By Michael Barthelemy

FRANKLIN, Wis. – After a series-opening 11-3 loss to the Milwaukee Milkmen yesterday, the Dogs bounced back behind strong pitching and opportunistic hitting for a 5-2 victory.

It may be about a quarter of the way through the season, but it felt like a must-win game for Chicago. Manager Butch Hobson’s squad was riding a four-game losing streak with a combined score differential of 41-8. That skid narrowed the divisional lead to one game and gave the second-place Milkmen a chance to turn the tides in the east.

Desperate for a strong start, Dogs starter Kyle Murphy gave just that. The right-hander threw 5.1 innings and allowed two runs, one earned, off of three hits and three walks. The Massachusetts native also struck out four in line to the win.

Offensively, Charlie Tilson broke out. The center fielder went 3-for-4 with a home run, two RBI and two runs scored. Danny Mars bounced back from his slump with a 2-for-4 day and two RBI.

Murphy was all business from the jump. He retired the top third of Milwaukee’s lineup in about two minutes thanks to efficient pitching and an inning-ending strikeout of Correlle Prime.

Chicago’s bats matched the energy. The Dogs failed to score in the first two innings, but put five total baserunners aboard to make Milwaukee starter and former Dog A.J. Jones work in high-leverage spots early.

Already 1-for-1 with a bloop single, Tilson unloaded on the first pitch of the third inning for a solo shot to right field. It was the Wilmette native’s second home run in four days and of the season.

Shortstop Connor Kopach led off the fifth inning with a single that extended his hitting streak to seven. This was the first of four straight singles by the Dogs that extended the lead to 2-0. With the bases loaded and nobody out, Ryan Lidge skied a high drive into a windy left field that fell into the hands of left fielder Will Kengor, but allowed Cosimo Cannella to score easily.

Up 3-0 and looking to break the game open, Mars stepped to the plate with two runners on and two outs. On a 1-1 count, the right fielder lined a bases-clearing double to center field. That marked the end of the night for Jones, who ended with 4.2 innings pitched and allowed five runs off of nine hits.

Staring down a suddenly deep deficit, Milwaukee’s Aaron Hill led off the bottom of the fifth with a walk. With one out, second baseman Bryan Torres skied a typically routine ball into left field. Swirling winds erased a clean trail and left fielder Michael Crouse was unable to properly track it down. The ball went over his head and allowed Torres to break all the way to second and Hill to score from first.

Mason Davis kept the rally going with a RBI single to right field that scored Torres. At the end of the fifth, the Milkmen narrowed the score to 5-2.

The Dogs racked up only one hit over the last four innings to leave the weight of the game on the bullpen. The unit struggled over the past four games, but put together a gutsy performance to work out of numerous jams.

With lefty Kevin Marnon on the bump in the seventh, Milwaukee strung together two singles from the bottom of their lineup. Marnon struck out the contact-heavy Chad Sedio, but walked Davis to load the bases. Hobson elected to put the ball in the hands of Paul Schwendel to face Prime. It took the righty flamethrower three pitches to retire Prime and maintain the lead.

Like Marnon, Schwendel fell into trouble in his second inning of work. He got a huge double play off the bat of Christ Conley, but the walk to Hill put runners on the corners. Hobson again elected to switch pitchers and opted to give right-hander Brian Schlitter his Dogs debut.

Schlitter is no stranger to pressure. The 36-year-old has 153 career saves over 14 seasons of professional baseball. Schlitter walked his first batter in Logan Trowbridge, but struck out the scorching bat of Torres to again strand Milwaukee with the bases loaded.

The big bearded reliever retired the Milkmen in the ninth inning and secured Chicago’s first win in six days to change momentum and grow the divisional lead. The Dogs sit at two games ahead of Milwaukee with the win and will trot out southpaw Shane Barringer for the chance at a series win tomorrow.