Milkmen Sweep Dogs on Record-Setting Night

by Hannah McIlree & Jonathan Michel  

Franklin, WI – With Myles Smith pitching fresh off his complete game shutout, the Milwaukee Milkmen knocked off the Chicago Dogs 4-2. The win gives Milwaukee 3 straight series sweeps at home and extending their home win streak to a franchise-record 10 games. 

 Smith had another remarkable start, striking out six batters in the first three innings. However, in the top of the fourth inning Smith ran into a bit of bad luck, walking Danny Mars. Next, K.C. Hobson hit a double but Smith would then strike out Ryan Lidge for the second time. However, Christ Conley was unable to keep the ball in front and Lidge loaded the bases on the dropped third. Mars scored during T.J. Bennett's at bat on a wild pitch, giving Chicago a one run lead. 

But when there's one run, there must be two. Trey Martin led off the bottom of the fourth inning with a walk, Aaron Hill followed and blasted the ball over the left-field fence and giving the Milkmen a 2-1 lead.

Tying the game at two’s in the top of the fifth was Brennan Metzger who went yard in the top of the fifth inning.

The Milkmen didn’t let their rivals gain any ground in the bottom of the fifth when Trey Martin singled and picked up his second stolen base of the day. As any avid Milkmen fan knows, there wasn’t a better person to pick up an RBI than former Dog Tony Rosselli, who laced a single up the middle to score Martin. 

Smith exited the game after 5 innings of work, striking out a franchise-record 13 batters. 

“[What worked for me] was pitching backwards, just trusting my secondary stuff and trying to attack and get ahead,” Smith said about his record performance.

Both teams had legitimate scoring chances in the sixth, as the Dogs put runners on second and third after a double from Bennett but new addition Kyle Mora induced a ground ball for the Milkmen to end the inning. In the bottom of the inning, Brett Vertigan singled to start the inning and manager Anthony Barone kept the foot on the gas, calling for a hit-and-run. However, Bennett snagged a line drive and threw out a doubled-off Vertigan. 

In the bottom of the 7th, Aaron Hill blasted a towering tape-measure shot to right field, nearly landing in the Milky Way Drive-In, for his second home run of the game. The round tripper made for Hill’s 2nd multi-home run game of the year, the other coming in the season opener on May 18th. 

“The first at bat we had a guy on first and less than two outs so I was just trying to get the ball in the air. I happened to get a little help from the wind and got the home run the first time and then the second one the guys throwing 96-97 [MPH]and I put the barrel to the ball, I don’t try to do too much,” said Hill.

The Milkmen’s shutdown closer Nate Hadley closed out the game unproblematically, locking in the series sweep and a 3-game advantage in first place of the American Association’s North Division. The win was also Smith’s 8th of the season for the Milkmen, giving him the league lead.

“It feels great, honestly I can’t take all the credit though. I’d like to thank my hitters, they really pick me up. Without them, I couldn’t get these wins,” Smith said.

The Milkmen hit the road to take on the Kane County Cougars over the weekend before returning to Franklin Field on Tuesday against the Sioux Falls Canaries.

Tickets and more information at MilwaukeeMilkmen.com