Wingnuts end homestand with 7-4 win over Sioux Falls

Getting the ball in from the outfield in a timely manner or holding a runner on second base with two outs don’t seem like major components of a baseball game until three games are decided because of them.

The Wingnuts’ 7-4 win on Wednesday afternoon over Sioux Falls at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium, and wins over the Canaries the previous two nights, weren’t singularly reliant upon the little things Wichita did and Sioux Falls didn’t.

But fundamentals represented the greatest chasm between the teams. The Wingnuts, mostly, didn’t give Sioux Falls more than it earned, while Wichita often took extra because of the Canaries’ unawareness and apparent apathy.

“I talk about (fundamentals) all the time, especially (in the dugout),” Wingnuts manager Kevin Hooper said. “I try to make a point of talking about it all the time, even maybe when we’re not doing it and another team does it. You’ve got to take advantage of those.

“It’s teaching and reminding. Just a little reminder, here and there, that this is what can happen. We’re capable of doing a lot of that stuff, too.”

The Wingnuts stole third base three times Wednesday when Sioux Falls didn’t hold runners close at second base. David Espinosa scored on T.J. Mittelstaedt’s double to left after Chris Grayson took a hesitant, misdirected route toward the ball that ended up near the corner.

Grayson and center fielder Jake Luce often were slow to return the ball to the infield following Wingnuts hits, and the Canaries rarely tried for the extra base when they could have challenged the average arm strength of Wichita outfielders other than Harrison Kain.

A poor throw from shortstop Jerome Pena with two outs on Wednesday led to a three-run sixth inning for the Wingnuts. Jayce Ray drove in a pair with a double, then scored on a wild pitch to put Wichita ahead 6-2.

“You’ve got to work on the little things, because those are the things that make a difference,” Kain said. “Everyone is good at this level or else you wouldn’t be playing here. That’s what separates the championship-caliber teams from the lower-caliber teams. They do the little things right, they grind it out and don’t give away at-bats.

“That’s all a credit to Hooper and the way he runs the show.”

Kain was freed from lower-caliber Sioux Falls (23-35) in a trade with the Wingnuts this month. He has a .313 average in 13 games since the deal, often finding multiple ways to influence the outcome.

The placement of Kain in either corner outfield spot has substantially improved the Wingnuts’ outfield defense, as Wichita had previously used first-base types in those spots before Kain’s arrival.

On Wednesday, Kain found the first opportunity to steal third base against an inattentive Sioux Falls defense, and Ray and Joash Brodin matched him later. He had a single in Wichita’s three-run fifth and a double when the Wingnuts scored in the sixth.

Two innings later, Kain took an inside pitch for a grounder to second, moving Luis Hernandez from second base to third with one out.

Hooper’s philosophy on roster construction is to find players who give the team something it doesn’t already have. Kain fills a variety of quotas.

“I’ve liked him for a couple years now,” Hooper said. “Plays the game the right way. He’s going to play hard and he can really run, which you know I like a lot, and he plays great defense. He’s got a cannon for an arm.… He’s going to be one of those guys that if the ball is hit out there, he’s going to catch it. And he’s got a plus arm, which is huge.”

This story was originally published July 22, 2015 at 2:53 PM with the headline "Wingnuts end homestand with 7-4 win over Sioux Falls."