Six innings of one-run ball from Trevor Lubking and a one-run lead heading into the seventh inning wasn’t enough for Gary in front of 3,681 on Clunker Car Night at U.S. Steel Yard as the RailCats fell to the Milwaukee Milkmen, 3-2, on Saturday night. Saturday’s loss guarantees Gary an overall record below .500 for the first time since 2015 and puts the RailCats in a fifth-place tie with Milwaukee in the North Division.
Gary (34-51) scored first for the third straight night with a pair their only runs in the first. Marcus Mooney picked up the first hit of the night with an opposite-field single to right before Colin Willis brought him home with an RBI triple to right. Alex Crosby then made it 2-0 with a soft RBI single to right for the RailCats final run.
Adam Walker got Milwaukee (34-51) on the board with a home run to left-center on the first pitch of the second inning. Walker’s homer was his second in as many games and his team-leading 20th of the year.
The Milkmen took the lead for good with a pair of two-out runs in the seventh. Glen McClain singled with one out before Jose Rosario drew a four-pitch walk. Dan Ward followed Rosario with a single through the left side of the infield to load the bases. Derek Reddy and Garrett Copeland then drew consecutive two-out walks to put Milwaukee in front.
Both starters didn’t factor into the decision. Lubking allowed just one run on six hits over six innings in his league-high 21st start. The southpaw walked none, struck out five and induced three double plays. Milkmen right-hander Joey Wagman was charged with two runs over 5.2 innings on five hits and a walk. Wagman struck out two and retired 14 hitters in a row at one point.
David Griffin (2-1) was charged with his first professional loss in his first appearance of the series. The right-hander allowed two runs on two hits and three walks over 0.2 innings.
Former Colorado Rockies pitcher Manny Corpas (1-0) recorded his first American Association win with 1.1 hitless innings of relief. Luis Diaz recorded a hold with a hitless bottom of the eighth while Myles Smith (15) secured the win with the final three outs in the bottom of the ninth. The former RailCat allowed a bunt single to Wilfredo Gimenez before retiring the next three batters he faced, the last two via strikeouts, to pick up the save.
Gary begins a three-game road trip against Fargo-Moorhead on Sunday night at 6 p.m. RailCats’ right-hander Justin Sinibaldi (5-5, 3.26) opposes RedHawks’ Ryan Williams (7-1, 2.40) in the opening game of the series.
Gary returns home to U.S. Steel Yard on Wednesday for a three-game home series vs. St. Paul. Wednesday’s series opener vs. the Saints is at 6:45 p.m. and is the last Creekside “Pop-Up Bar Wednesday”, celebrating Golden Girls, and NorthShore Health Centers Wednesday of the season. Visit any Northwest Indiana NorthShore Health Center for complimentary tickets to a Wednesday RailCats game.
Ticket packages for the 2019 Gary SouthShore RailCats season are available online at railcatsbaseball.com and can also be purchased by calling the RailCats ticket line at (219) 882-BALL. The RailCats box office is open Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.