Canaries (5-5, T-3rd in South) vs. Dogs (6-3, 3rd in North)

Probables

Monday, 5/27: RHP Taylor Hill (1-1, 4.21 ERA) vs. LHP Austin Wright (0-1, 9.00 ERA)

Tuesday, 5/28: RHP Sam Bragg (1-0, 4.21 ERA) vs. LHP D.J. Snelten (1-0, 6.09 ERA)

Wednesday, 5/29: RHP Keaton Steele (0-1, 2.07 ERA) vs. LHP Luke Westphal (2-0, 0.00 ERA)

 

LISTEN: bit.ly/chidogstv – The Chicago Dogs Baseball Network

SERIES NOTES: Series Notes May 27-29 vs. SF

 

ROSEMONT, Ill. — The Chicago Dogs righted the ship against a last-place Milwaukee Milkmen team over the weekend, registering their first series sweep of the season in Kokomo. They are looking to keep the good times rolling when they host the Sioux Falls Canaries of the South Division in a three-game set. Game starts are 1:05 PM on Monday, May 26, 7:05 PM on Tuesday, May 27, and 7:05 PM on Wednesday, May 28.

Winners of four in a row, the Dogs had a historic series against the Milkmen. Friday’s 5-4 win saw Luke Westphal lead a staff smothering of the Milwaukee bats, combining with Brandon Shimo, Carlos Zambrano and Josh Goossen-Brown to hurl a franchise-record 19 strikeouts. The team also registered its first come-from-behind win of the season in a 6-4 victory on Saturday. By Sunday, the Dogs were sick of close games and decided to club 13 runs (another franchise record) in a 13-3 rout, highlighted by a Keon Barnum grand slam in an eight-run fourth inning.

Harrison Smith extended his season-long hitting streak to seven, and Tony Rosselli continued his tear, now sitting at a marvelous .458 average over seven games. His series highlight came in the version of a 4-for-4 effort on Friday in which he hit his fourth home run of the season, tying him with Barnum for the team lead in home runs as well as RBI (11). Edwin Arroyo (.343) and Victor Roache, who registered multiple hits in all three games, had productive series as well.

Against Sioux Falls, Austin Wright is tabbed for the game one start and will look to shake off his maiden appearance vs. St. Paul, in which he gave up four runs in three frames. After him, the top of the rotation will close out the series, and all eyes will be on Luke Westphal, who has not given up a hit in 11.2 innings of work this season while also striking out 15 and walking just three batters, good for a WHIP of 0.26.

 

SCOUTING THE CANARIES

The Canaries have yet to play a home game this year, starting the 2019 campaign on a 13-game road trip that will end against the Dogs. Unlike the Dogs, the Canaries have already tasted cross-division action, having just salvaged a series against the resurgent Gary SouthShore RailCats. Gary used a late-inning surge to stun Sioux Falls on Saturday, and kept the momentum going in a 7-2 beatdown on Sunday.

Three Canaries are batting over .300 on a team that ranks third in the Association in batting average (.277), and is the only other team that has kept pace with the Dogs’ league-leading 58 runs. Jordan Ebert, in his third year in the AA, leads the Canaries with a .344 average and just five strikeouts in nine games. Pitching-wise, right-hander Keaton Steele has played ace for Sioux Falls, having given up just three earned runs and six hits over 13 innings of work so far this year.

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