In the 1930s, in the Great Plains, dust storms were very common, and today we got a taste of history as, right as the game started, the players and fans got to enjoy about a half-inning of a dust storm that rolled through Gary around 6:45 PM local time. The conditions were ripe for the Cleburne Railroaders to turn the SteelYard into a launching pad, as they would hit 6 home runs to blow past the RailCats 20-7 (yes, pun intended).

1. We could call this game the famous “Dust Bowl” of 2025 as dust rolled in as the game was starting. Now, I don’t believe delaying the game by 30 minutes would have made a difference, but with dust in the air making it a little harder to see, I’m surprised that the game was not delayed, because if that had been rain instead, you bet the tarp would have been pulled and a delay would be underway.
2. Winds coming out of the south is something the SteelYard isn’t used to, as most of the time it comes from the north off the lake. Well, when you see the American flag facing the Toll Road, you know the left field concourse is going to see some baseballs, and it did. (Also, the wind was blowing so hard that the American flag ended up flying off the pole!) In total, both teams hit 8 home runs, and 6 went to left field.
3. I knew it was going to be a day for the Railroaders’ power when Aaron Altherr hit a 3-run home run on a ball that on any other day of the week would have been a routine fly out to left.
4. Last year, if the starting pitching or pitching in general would have given up 4 runs in an inning—especially when it’s a 3-run and solo home run—the team would have shut down the game, which it did get out of hand. Later in the game, when Cleburne would score 5 in the 4th and 6 in the 5th, after giving up 4 in the 1st, the ‘Cats would answer with 2 runs of their own on a Baron Radcliff double to right (which could have been a triple if he was paying attention to Lamar at 3rd).
5. At the end of the day, the RailCats’ offense couldn’t compete with the Railroaders’ power numbers. This was a day that Cleburne was clicking on all cylinders, and with the wind, turned the SteelYard into a hitters-friendly ballpark, which the RailCats are not built for that kind of play and power.
6. Jose Contreras had a little coming-out party in the game as he went 2-4 with 3 RBI, 2 runs scored, and a solo bomb to left field that Manager PETE INCAVIGLIA had to argue was whether it was fair or foul. The score at the time was 10-4, and you could tell that the RailCats weren’t coming back. I think people just let themselves get up in arms because they can, or they just want to be donkeys about everything.
7. I give the RailCats credit; they fought until the end, scoring 2 runs in the 8th and a solo home run from Jarius Richards to keep the fans cheering, well, for the ones that stayed.
8. At the end of the day, you throw this game away and forget it. Well, because for this team to get back on track, they will need to forget this game from the pitching side of things. The offense may be turning that corner, being able to score 7 runs on 9 hits, and again only having 3 extra-base hits.
9. We did have a record broken, and not a good one. With this loss today, Chris Erwin becomes the new record holder for most losses by a pitcher in RailCats history at 22, beating out John Sheaks and Morgan Coombs. His losses are not a reflection of the type of pitcher Chris is; sometimes, you need a team behind you, and I can’t say that in his tenure he has gotten too much offensive support.

Final Thought: Sometimes after you watch your team get kicked in the teeth, but the guys are still fighting for that last out, it just shows that this team is different and just had a stinker. Hoping that they can bounce back, and Cleburne is a great team; they are built for the Miles Wolf Cup Finals, so getting blown out in one game is kind of expected. A great firework show always washes the sorrow away!