Saltdogs Sweep Chicago
AA Lincoln Saltdogs

Saltdogs Sweep Chicago

Published on June 27, 2026 under American Association (AA)
Lincoln Saltdogs News Release


Lincoln Saltdogs at bat
Lincoln Saltdogs at bat
(Lincoln Saltdogs)

Lincoln, Nebraska - Saturday, the Lincoln Saltdogs completed a doubleheader sweep over the Chicago Dogs, in American Association Baseball interdivisional action. Both games were scheduled seven inning contests. Lincoln won the first game 5-4, in eight innings, and took the second game by a score of 10-1. Lincoln has won the first three games of the weekend four-game set with Chicago. The Saltdogs have won four in a row, with the first three, extra-inning victories.

Game 1:

Lincoln scored five runs, off seven hits, with no errors, and left four runners on base. Chicago had four runs, with eight hits, two errors, and left six base runners stranded. Game one of the two games lasted two hours and twenty-one minutes.

Chicago jumped on the scoreboard in the top of the first inning. Facing Lincoln starting pitcher Foster Pace, Giovanni DiGiacomo singled. Then, Ethan Wilder doubled, scoring DiGiacomo, to make it a 1-0 Chicago lead. Then, Jacob Maiben singled, scoring Wilder, to put the visitors ahead, 2-0.

The Saltdogs responded by tying the game in the bottom of the first. Facing Chicago starting pitcher Cade Herrmann, Cam Phelts led off the inning with a single and took second on a wild pitch. Three batters later, Connor Bagnieski singled, scoring Phelts, to make it 2-1. Then, Cary Arbolida doubled, driving home Bagnieski, to tie the score at 2-2.

In the top of the second, Chicago recaptured the lead. With one out, Tyreque Reed singled. Then, Daniel Harris did the same. Derek Maiben drew a walk. Then, Giovanni DiGiacomo hit a sacrifice fly to left, scoring Reed, to make it a 3-2 Chicago advantage.

Lincoln battled back to tie the game in the bottom of the third. Cam Phelts led off with a single, then stole second base. Two batters later, Jairo Pomares singled, scoring Phelts, to make the score, 3-3.

Chicago went back in front in the top of the seventh inning. Facing Lincoln reliever Zac McCleve, Derek Maiben was hit by a pitch, with one out, then stole second. Two batters later, Ethan Wilder walked. Then, Jacob Maiben hit a single, scoring Derek Maiben, to make it a 4-3 Dogs advantage.

However, the Saltdogs tied the game, in the bottom of the seventh. Facing reliever Will Merriott, Calyn Halvorson led off the inning by getting hit by a pitch. Paul Myro laid down a sacrifice bunt, to get Halvorson to second, with one out. After Griffin Everitt popped out to second, for the second out of the inning, Cam Phelts singled, scoring Halvorson, to tie the game at 4-4. Lincoln got runners to second and third, but could not score the winning run, in the seventh, thus forcing Lincoln to play their third consecutive game, that went to extra innings.

After Gabriel Jaramillo kept Chicago from scoring in the top of the eighth, Jairo Pomares was the placed runner at second, to begin the inning. Then, Connor Bagnieski singled to right. On the play, Pomares stopped at third, but Aaron Altherr's throw to the plate was wild, bouncing off and away from the catcher Jaxx Groshans, allowing Pomares to score the winning run, giving Lincoln the 5-4 victory.

Lincoln starting pitcher Foster Pace worked 6.0 innings, giving up three runs, off seven hits, struck out one and walked one. Zac McCleve pitched 1.0 inning, yielding one run, off one hit, struck out one, and walked one. Gabriel Jaramillo (2-1) earned the win, pitching 1.0 inning, and struck out one.

Chicago starter Cade Herrmann pitched 4.0 innings, giving up three runs, off five hits, struck out four, and walked one. Will Merriott worked 3.0 innings, yielding one run, off one hit, struck out two, and walked one. Nick DeCarlo (2-2) took the loss, facing one batter, and gave up one unearned run, off one hit.

