By Jack Ankony
Ryan Lidge golfed an ankle-high pitch over the head of Adam Brett Walker II in left field. Lidge drove in K.C. Hobson to score the Dogs’ first run of the game in the fourth inning.
The Dogs’ hot-hitting catcher kept his rhythm at the plate, but the same wasn’t true for the majority of the Dogs lineup. Danny Mars jacked a solo home over the right field bleachers in the 6th inning, but that was all the Dogs could muster in a 7-2 loss to the Milwaukee Milkmen.
The Dogs managed just four hits on the night and struggled to keep the Milkmen off the basepaths, allowing 11 hits.
Dogs’ scheduled Wednesday starter Jake Dahlberg was signed by the San Francisco Giants, which forced Garrett Christman to take the mound for the Dogs. Christman allowed nine hits across four innings, allowing four earned runs, one walk and three strikeouts.
Jase Dalton’s scoreless streak to begin his professional career was put to and end on Wednesday after a sacrifice fly from Anibal Sierra. In the following at-bat, Brett Vertigan drove a bases-clearing triple to the center field wall to cement a Milkmen victory.
After the Dogs scored sevens runs off Milwaukee starter Matt Solter on July 15, the same approach at the plate wasn’t there for the Dogs on Wednesday. Solter struck out eight batters in six innings while allowing four hits.
The Dogs struck out 13 total times on Wednesday and were shutout by Milwaukee relievers with zero hits or walks.
With their second loss in a row, the Dogs fall to two games behind the Milkmen for first place in the American Association North division. The Dogs have an opportunity to salvage the series on Thursday at 6:35 when new signee Ryley Widell takes the mound against Milwaukee’s Myles Smith.
Widell will make his third start for the Dogs after being signed on July 11. The Dogs will look to avoid the series sweep and aim to improve on a 4-7 record against the Milkmen in 2021.