Kipper said he is comfortable being aggressive on the mound, looking to force ground balls because of the defensive talent behind him.
Dogs manager Butch Hobson called on Cam Booser and Jeff Kinley to close out the game as the lefty duo tossed scoreless frames in the eighth and ninth innings.
This win evened the series at one game apiece as both teams travel to Fargo, North Dakota for the final three games. Whichever team wins two of the next three games will advance to the American Association Championship Series and will play either the Kansas City Monarchs or Sioux City Explorers.
"We've been a good road team all year," Adams said. "We're not really changing anything. Just go out there and try to have good at-bats, offensively. Then pitchers do their thing, play our defense. It's really simple."
American Association Stories from September 12, 2021
- Dogs Even Series Behind Kipper's Gem, Stellar Defense - Chicago Dogs
- Willis Powers Monarchs to Game 2 Win - Kansas City Monarchs
- American Association Game Recaps - AA
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