Grizzlies Even Series in Washington with Power, Pitching
August 5, 2023 - Frontier League (FL)
Gateway Grizzlies News Release
Washington, PA - The Gateway Grizzlies got home runs from Willie Estrada and Alex Hernandez to take an early lead, then used outstanding pitching by Lukas Veinbergs and three relievers to beat the Washington Wild Things 5-2 at Wild Things Park, evening their weekend series and lowering their magic number for a playoff spot to 14.
In the second inning against Wild Things ace Kobe Foster (3-5), Andrew Penner singled to bring up Estrada, who crushed a two-run bomb to left-center field to put the Grizzlies ahead 2-0. Two batters later, Foster tried to get an 0-2 fastball by Hernandez, and the Grizzlies' catcher mashed his third home run of the season to left field to make it 3-0.
Veinbergs (7-3) took it from there, and ended up tossing six innings of two-run ball to earn his second win of the road trip, striking out seven and walking only one in his first game back at Wild Things Park since nearly no-hitting Washington almost exactly one year ago.
Offensively, the Grizzlies added insurance runs on a two-out RBI double in the sixth inning by D.J. Stewart, taking a 4-1 lead at the time, and after the Wild Things responded with a run of their own in the bottom half, Cole Brannen lifted a sacrifice fly to center field to complete the scoring.
The Grizzlies' bullpen also was strong late in relief of Veinbergs, with Nate Garkow and Alec Whaley setting up Trevor Tietz, who nailed down the save with a scoreless ninth inning.
Gateway will look to end their seven-game road trip with a series win over the Wild Things in the rubber game on Sunday, August 6, at 4:35 p.m. CT, sending Parker Johnson to the hill for his second professional start against Washington's Hayden Shenefield at Wild Things Park.
The Gateway Grizzlies are a professional baseball team, located a mere 10 minutes from downtown St. Louis in Sauget, Illinois. The Grizzlies offer baseball fans affordable, family fun at Grizzlies Ballpark with a great view of the St. Louis skyline. They have also won two Frontier League Organization of the Year Awards, three West Division titles, and the 2003 Frontier League Championship. For tickets or general information, please visit gatewaygrizzlies.com or call (618) 337-3000.
The Frontier League debuted in 1993, and is the largest of the Major League Baseball Partner Leagues, featuring teams stretching from the Atlantic Ocean to the Mississippi River, and from the Ohio River to the St. Lawrence Seaway. More information and the complete 2023 schedule can be found at frontierleague.com.
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