Kay, Dogs Blow by Goldeyes in Series Finale
By Jack Ankony, Chicago Dogs
They didn’t wait until the final inning to warm up their bats, but it was another comeback win for the Dogs.
After allowing three runs in the first two innings, Dogs starter Connor Grey settled in nicely and the Dogs lineup had his back. Grey pitched six innings, allowing six hits, three earned runs, one walk and four strikeouts.
Facing a 3-1 deficit, the Dogs put up four runs in the fifth inning to take the lead, and they didn’t look back. The Dogs added three more runs in the sixth, and a Grant Kay three-run home run in the ninth was the cherry on top of an 11-3 victory.
Kay and Ryan Lidge led the charge yet again with multi-hit games, but it was a balanced effort overall as every Dog in the lineup recorded a hit. Danny Mars drove in three runs to equal Kay and was one of five Dogs to finish with an RBI. Since the 4th inning of Saturday’s game, the Dogs outscored Winnipeg 20-3.
Lidge entered today’s game with a league-high .615 batting averaged and found the outfield grass twice today. His average dropped to .556, but he is swinging the hottest bat of any Dog to start the season. Kay is second on the team with a .304 batting average.
While the lineup was finding gaps all over the field, Michael Crouse, Anfernee Grier and Cosimo Cannella proved to be headaches on the base paths for Winnipeg pitchers. Grier and Cannella each stole two bases, while Crouse stole one. The trio combined to touched home plate six times out of 11 total runs for the Dogs.
The Dogs will be without Crouse for an indefinite period of time as the Canadian travels to Florida for an Olympic Qualifying tournament. The Dogs will surely miss his contact rate and speed at the top of the lineup, but Grier and Cannella proved today that Crouse isn’t the only Dog with burning speed.
With this win, the Dogs have now won their first two series of the year, winning two of three games on the road at Kane County and Winnipeg. Tomorrow is the Dogs’ first day off since the beginning of the season as they embark on a third road series to play the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks.