Offensively for the Saltdogs, Cam Phelts was 3-for-4 with an RBI. Connor Bagnieski was 2-for-3 and drove in one. Cary Arbolida was 1-for-3 with one run batted in.

For the Dogs, Giovanni DiGiacomo was 1-for-3 with an RBI. Jacob Maiben went 2-for-4 with two runs batted in.

Game 2:

Lincoln (17-22) scored ten runs, off seven hits, committed one error, and left eight runners on base. Chicago (13-25) had one run, with four hits, no errors, and left seven runners aboard. The second game lasted two hours and fifteen minutes, and the doubleheader was played in front of 4,574 fans.

The Saltdogs took the lead early, in the bottom of the first. Facing Chicago starting pitcher Grant Cherry, Cam Phelts led off the inning with a single. After a ground out advanced Phelts to second, Jake Hjelle singled, scoring Phelts, to make it 1-0, and Hjelle advanced to second on the throw home. Then, Jairo Pomares singled, scoring Hjelle, to make it 2-0. Cary Arbolida walked. Then Lincoln executed a double steal, to put runners at second and third. Connor Bagnieski walked, to load the bases. Then, Cael Chatham did the same, scoring Pomares, to make it 3-0. Then, Jacob Morrow grounded out to third, which scored Arbolida, to make it a 4-0 Saltdogs lead.

In the bottom of the second, Lincoln added another run. Cam Phelts led off the inning by getting hit by a pitch. Then, he took second on a wild pitch. The next batter, Nick Shumpert, singled, scoring Phelts, to make it 5-0.

Lincoln added three more runs in the bottom of the third. Connor Bagnieski led off the inning with a walk. Two batters later Jacob Morrow was hit by a pitch. Then, two more batters later, Cam Phelts singled, driving in Bagnieski and Morrow, to make it a 7-0 Lincoln lead. Chicago went to the bullpen and brought JC Flowers in to pitch. Three consecutive walks, brought in Phelts to make it an 8-0 Lincoln lead.

The Saltdogs put the game well out of reach in the bottom of the fifth inning. Facing reliever Jose Acuna, Cam Phelts led off the inning with a walk. Three batters later, Jairo Pomares hit his seventh home run of the season, a two-run blast to right field, to make it a 10-0 Lincoln lead.

Chicago prevented the shutout by getting a run in the top of the seventh. Facing Lincoln reliever Jack Hill, Tyreque Reed drew a one-out walk. After a fielder's choice advanced Reed to second, two batters later, Giovanni DiGiacomo singled, scoring Reed, to make it 10-1. However, Hill got Ethan Wilder to ground out to second, to end the game.

Lincoln starting pitcher Jacob Hughes (2-1) earned the win, pitching 6.0 innings, giving up three hits, struck out seven, and walked two. Jack Hill pitched 1.0 inning, giving up one unearned run, off one hit, struck out one, and walked one.

Starting pitcher for Chicago, Grant Cherry (0-6) took the loss, working 2.2 innings, yielding eight runs, off five hits, struck out one, and walked four. J.C. Flowers pitched 0.1 inning and walked three. Jose Acuna pitched 3.0 innings, giving up two runs, off two hits, struck out three and walked two.

Offensively for the Saltdogs, Cam Phelts was 2-for-2 with two RBIs. Nick Shumpert and Jake Hjelle both went 1-for-3 with an RBI. Jairo Pomares was 2-for-3 with a two-run home run and four runs batted in. Cael Chatham and Jacob Morrow were both 0-for-3 and drove in one run.

For Chicago, Giovanni DiGiacomo was 1-for-4 with an RBI.

The final game of the four-game series is Sunday afternoon at Haymarket Park. RHP Haden Erbe (2-2, 5.15 ERA) will pitch for Lincoln. RHP Steven Lacey (2-3, 4.57 ERA) will be on the mound for Chicago. First pitch will be 1:05 p.m. The game will be broadcast on KFOR 101.5 FM/1240 AM and on: www.aabaseball.tv.

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Lincoln Saltdogs at bat
Lincoln Saltdogs at bat
   



American Association Stories from June 27, 2026


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