From the Southern Illinois Miners

The Southern Illinois Miners got three runs in the bottom of the third inning to rally back from a 4-0 deficit and make it 4-3 on a home run by Nolan Earley, but the Washington Wild Things scored four times in the top of the fifth inning to break the game open in a 10-6 loss at Rent One Park on Thursday night to take the series two games to one.

In the second inning, Mike Hill hit a solo home run off of Chris Washington to make the score 1-0 Wild Things, and in the top of the third inning, the Wild Things would get back-to-back home runs by Bralin Jackson and Hector Roa to push the advantage out to 4-0 before Southern Illinois mounted a comeback. Brett Wiley singled leading off the bottom of the third and went to third base on an errant pickoff throw by Cameron Stanton (2-2) before Ryan Lashley drove him in on an RBI single to make it 4-1 Washington. Two batters later, with one on base, Earley launched a deep, two-run homer to right field to pull the Miners within one run at 4-3.

But after a scoreless fourth inning, the Wild Things took advantage of a key error in the top of the fifth and ended up scoring four unearned runs in the frame on RBI hits by Kenny Peoples-Walls, Justin Bohn and John Fidanza, with Bohn’s two-run triple representing the big blow of the inning as Washington took an 8-3 advantage. Austin Dubsky took over for Washington (1-2) in the sixth inning and would end up finishing the game, permitting two runs in the eighth inning that made the score 10-3, but also striking out four over four innings of work.

The Miners would rally in the late innings against reliever Aaron Burns for three runs, including an RBI single by Romeo Cortina capping a three-hit night in the bottom of the eighth and an RBI single by Earley in the ninth, but could not get closer than four runs in suffering the loss. Wiley and Cortina each had three hits in the game, with Earley and Lashley combining for four hits and four RBIs offensively for Southern Illinois.

The Miners next head to Joliet to begin a series with the Slammers on Friday night at 7:05 p.m. Zach Cooper will pitch in the series opener for Southern Illinois.

The Southern Illinois Miners are the 2016 Frontier League West Division Champions, the 2014 and 2015 Frontier League East Division Champions and the 2012 Frontier League Champions. They have been awarded the Frontier League Organization of the Year award three times since their inception, and also set a new Frontier League attendance record in 2007, their inaugural season. For ticket information, contact the Rent One Park box office at (618) 998-8499. For any additional information, visit our website at www.southernillinoisminers.com.

Cubs Charities World Series ring raffle tickets available for purchase at Wrigley Field

Press release from the Chicago Cubs

Following the homestand, Under Armour will host the country’s top high school baseball players at Wrigley Field for the Under Armour All-America Game Saturday, July 29. The game will start at 7:05 p.m. CDT. Complimentary tickets are available beginning July 20 at the Cubs Store in the Park at Wrigley with a limit of six per person. More information on the game can be found at www.cubs.com/allamericagame.

A limited number of tickets for this homestand remain available at www.cubs.com or 800-THE-CUBS (800-843-2827). Highlights of the homestand follow.

Guests and Entertainment:
On Friday, July 21, Chicago Bears wide receiver Cameron Meredith will throw a first pitch, while Umphrey’s McGee will sing the national anthem.

In partnership with the “Play Sun Safe” initiative sponsored by the Pediatric Sun Protection Foundation, Mott 50 and Advocate Children’s Hospital, a member of the Los Angeles pop/rock ensemble R5 will throw a first pitch Saturday, July 22. The initiative aims to raise awareness about sun protection and skin cancer prevention.

On Sunday, July 23, recently retired Chicago Blackhawk Bryan Bickell will throw a ceremonial first pitch. University of Illinois head football coach Lovie Smith will present the lineup card pregame.

On Monday, July 24, Jonathan Kirkland, Chris Lee, Colby Lewis and Wallace Smith from the Chicago company of “Hamilton: An American Musical” will sing the national anthem. Cubs Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg will throw a first pitch and lead the stretch.

Former Cubs pitcher and 1984 NL Cy Young winner Rick Sutcliffe will throw a first pitch and lead the stretch Tuesday, July 25.

Promotional Items:
Bud Fridays continue July 21, with up to the first 5,000 Budweiser Bleacher fans age 21-and-older receiving Cubs Sunglasses presented by Budweiser.

On Saturday, July 22, up to 5,000 early arriving fans age 13-and-younger will receive a Cubs Youth Sun Protection Shirt presented by Advocate Children’s Hospital, Mott 50 and the Pediatric Sun Protection Foundation. Up to 20,000 early arriving fans will receive sunscreen samples.

On Sunday, July 23, up to the first 5,000 fans age 13-and-younger will receive a Clark the Cub Pocket T-shirt presented by Mastercard.

