Dogs Throttle the DockHounds Thanks to Three Home Runs
June 18, 2022 - American Association (AA)
Chicago Dogs News Release
ROSEMONT, Ill. - It feels good to be home.
Upon their return from a road series loss against the Milwaukee Milkmen, the Chicago Dogs exploded behind eight extra-base hits for a 13-3 win over the Lake Country DockHounds.
The Dogs put on a laser show to tie their season-high with three home runs in a game, which all came with a runner aboard. First baseman K.C. Hobson found his swing, going 3-for-5 with a home run, two doubles and five RBI.
Chicago came in ranked eighth as a team with 27 total long balls, a reason behind what has been an inconsistent offense as of late. After hitting a team-high 23 long balls in 2021, Hobson only had one to his name this season. The Dogs found their stroke and reversed the result of some of their recent games.
Starter A.J. Kullman was effective in his seventh start and allowed two runs, one earned, in 5.2 innings and added four strikeouts. The righty gave up hard contact, but prevented many line drives to keep himself out of trouble. Kullman utilized his off-speed effectively, in particular a looping curveball, to strike out Lake Country hitters.
This was the first ever matchup between the DockHounds and Dogs, as the former was only conceived prior to this year. Sitting at three games below .500, the Hounds came out hungry for a win. Jake Snider led the game off with a walk and advanced to second off of a T.J. Bennett groundout to second. Kullman quickly checked on Snider, but pegged the leadoff man in the back with his pickoff move. This pushed the ball into the outfield and allowed for Snider to trot to third base off of the error.
In small ball fashion, Snider came home to score on the next pitch from a Gabriel Noriega groundout to the shortstop. The Dogs drew a pair of walks on their own, but could not grab a hit through three innings. Sputtering bats and unforeseen errors gave the game a similar to feel to the past week.
The Dogs turned the corner in the fourth. Catcher Ryan Lidge led off the frame with a single. That brought up Hobson, who was 1-for-11 against Milwaukee, but came out swinging. The big lefty swung hard at his first two pitches and was clearly trying to hone in on a pitch to drive. He got that courtesy of a Devin Beckley secondary pitch that sat high in the zone, and Hobson did not miss. The ball flew out of Impact Field instantly and onto the right field concourse to flip the script and put the Dogs up, 2-1.
Hobson's jolt of energy trickled down to the rest of the lineup. Following a Grant Kay walk, catcher Trent Bauer lined one over the right field wall himself. That was Bauer's third home run of the year in 25 at-bats. The Dogs were not pushing balls out of the park, but they were launching balls with authority.
In the sixth, Lake Country catcher Wilfredo Gimenez skied a home run deep off of the left field net towards I-294 to cut into the Dogs lead, 4-2. Kullman retired the next two hitters, but with the left-handed Bennett coming to the plate, manager Butch Hobson elected to play the matchups and turn the ball to lefty Kevin Marnon. Marnon made quick work of the slugger to strike him out in three pitches.
Once in the bottom half of the inning, pitcher Taylor Bloye picked up two outs with haste. The right-handed swingman attacked the strikezone, but was countered by a Harrison Smith single with two outs. With a RBI chance, the struggling Cosimo Cannella walked to the plate in hopes of jumpstarting his 2022. Following four foul balls, the left fielder got ahold of a fastball away and sent it over the left field wall. That was Cannella's first home run of the year and made the score 6-2.
Both sides tacked on a run in the seventh, but the Dogs put it away in the eighth. Chicago put up six runs in the inning and their day total to 13. The bases were quickly loaded for Michael Crouse and his patience against pitcher Mei Mei paid off with a RBI walk. Ryan Lidge passed the bat off a single, which allowed Hobson to hit his third extra-base hit of the day with a two RBI double.
The DockHounds sent in the position player Daikan Yoh to pitch for Mei, which was Yoh's professional pitching debut. Kay teed up with a two RBI double right away, but Yoh got outs from there on. Headlined by a 55 mile-per-hour pitch, he retired his next three hitters, including a Connor Kopach strikeout.
With the win, the Dogs move to 19-12 on the year and look to be fully back after some recent struggles. It was an all-around strong team performance put together through consistent offensive contact and stifling pitching from the rotation and bullpen. Chicago will send Mickey Jannis to the mound Saturday for his first start since May 19 in hopes of securing a series win.
American Association Stories from June 18, 2022
- Timely Two-Out Hitting Lifts Birds to Victory at Kane County - Sioux Falls Canaries
- Canaries Top Cougars in Extras on Saturday - Kane County Cougars
- Dogs March Back from Early Deficit, Take Second Straight Over Lake Country - Chicago Dogs
- Monarchs "Moo-Ourn" Loss to Milkmen - Kansas City Monarchs
- Cleburne Steals Win from Quiet X's Offense - Sioux City Explorers
- Goldeyes Ride Big Innings to Beat Saltdogs - Winnipeg Goldeyes
- 'Dogs Drop Fourth Straight Game - Lincoln Saltdogs
- Chicago Defeats Lake Country in Game Two - Lake Country DockHounds
- 'Cats Prevail in Pitcher's Duel - Gary SouthShore Railcats
- Chicago Dogs Victorious at Impact Field - Lake Country DockHounds
- Dogs Throttle the DockHounds Thanks to Three Home Runs - Chicago Dogs
- Boscan Soars to Curb 'Cats - Gary SouthShore Railcats
- Monarchs Milk Milwaukee - Kansas City Monarchs
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