OFFENSE FALTERS FROM FRANKLIN FIELD VERSUS MILKMEN
FRANKLIN, WISCONSIN (August 3, 2022) – Milwaukee pitchers struck out 13 Railroaders over the course of the second game of Cleburne’s three-game set against the Milkmen. For the second straight night, Cleburne failed to push the necessary runs across, as Milwaukee came away with the 6-3 win on Wednesday night from Franklin Field.
Josh Lucas started on the bump for the Railroaders and ran into some trouble in the bottom of the first inning. He surrendered two runs in the frame. However, he wasn’t helped much by his defense as Cleburne faltered twice in the field that gave way to Milwaukee’s two-run inning.
Unlike yesterday, Cleburne took advantage of early scoring opportunities. They put two across in the top of the second off Myles Smith who was returning for his first start since coming off the injured list. The Railroaders loaded the bases with nobody out, which allowed Jacob Bockelie to hit a sacrifice fly to center field that scored Kacy Clemens to bring Cleburne within one. That tied the game up at two when the next batter, Nick Shumpert, hit another sacrifice fly to center field that brought Hill Alexander home.
Zach Nehrir made it his responsibility to put the team on his back in the top of the third when he hit a go-ahead solo home run to left field to give the Railroaders a 3-2 lead. That would be the final time Cleburne scored in the ball game.
Lucas was excellent for the Railroaders throughout his outing. He left the team in a good spot after he went five innings of just two-run ball.
Trevor Simms came out of the bullpen in the bottom of the sixth with his team leading 3-2. The first batter he faced was Dylan Kelly and he reached on a dropped third strike. He advanced to second on a wild pitch and then preceded to advance to third on Simms’ third wild pitch of the frame. Aaron Hill walked and then Logan Trowbridge hit a scorcher through the right side of the infield to drive in Kelly to tie the game back up at three. Milwaukee then regained the lead when Bryan Torres hit an RBI single that scored Hill from second base.
Milwaukee gave themselves some insurance in the bottom of the eighth off a Jeremiah Burks double that brought Hill to the plate. That brought Torres back up and he launched a double down the right-field line to score Burks and bring the total to 6-3.
Rodrigo Benoit closed the game out for the Milkmen in the ninth and Cleburne fell for the second consecutive night to Milwaukee.
With the loss, Cleburne falls back into fifth place as the Gary SouthShore RailCats took care of business in Lincoln and swept the Saltdogs to jump the Railroaders for fourth place.
The series concludes tomorrow from Franklin Field against the Milkmen at 6:35 p.m., with pregame coverage beginning at 6:20 p.m. on aabaseball.tv and on the Railroader Radio Network.
