Wingnuts stay hot, beat Kansas City 6-4

As a team leading the American Association in multiple offensive categories, big innings by the Wingnuts can begin in a variety of ways.

Thursday’s second inning against Kansas City started with Brent Dean’s 10-pitch walk. It led to three decisive runs as the Wingnuts won 6-4 in an afternoon game at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium.

The Wingnuts have won eight of their last nine games to erase a poor start and move into a first-place tie with Laredo in the South Division. They lead the league in hits, batting average, stolen bases and on-base percentage and are second in walks and runs.

“(Rallies) will either start with 10-pitch at-bats, one-pitch base hits, you name it,” Wingnuts manager Pete Rose Jr. said. “These guys are relentless when they go up there and give you good at-bats, and that’s all you can ask for. Whether it’s 10-pitch or one pitch or whatever, somebody somehow finds a way to get this thing rolling.”

Dean fell behind in the count 0-2 in his second-inning at-bat but Kansas City starter David Holman, following a pattern that got him removed before the third, was unable to finish off Dean.

Dean worked a full count and fouled off four two-strike pitches before taking ball four high and inside. It was the third walk of the day for the Wingnuts – and not the last – and Holman threw first-pitch strikes to each of them.

“Just good at-bats, not trying to expand (the strike zone),” Wingnuts shortstop Leo Vargas said. “On our end, swinging at good pitches. Our lineup is deep. If one person doesn’t get it done, we have another person waiting to get it done. We have a deep lineup from top to bottom and we trust in each other that we’re going to get the job done.”

Many of the Wingnuts’ productive at-bats were spurred by Holman, a 26-year-old who pitched at Andale, Hutchinson Community College and Emporia State. Holman walked five and seemed particularly spent by the end of his outing, allowing hits or walks to five of his final six batters.

The Wingnuts are selective even against effective strike throwers, but those skills were maximized against Holman. Wichita batters fell behind the count before four of the walks and faced 0-2 counts in three.

“You just try to make sure you lock in on one pitch, one good pitch you want to hit,” said Wichita first baseman Dustin Geiger, who had an RBI single against Holman in the first inning. “Usually a fastball middle of the zone, kind of like the way you’re taught your entire life. If it’s not there, you kind of work off that. You try to be more selective when the (pitcher) is not in the zone.”

Members of both bullpens were successful, especially Kansas City reliever Josh Tols, who retired all 14 batters he faced in relief of Holman.

The Wingnuts’ consecutive outs streak reached 15 before consecutive hit batters led to a run-scoring double by Geieger in the eighth.

Wichita relievers combined to allow four hits but regularly escaped trouble, and Frankie Reed struck out two in the ninth, retiring the side in order to record his fourth save.

“They’ve been picking just about everybody up,” Rose Jr. said of Wingnuts relievers. “They’ve been doing their jobs, they’ve been great, and it’s been like that since (a road series in Kansas City this month). A total team win. Everybody did their jobs.”

This story was originally published June 16, 2016 at 3:32 PM with the headline "Wingnuts stay hot, beat Kansas City 6-4."