LINCOLN, Nebraska – Christian Ibarra went 3-for-4 with a two-run homer in the 8th inning, and the ‘Dogs rallied to beat Chicago 4-3 at Haymarket Park on Tuesday night.
Ibarra’s two-run homer came one night after a three-run homer gave Lincoln a lead in the 5th inning, and he now has 14 homers on the year.
Chicago opened the scoring with an RBI single from Gustavo Pierre in the 2nd inning. Keon Barnum hit his second solo homer in as many nights to make it 2-0 in the 3rd, and Barnum now has 25 homers – seven more than anyone else in the league.
The ‘Dogs got within a run when Ivan Marin squeezed home Tyler Moore in the 3rd, and Cody Regis tied the game with a leadoff homer – his 14th – in the 4th.
Chicago regained the lead in the 7th when Kelly Dugan hit an RBI double over Nick Schulz’s head in straightaway center – only the third run allowed by Reese Gregory this season, but Ibarra’s homer clinched Lincoln’s fourth win when trailing after seven innings this year.
Martire Garcia worked the remainder of the 8th and rest of the 9th, earning his first win as a Saltdog. Brad Thoutt allowed two runs on eight hits over 5.2 innings, while Tyler Anderson tossed a scoreless frame.
Ibarra’s on-base streak now sits at 23 – one shy of Cody Regis’s team-best 24-game on-base streak.
The ‘Dogs and Dogs will play the rubber match of the series Wednesday. First-pitch time is scheduled for 7:05 p.m., and pregame coverage will begin at 6:35 p.m. on ESPN Lincoln 101.5 FM/1480 AM.
The Saltdogs are playing their 19th season in Lincoln. All ticket and promo information can be found at saltdogs.com, and follow the ‘Dogs on Twitter/Instagram @saltdogsball.