Food and Beverage Offerings:
Jeff Mauro, host of Food Network’s “The Kitchen” and Pork & Mindy’s executive chef and partner, will bring his creative BBQ chops and sandwich prowess to the Chef Series at Wrigley Field presented by Maker’s Mark. The following menu items will be served July 21-25 at the Sheffield Counter (formerly Decade Diner) near Gate D:

• Pig Candy: Pork & Mindy’s famous candied bacon dusted with brown sugar and special P&M spice blend, then slow cooked until brittle
• Pastramindy Reuben: House-smoked and hand-cut pastrami, aged Swiss cheese, sauerkraut and Thousand Island dressing pressed together on marble rye bread
• Da Pig Candy Footlong: Vienna Beef footlong hot dog, crumbled pig candy, grilled onions, P&M mustard sauce and tempura fried sport peppers
• Buffalo Chicken Tot: Mulberry smoked hand-pulled chicken, P&M hot sauce, blue cheese crumbles and Jeff’s Buttermilk Ranch Dressing all piled on crispy golden tots
• Crispy Pork: Crispy buttermilk marinated pork chop, P&M apricot habanero aioli, lettuce, tomato and dill pickles on a griddled brioche bun

Hot Doug’s continues its rotating selections from Platform 14, located behind the center field scoreboard in the Budweiser Bleachers. Served this homestand are the Bill Caudill, an Argentinian pork and bacon sausage with chimichurri and Swiss cheese; the Sergio Mitre, a gyro sausage with tzatziki, feta cheese and chopped tomatoes; and the Rick Reuschel, a jalapeño-cheddar beef sausage with jalapeño mustard, pepper jack cheese and crispy fried onions.

To commemorate National Hot Dog Month, Levy will serve a specialty pizza Monday and Tuesday, July 24-25, at the Giordano’s concession stand located near Gate K. “The Wrigley Stuffed Smokie” presented by Giordano’s and Vienna Beef is Giordano’s famous stuffed deep dish pizza filled with Vienna Beef’s Wrigley Field Smokies, roasted onions, mozzarella cheese and topped with Giordano’s signature pizza sauce, served only at Wrigley Field.

For more information on the Wrigley Field Chef Series or other concession items in the ballpark, fans can visit www.cubs.com/food.

Cubs Charities and Community Events:
On Friday, July 21, Cubs manager Joe Maddon will continue his support of Chicago nonprofit organizations through his “Respect Community” T-shirt initiative. After every Friday home game, Maddon represents a different Chicago nonprofit by wearing the organization’s T-shirt during his postgame press conference.

This week, Maddon will represent Chicago Scholars, an organization committed to transforming the leadership landscape in Chicago by resolving the fundamental barriers to success for academically driven, first generation college students from under-resourced communities. Chicago Scholars is the largest college access and success program in Chicago serving more than 2,400 scholars annually in a seven-year college access, mentoring and career support program.

On Wednesday, July 26, the Cubs leadership team and front office associates will host a signing ceremony for the 2017 Cubs Scholars class and celebrate college selections of the 2016 class. The 2017 class includes five Chicago high school seniors selected based on the Cubs Scholars criteria. The students will collectively receive $100,000 in scholarships and a Cubs College Prep program where they will be paired with a Cubs associate who serves as a mentor as they prepare for college. In addition to Cubs College Prep, Cubs Charities will sponsor each of the five Cubs Scholars in a five-year college preparation and persistence program offered by Chicago Scholars.

Homestand Recap, July 21-25:

Friday, July 21, Chicago Cubs vs. St. Louis Cardinals, 1:20 p.m.

• #BudFridays Promotion: Cubs Sunglasses presented by Budweiser, up to first 5,000 Budweiser Bleacher fans age 21-and-older
• National anthem: Umphrey’s McGee
• Broadcast: MLB Network, ABC 7, 670 The Score, Cubs.com

Saturday, July 22, Chicago Cubs vs. St. Louis Cardinals, 3:05 p.m.

• Promotion: Cubs Youth Sun Protection Shirt presented by Advocate Children’s Hospital, Mott 50 and the Pediatric Sun Protection Foundation, up to first 5,000 fans age 13-and-younger. Sunscreen samples for up to 20,000 early arriving fans.
• First pitch: Member of the Los Angeles pop/rock ensemble R5
• Broadcast: Fox Sports 1, CSN Chicago, WRTO 1200 Spanish Radio, 670 The Score, NBC Sports App, CSNChicago.com, Cubs.com

Sunday, July 23, Chicago Cubs vs. St. Louis Cardinals, 7:05 p.m.

• Promotion: Clark the Cub Pocket T-shirt presented by Mastercard, up to first 5,000 fans age 13-and-younger
• First pitch: Recently retired Chicago Blackhawk Bryan Bickell
• Lineup card presentation: University of Illinois head football coach Lovie Smith
• Broadcast: ESPN, 670 The Score, Cubs.com

Monday, July 24, Chicago Cubs vs. Chicago White Sox, 1:20 p.m.

• National anthem: Cast members from the Chicago company of “Hamilton: An American Musical”
• First pitch and 7th inning stretch: Cubs Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg
• Broadcast: MLB Network, ABC 7, 670 The Score, Cubs.com

Tuesday, July 25, Chicago Cubs vs. Chicago White Sox, 1:20 p.m.

• Broadcast: MLB Network, CSN Chicago, 670 The Score, NBC Sports App, CSNChicago.com, Cubs.com
• First pitch and 7th inning stretch: Former Cubs pitcher and 1984 NL Cy Young winner Rick Sutcliffe

Saturday, July 29, Under Armour All-America Game, 7:05 p.m.

• Broadcast: MLB Network