For the second straight night, the Wisconsin Woodchucks had a sizable lead going into the middle innings at Joannes Stadium. For the second straight night, the Green Bay Bullfrogs struck for six runs over two innings to seize a lead they would not relinquish. The Chucks (23-39; 8-19) got a good outing from their starter and another home run from their star outfielder, but it wasn’t enough in a 7-5 Bullfrogs (20-40; 8-17) win Tuesday night. The win was Green Bay’s fifth in a row, a season-high, while the loss was Wisconsin’s seventh straight, also a season-high.
For the second straight game, the Woodchucks snagged an early lead. Stevie Mangrum, operating out of the leadoff spot for the first time this year, led off with a walk and came around to score on a sac fly from Trey Dawson. The Bullfrogs got some hits against Chucks starter Daniel Sprinkle, but couldn’t score against him until the fourth when Willie Bourbon drew one of his three walks and scored on a sac fly by Connor Bagnieski to level the score.
Frogs starter Matt Goytia pitched pretty well, but Wisconsin drove his pitch count up and got to him again in the fifth when Mangrum drew another walk and Dawson drove him in again, this time with a single. But the biggest damage was done in the sixth against reliever Anthony Egeln. Adonis Lao was hit by a pitch and Nolan Ryan singled, setting the scene for Mangrum, who delivered his 12th home run of the year, tied for second-most in the league and his first in almost exactly a month, to put Wisconsin ahead 5-1.
Sprinkle departed after five good innings on track for the win. But his bullpen couldn’t hold the lead. The normally sure-fire Lenny Gwizdala came in and surrendered two doubles, a triple, and three walks with three runs coming home against him to shrink the Wisconsin lead down to one. Jake Gross came in to put out the fire and he got Dan Leckie to pop up behind the plate, where catcher Hunter Coleman made a nice catch at the screen to preserve the lead.
It didn’t last much longer. Gross came back for the seventh and allowed five singles with two wild pitches to force home three more Green Bay runs. The Bullfrogs now led 7-5, which was a big enough lead for a relief tandem of Brett Fulk and Ethan Evanko to work with. Mangrum walked in the ninth and Coleman singled in the ninth and Orsen Josephina tossed a perfect eighth in his first appearance in a week, but Wisconsin couldn’t make up any ground in a 7-5 Bullfrog win.
The Chucks have Wednesday off before the Bullfrogs head to Wausau for a two-game series at Athletic Park on Thursday and Friday. Thursday’s game presents another chance for Wisconsin to snap its long losing streak; first pitch is scheduled for 6:35 PM.
