The Chicago Hounds have played 4 games in 5 days and are beat up, sore, and tired. But they won 3 of those 4 games, only losing today to the Marlins at SW Park in Park Ridge 9-5. The Hounds have won 8 of their last 10 games, and look to get back on a winning streak on Tuesday at Winnemac v. the Electrons.
Yesterday it was 96 degrees with no breeze at all, today it was in the 60s with very strong winds. Our fans had blankets today! Southwest Park has a new home run fence, and the win was blowing in so hard that both teams made multiple statements that no balls would be hit over the fence. But they were wrong, as Tim Riggenbach (#8, EH) showed up late to the game, barked orders for 2 innings after each pitch, got thrown out trying to take a base on a passed ball as a courtesy runner, and then made up for it all (?) with a smash over the right field fence in the 7th inning, driving in Max Kiefer (#21, RF) who had walked. It was a rocket, cutting through the wind and clearing the new fence with ease.
The Hounds were trying to make a comeback in that last inning, as they were down 9-3 after 6, but those were the only 2 runs to score in the final frame, as the Marlins ended the game with a diving catch of a foul ball to right–one of many plays made much more difficult by the wind today.
But defense was not the main highlight today, as both teams had multiple errors. Matthew Steffens (#5, SS) made a key error in the 5-run second on a would-be double play, but then made 2 nice plays including a rare throw from deep in the hole at short. TJ Rinaldi (#1, CF) came in as a sub late in the game and saved a run (he also singled), but the Hounds did not look their sharpest, probably because they are not professional baseball players, and 4 games in 5 days is pretty tough for adults with jobs.
Nor was the Hounds pitching at its best today–and when you combine struggles on the mound with struggles in the field, it is tough to win. Matt Burch (#6, P) did eat up 5 key innings today, as the Hounds have made it through this stretch of games with relatively fresh arms for pitching. Garrett Eddy (#22, CF/P) made his Hounds pitching debut today in front of a few of his family members, and Eddy threw 2 scoreless innings, stranding 5 runners while striking out 3.
Other than the 2 runs in the 7th, the Hounds scored 2 runs in the 3rd, both with 2 outs, and 1 run in the 6th. In the 3rd, Steffens singled, and Nolan Bielinski (#4, C) singled to move Steffens to third. A courtesy runner for Bielinski took second on a passed ball, and then Mike Marra (#15, LF) drove in both runners for a 2-RBI single. (Marra also walked and singled on the day, and was robbed on that diving catch in the 7th.) Steffens also scored in the 6th, singling and reaching second when Bielinski was hit by a pitch. Steffens then stole third and an errant throw by the Marlin catcher allowed him to score. But 5 runs total was not enough to defeat the Marlins today, so they Hounds will look to take the season series from the fish on July 10th.