Milkmen Prove Dominance Again Over Sioux Falls

by Jonathan Michel

Sioux Falls, SD. —   In their first rematch with the Sioux Falls Canaries since the 2020 American Association Championship, the Milwaukee Milkmen rode a 4-run fourth inning en route to a 8-2 triumph. 

The Milkmen barrage began in the fourth when Adam Brett Walker II connected on a solo home run, his first since June 5th. David Washington followed with a double and moved 90 feet over to third on a sacrifice fly from Christian Correa. The next Milkmen batter, Aaron Hill, brought Washington home safely with a double. Trey Martin added the third Milkmen run with an RBI single to score Hill and he later came around to score on a single from Brett Vertigan making it 4-0 Milkmen after the fourth. 

In the bottom of the fourth, Ryan Boyer came in to relieve Brian Johnson, who started the game hot by striking out the Sioux Falls side in the bottom of the first. 

Making his second start with the Milkmen after playing in 2019 for the Boston Red Sox, Johnson got out of a jam with runners on first and third and one out in the bottom of the second. Johnson finished his day with 4 hits allowed, 5 strikeouts, and no walks in 3 innings. 

Milwaukee had a chance to get on the scoreboard in the second inning  when Washington and Correa were walked by Sioux Falls’ pitcher and former Milkman Angel Ventura. However, the trio of Hill, Mason Davis, and Martin were unable to score their teammates. 

Moving to the bottom of the fourth, Sioux Falls needed a response after Milwaukee scored 4 earlier in the frame. The Canaries succeeded in getting runners on base with a single from Nick Gotta and walks from Charlie Valerio and Mike Hart, but Boyer struck out Sioux Falls’ Angelo Altavilla to end the threat. 

After a quiet fifth and sixth innings for both teams, Milwaukee’s Logan Trowbridge awakened any fans that may have dozed off by blasting a solo home run to right field in the top of the seventh inning. 

Aaron Hill had an opportunity to ruffle the Canaries’ feathers even more with runners on second and third and two outs, but a groundout to short kept the score at 5-0 in favor of the Milkmen after six and a half innings. 

 Milwaukee’s Matthias Dietz came into relief in the bottom of the seventh and went through the eighth inning without any problems. 

Former Canary Brett Vertigan surprised everyone in the stadium in the top of the ninth when he hit a solo home run, his first of the season and only the ninth of his professional career, making it 6-0 Milkmen. 

In the top of the ninth, Mason Davis hit an RBI single and Trey Martin walked with bases loaded in the top of the 9th to plate another Milkmen run and make it 8-0 Milkmen. The Canaries managed to score a pair in the bottom of the ninth off of Nate Hadley making it 8-2 Milkmen, but it was much too little and much too late. With the victory, the Milkmen won their 11th game away from home of the year. 

The Milkmen and Canaries square off again Wednesday at 12:05 PM before returning home on Friday for a 10-game homestand.

Tickets and more info at MilwaukeeMilkmen.com