The Tropics take yet another short road trip, this time to Chicago. They will play a four-game series against the Black Sox at Vinnie Vitale Stadium.
Game 1- Hawaii starter Elvin Hilliard scattered six hits in 7.1 shutout innings with five Ks. He earned the win to improve to 2-2 with a 4.31 ERA.
The Tropics offense did just enough to give a small lead to Hilliard. LF Shafiq Zahir was 1 for 3 and scored a run. CF Angelo Lucchesi was 1 for 4 with two ribbies.
Hawaii wins 2-0.
Game 2- The Black Sox walk it off against the Tropics to tie the series at 1-1. Hawaii reliever Juan Martinez gave up a solo homer to take the loss and fall to 1-2 with a disgusting 7.07 ERA. Semih Gurani started the game and kept Hawaii in the game with four good innings. He allowed a run on four hits with no walks and four Ks. Manny Ortiz followed that effort with 3.2 innings of work allowing a run on two hits with a K.
On offense, 2B Adhyapayana Mehta was 1 for 5 with a solo homer (2) in the 6th inning. SS Thomas Kramer was 1 for 3 with a walk and scored a run on a Karunamaya Makarand 4-3 groundout.
Chicago wins 3-2.
Game 3- The Tropics used a bullpen day and held the Black Sox offense to an unearned run on 5 hits. Hawaii tried to give the Black Sox more runs with two total errors, but Chicago didn’t use those gifts. They gave back two errors to Hawaii.
Hawaii started John Moore and kept him on a short leash. He pitched two scoreless, hitless innings. He walked three and fanned three. Manny Ortiz came on for 1.2 innings giving up a hit with two Ks. Chih Kuang did the heavy lifting for the bullpen going 3.1 innings giving up three hits with two Ks.
Adhyapayana Mehta was 1 for 3 with a walk, stole a base (11) and scored two runs. RF Carlos Sanchez is one of the few Tropics having a decent season. He was 2 for 4 with a solo homer, stole a base and scored two runs. 3B Mitch Wareham was 2 for 3 with a walk, a double and an RBI.
Hawaii wins 4-1.
Game 4- The rash of Tropics fielding errors continues as the Black Sox take advantage and wipe out Hawaii in the series finale. Hawaii starter Utbah ‘Crawdad Me’ bin Muta was awful on the mound. He walked four batters and gave up four hits. Two of those hits were homers. He gave up eight runs of which only four were earned. He is now 0-3 with a 6.14 ERA.
Hawaii’s offense slept walked through this one as the only run was a Tomas Borges solo homer in the 7th inning.
Chicago wins 8-1.
The Black Sox and Tropics split the four-game series.
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