Dogs (49-35, 3rd North, 6.5 GB) vs. Milkmen (34-51, T-5th North, 22.0 GB)

 

Probables

Sunday, 8/18: RHP Justin Goossen-Brown (0-0, 3.94 ERA) vs RHP Kurt Heyer (5-8, 5.16 ERA)

Monday, 8/19: LHP D.J. Snelten (6-3, 3.58 ERA) vs. RHP Angel Ventura (5-9, 2.98 ERA)

Tuesday, 8/20: TBA vs. LHP T.J. House (7-8, 4.24 ERA)

 

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SERIES NOTES: Series Notes Aug 18-20 MKE

 

MILWAUKEE, Wis. — The Chicago Dogs have won 10 of their last 15 games — winning three straight series — coming off a successful trip to Shaw Park against the Winnipeg Goldeyes. Despite dropping the finale, the Dogs won the first two games of the series by a combined score of 18-1 and stand 2.5 games out of a playoff spot. They now head to Routine Field for the first time in 2019 to take on the Milwaukee Milkmen.

The Dogs (49-35, 3rd North) offense continued to assert itself as the most complete in the league. Gustavo Pierre led the way with two multi-hit games and five RBI. Keon Barnum mashed his 27th home run of the season in Winnipeg, and he’s now just three home runs away from tying the American Association single-season record of 30. Victor Roache smacked his 20th home run of the season as well. Jordan Dean also chipped in with a 5-for-10 series in which he scored four runs and drove in three.

The Dogs also got stellar appearances from their starting pitchers. Jake Dahlberg tossed one of his best outings of the year, allowing just five baserunners in seven scoreless innings. Carlos Zambrano looked like his vintage self in a game two win in which he gave up one run on six hits in 5.1 innings, striking out seven and walking none. Austin Wright pitched well in the series finale, striking out seven in seven frames and allowing four runs on six hits and two walks. He now has 115 strikeouts on the year, trailing only his counterpart in that Saturday night loss, the Goldeyes’ Mitchell Lambson (117).

Chicago now wraps up its nine-game roadtrip with a three-game set against the Milkmen. Sunday night’s game will start at 6:05 PM, with the next two games on Monday and Tuesday slated to start at 7:05 PM.

RHP Justin Goossen-Brown will make his second start of the year on Sunday. He has been extremely reliable in his month-long tenure in Chicago. He has not given up more than two runs in any outing, and has walked no batters in his last five outings (10.2 IP). “Little Goose” looked good in his only other start of the year, tossing a season-high four innings on Tuesday in Lincoln in which he gave up two runs on four hits and no walks.

LHP D.J. Snelten has been the Dogs’ most consistent starter in the month of August. His most recent outing, an 8-1 win over the Saltdogs on Wednesday, saw him rack up a season-high 10 strikeouts and allow just two hits. In his last three starts, he has pitched 21 innings and allowed just three total earned runs with a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 24/4. Snelten has gone five or more innings with five or more strikeouts and two or fewer walks in every start since July 7th. 

Tuesday’s starter is TBD.

SCOUTING THE MILKMEN

The Milwaukee Milkmen (34-51, T-5th North) have lost six of their last nine games but are coming off a road series win over fellow basement-dwellers, the Gary SouthShore RailCats. Offensively, the Milkmen’s big bat is Adam Walker. He has hit the second-most home runs in the league with 21, despite also being one of only two players in the Association with triple-digit strikeouts (104 in 336 plate appearances).

Their pitching staff is what has kept the Milkmen relatively afloat this year. They boast a formidable bullpen including Jake Joyce and All-Star Myles Smith, who between them have logged 83 strikeouts in a combined 69.2 IP. Monday starter Angel Ventura’s 2.98 ERA in 17 starts ranks third in the league among active starters.

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