GAME NOTES – GAMES 59-60 VS THUNDER BAY

The Duluth Huskies’ longest home stand of the season concludes this Tuesday-Wednesday with the final matchups of the season against the Thunder Bay Border Cats. Read on for the five things to know and game notes packet (linked above) for the series:

1. LAST TIME OUT: With a massive opportunity to grasp the lead of the Great Plains East, the Huskies put together a sweep of the Fond du Lac Dock Spiders. Both games were incredibly tight contests. In game one, the Huskies attacked the Dock Spiders early, scoring eight runs in the first three innings. Ethan Cole delivered the goods in the effort, knocking in a pair in both the first and third innings for a total of four RBIs on the day. After that, however, the Huskies did not score again. The staff, using six pitchers in the game, did just enough to hold off a late charge from the Dock Spiders for the win, 8-7. In game two, the Huskies turned in a much better performance on the mound. Joshua Butler, even iinterrupted by a rain delay after the sixth, went seven strong innings, allowing just two runs and striking out six. They got all the offense they needed from a Cal Elvis three-run home run in the fourth that broke a 1-1 tie. Yet again, the Huskies were able to hold on just barely for a 4-3 win.
2. STATUS UPDATE: The Huskies have won six of the last seven games and currently sits five games above .500. Those five games marks the most games above .500 Duluth has been all summer. Their timing couldn’t be much better – it’s allowed them to grasp a lead in the Great Plains division. Behind them is Eau Claire (12-10, -1.5 GB), Rochester (13-11, -1.5) and Thunder Bay (12-11, -2.0). Just 12 games remain on the season for the Huskies.
3. RUN, HUSKIES, RUN: In the second half, the Huskies have been a weapon on the basepaths. At the beginning of the second half, Duluth had swiped 61 bases, a mark that was good for 14th in the Northwoods League.
   In the second half, the Huskies have stolen a whopping 88 bases with still 12 games to play. That’s an average of 3.83 per game. The increased success rate in those stolen bases is also an encouraging sight. The Huskies were just 73% in their stolen base attempts in the first half. That success rate is up to 92% in the second half. Keep an eye on the number to beat: 167, set in 2018. At their current second half pace, the Huskies would finish with 195 which would shatter that record. 
4. CATCH UP WITH THE CATS: The Border Cats have been one of the Huskies most familiar foes on the summer. These two games represent the 11th and 12th meetings between the two squads. Thunder Bay was leading the division for a stretch not too long ago, however, they have lost four straight games played that opened the door for Duluth, including getting swept by the Eau Claire Express. As with most teams, roster turnover has affected them, but their All-Star catcher Jackson Cooke is still there, leading the team with 38 RBIs and owner of a 1.120 OPS on the season. However, newcomer Keegan Garis has been on fire to start. Through 15 GP, Garis is slashing .522/.639/.804 for a team-best 1.444 OPS. The pitching side has taken a hit for Thunder Bay. In the last seven games, the Border Cats have allowed 71 runs, for an average of over 10 per game.
5. THE WADE IS CALLING YOUR NAME: The Huskies are entering the final stretch of home games for the season: just six remain. Tuesday-Wednesday home games mean $5 Tacos in a Bag (Tuesday) and 25% off hot dogs (Wednesday). St. Luke’s night is on Tuesday (special St. Luke’s jerseys will be worn) and Spirit Valley Days festival kickoff is on Wednesday. Looking ahead, the Huskies are happy to be hosting Ranchers Legacy for our second Grill and Chill night of the summer on Saturday, August 10. For $60, you can get unlimited steak, chips, potato salad and three drinks plus a ticket to the game of course. To buy tickets for Grill and Chill, call the ticketing office at 218-786-9909. For this week’s home games or any others, follow this link to purchase online.