By Jack Ankony

The Dogs gained significant ground on the division-leading Milwaukee Milkmen over the weekend thanks to a three-game sweep of the Sioux Falls Canaries. Milwaukee was swept by the Winnipeg Goldeyes, which means the Dogs trail Milwaukee by two games for first place with 25 games remaining. 

Let’s break down the most notable events from an exciting weekend at Impact Field:

Dogs partner with Gold Glove Charities

The Dogs wore special jerseys on Saturday night to spread awareness of pediatric cancer. Each player had a child’s name on the back of their jersey and had the opportunity to meet with them before the game.

Before the fourth inning began, the Dogs and Canaries lined up down each foul line as Elijah, who is now cancer-free, ran the bases and high-fived the players alongside Dogs right fielder Danny Mars. It was a special moment at Impact Field that catcher Ryan Lidge called one of the greatest nights he has ever experienced in baseball. 

“I think everyone had a little tear in their eye,” Lidge said. “We will never understand what they go through, and that puts it in perspective that we get to play baseball. I get to go to this beautiful field every day and those kids might have to go to the hospital almost every day … We just want them to have fun and forget about it for a night. Even if it’s for an hour, if they can just forget it and be at this baseball field.”

Kay scorches his old team

There’s something about the way Grant Kay hits at Impact Field when the Sioux Falls Canaries are in town. Last year when Kay was a member of Sioux Falls, he went 7-for-12 at the plate.

And now as a member of the Dogs, Kay had one of his best series of the season against his former team. Kay went 7-for-11 with a home run, four RBI, three runs scored and two walks over the weekend.

He also made a leaping catch to rob a line drive that surely appeared to be a base hit off the bat. Kay is now on an eight-game hit streak and has increased his batting average by 29 points over that span.

Bennett makes immediate impact in return

Bennett was away from the team for two weeks as he welcomed his son Jireh into the world. While a two-week break might result in rust for some players, Bennett said getting away from the game usually helps his production at the dish.

Since returning to play on Aug. 6, Bennett is 5-for-12 with two home runs, eight RBI and four runs scored. Bennett said he is thankful that God helped his family stay healthy during the birth of his son and that his prevailing feeling since rejoining the Dogs is gratitude. 

Teammates joked that Bennett now has “dad strength,” which helped him drive a home run through gusting winds on Sunday. When T.J.’s father Jim used to beat him in sports growing up, he would tell T.J. “someday you’ll have dad strength.” Sunday was that day. 

“I do think I’ve got some dad strength in me,” Bennett said. “But really it’s just dad gratitude.”