AA Chicago Dogs

Dogs Finish off the Sweep over the Cleburne RailRoaders, Move to 42-20

Published on July 24, 2022 under American Association (AA)
Chicago Dogs News Release


ROSEMONT, Ill. - Bring out the broomsticks.

For the seventh time this season and second time this month, the Chicago Dogs made clean work of their competition and swept the Cleburne RailRoaders, capped off with a 7-5 win.

The road to victory was similar to the night before: early offense and strong starting pitching. Starter A.J. Kullman tossed 6.2 innings, allowed three runs off of seven hits and struck out three. He was largely in control throughout the entire start and allowed only two runners to enter scoring position through his first five frames. The Tower of Terror registered 12 ground ball outs to silence an otherwise prominent Cleburne lineup.

Chicago got ahead early thanks to a pair of two-run home runs from catcher Ryan Lidge and right fielder Charlie Tilson. Lidge sent RailRoaders' starter Garrett Alexander deep in the first with a ball deep into center field, just right of the batter's eye. It marked Lidge's second home run of the home stand and eighth of the year.

Up 2-1 in the second inning, Tilson jumped on the first pitch of his at-bat to hit a screaming line drive to the right field bleachers. The former White Sox outfielder was just 1-for-13 in his last three games, but bounced back in a big way with a 3-for-5 day and three RBI.

Second baseman Grant Kay extended his hitting streak to 13 in the fourth inning when he reached from a bunt single. The ball skied over Cleburne first baseman Kacy Clemens and out of play to bring Kay trotting into second base off of the error. Shortstop Connor Kopach challenged the RailRoaders once more with the bunt and used his plus speed to earn a bunt single of his own.

The middle infield tandem double stole to both get into scoring position and Kay was brought in from a Harrison Smith sacrifice fly to make the score 5-1. Next up was Tilson and he used a scrappy plate approach to send a ground ball through the middle of the infield and score Kopach to bring the lead to five.

Chicago tacked on one more run in the fifth inning, sparked by a Lidge double. With a runner in scoring position, Kay lined a ball into the left field gap. Center fielder Zach Nehrir went completely airborne in search of a Superman style catch, but was inches short and the ball flew past him and into the gap. Kay used the leverage to spring into third base with a RBI triple. It was his fourth extra-base hit and fifth RBI of the series.

Cleburne tacked on one run in the sixth and seventh inning each and made it a two-run game with a Hector Sanchez home run in the ninth. Closer Brian Schlitter was able to overcome the adversity of the long ball and close out the RailRoaders for the win. It secured the three-game sweep in which the Dogs have scored seven runs each game. With the win, the Dogs move to 8-1 versus the RailRoaders, which may end up being a potential playoff matchup if both seeds in the standings stay consistent.

The Dogs now travel up north and into Canada to face the Winnipeg Goldeyes for the second series in a week. Chicago lost the initial series against the Goldeyes and hope to advance their 21-7 away record.

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