Milkmen's Sunday Spoiled by Dogs, Falling 11-5

by Jonathan Michel

Milwaukee WIS. — Ryan Zimmerman began the game on the hill for the Milkmen, retiring the top of the Chicago lineup without a problem in the top of the first. Dogs pitcher and ex-Chicago Cub Michael Bowden shut out the Milkmen likewise in the bottom of the first. 

Danny Mars woke up the Dogs’ bats with a triple to begin the second inning and Chicago shortstop Johnny Adams plated his teammate with a ground out to first. Cosimo Cannella of the Dogs prolonged Zimmerman and the Milkmen’s woes with a 2-run blast to right center after Anfernee Grier doubled. Going into the bottom of the second, the Franklin Nine trailed 3-0. 

Chicago added another run to their total in the 3rd when Mars laced a single to right field, scoring Brennan Metzger and making it 4-0 Dogs. 

Christ Conley was the first Milkman to reach base, muscling a double in the third inning and nearly scored on a line drive from Brett Vertigan.

“He’s playing really good, he hit the ball hard and he’s had some big hits for us. He’s a good ballplayer so that’s what I expect of him,” Adam Walker II said. 

 However, Chicago’s third baseman Cannella had other ideas and made a diving grab to end the inning. 

The Milkmen drew closer in the fourth when Logan Trowbridge began the inning by hitting a leadoff triple. He came in to score one batter later when Walker grounded out to shortstop. 

In the top of the fifth, Anfernee Grier of the Dogs turned the tides of the momentum, hitting a 3-run double after Zimmerman walked 3 batters in a row. Staring at a 7-1 deficit, Milkmen skipper Anthony Barone had seen enough and brought in reliever Nate Pawelczyk. The bleeding did not stop, as a walk and two hit batters brought in Chicago’s 8th run of the game. 

Aaron Hill attempted to give the Milkmen some life in the bottom of the sixth and succeeded, hitting a double off the right field wall that was inches short of a home run. The extra-base hit brought home Trowbridge from first. Unfortunately for Milwaukee, the momentum stopped there for the moment. 

Milwaukee aimed to make a rally in the bottom of the 7th when Conley singled with one out. Jay Charleston and Trowbridge both watched four balls go by to load the bases for Walker, who delivered a bases-clearing double to draw his team closer, trailing 8-5 after seven. 

“I’m just trying to get a good pitch to hit. Luckily my double wasn’t hit at someone and we were still down to it didn’t really matter if I hit a home run or not, I was just trying to keep the inning going,” Walker said.

Chicago regained their bigger advantage when the Dogs shortstop Adams lifted a 2-run double in the top of the 8th and Mars scored on a Ryan Dunne wild pitch. The Dogs led 11-5 at that point and held their lead through the bottom of the ninth. 

At nearly a quarter of the way through the season, the Milkmen sit at 14-10 before a quick 3-game road trip to Sioux Falls, South Dakota to take on the Canaries, who they defeated in the American Association Championship last year. 

“We’ll try to reset, go there, win a series and then come back home. We got a nice homestand coming up but we got to go there and take care of business first,” Walker said.

The Milkmen return to Franklin Field for a 10-game homestand, starting Thursday, June 18th. First pitch is set for 6:35 PM

Tickets and more info at MilwaukeeMilkmen.com