Goldeyes 14, RedHawks 7 (Game #1 – 7 Innings) – Boxscore
The Winnipeg Goldeyes (50-42) split a double header with the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks at Newman Outdoor Field on Saturday night, winning the opener 14-7 and dropping the nightcap 9-3.
With the win in game one, the Goldeyes clinched a berth in the American Association playoffs. It is the 20th playoff berth in franchise history, the most of any team in independent baseball since the industry began in 1993.
In game one, the Goldeyes took a 4-0 lead in the top of the third. Michael Crouse walked leading off and took second when Jacob Rhinesmith singled through the right side. Two batters later, Kevin Lachance lined a single to right on a 1-2 count to load the bases. With two outs, Raul Navarro grounded a single through the middle to score Crouse and Rhinesmith. Ian Sagdal made it 4-0 with a two-run double to centre.
The RedHawks (61-31) closed within 4-3 in the bottom of the third. Three straight singles from Sam Dexter, Evan Alexander, and Nick Novak loaded the bases with no outs. Peter Maris and Manuel Boscan hit consecutive run-scoring groundballs, while Drew Ward hit a two-out, RBI single to centre.
Winnipeg answered back with three runs in the top of the fourth. Walks to Lachance, Reggie Pruitt Jr., and Navarro loaded the bases with one out. Sagdal made it 5-3 with a groundout to first. Max Murphy followed with a two-out, three-run home run off the batter’s eye in centre field.
The RedHawks pulled within 8-6 in the bottom of the fourth. With first and third and no outs, Alexander reached on an RBI fielder’s choice that scored Ben Livorsi from third. After Travis Seabrooke relieved Goldeyes’ starter Landen Bourassa, Alec Olund hit a pinch-hit single up the middle that led to a Goldeyes’ error that brought home Alexander. Maris and Boscan then hit back-to-back singles to drive in Olund.
The Goldeyes re-extended the lead to 11-6 in the top of the sixth. Murphy ripped a solo shot to left with one out. David Washington walked, and scored on a single to right from Crouse that resulted in a throwing error by right fielder John Silviano. Rhinesmith lined a single to left that scored Crouse.
With two outs and no one on base in the top of the seventh, a Navarro walk and a Sagdal single set up a three-run home run from Murphy that struck the video board in left-centre. It was Murphy’s third home run of the game, marking the first three-homer performance by a Goldeyes’ player since Mason Katz on September 4th, 2017. Murphy finished the game with seven RBI.
Livorsi hit an RBI double in the bottom of the seventh to provide the game’s final margin before Tasker Strobel recorded the final outs to secure the win.
Paul Schwendel (2-3) picked up the win in relief for the Goldeyes after pitching a perfect bottom of the fifth.
RedHawks’ starter Davis Feldman (6-5) took the loss, allowing six earned runs on four hits in three and one-third innings. Feldman walked four and struck out five.
Bourassa took a no-decision, allowing five earned runs on eight hits in three and one-third innings. Bourassa walked none and struck out none.
Goldeyes 3, RedHawks 9 (Game #2 – 7 Innings) – Boxscore
In game two, the RedHawks jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first on a Ward RBI double and a Leobaldo Pina RBI single.
Fargo-Moorhead broke the game open with a six-run bottom of the fourth. Boscan made it 3-0 with a fielder’s choice that scored Novak. Pina drew a bases-loaded walk that forced home Christian Correa with the RedHawks’ fourth run. John Silviano followed with a grand slam home run to left-centre.
Winnipeg scored three runs in the top of the third on a two-run home run from Navarro and a two-out, RBI single from Crouse.
The RedHawks scored the final run of the game in the bottom of the fourth on a Goldeyes’ error.
Peyton Wigginton (9-2) started for the RedHawks and picked up the win, allowing three earned runs on nine hits in six innings. Wigginton walked one and struck out eight.
Goldeyes’ starter Alex Manasa (4-6) took the loss, allowing eight earned runs on seven hits in two innings. Manasa walked five and struck out none.
Washington led off the top of the sixth with a single to left for the 1,000th hit of his professional career.
Cougars 6, Milkmen 2 – Boxscore
A game which led to the Kane County Cougars eventually clinching a playoff spot, the Cougars (48-44) defeated the Milwaukee Milkmen (49-43).
In a series where both teams clinched their spot in the playoffs this game started out with two and a half blank innings. Scoring was opened up in the bottom of the third following an RBI single to right by Milwaukee’s Will Kengor. Kengor later scored in this same inning on an RBI single from Keon Barnum.
Things really gotten shaken up when Kane County score five runs in the top of the 4th inning. It started with an RBI single to right from Galli Cribbs Jr. Ernie De La Trinidad then knocked in two runs on a single to right and Crubbs Jr. scored due to a wild pitch. The final run came from Cornelius Randolph hitting an RBI single.
An additional run was scored by the Cougars in the top of the 9th.
Because the Chicago Dogs & The Kane County Cougars both won, the Cougars clinched a spot in the playoffs – the first since joining the American Association last season.
RailCats 2, Dogs 6 – Boxscore
The Chicago Dogs got the decisive push they needed around the halfway mark of their matchup with the Gary SouthShore RailCats as they captured a 6-2 victory.
Though the RailCats outhit the Dogs 10-8, Chicago came up with the clutch knocks necessary to keep Gary SouthShore at a distance.
Chicago failed to plate a runner from third base in the bottom of the first, but they made up for it by plating a pair the very next inning. After quickly making two outs, a two-run home run helped them take an early 2-0 lead.
Two innings later, the Dogs followed up by turning two extra-base hits into another run. A one-out triple cashed in a leadoff double, giving Chicago a three-run advantage in the bottom of the fourth.
In their next turn at bat, the Dogs continued to add on as they struck for three more runs. A walk and an infield single placed runners on first and second before a fielder’s choice two hitters later put them up by four. Chicago brought two more runs in on a double soon afterward, giving them a six-run edge after five frames.
Not willing to go down without a fight, the RailCats found their way into the run column in the top of the sixth. Thomas Greely drew a walk and Michael Woodworth legged out an infield single to begin the inning, and LG Castillo grounded a single up the middle to get them on the board.
Nick Garcia took over on the mound and proceeded to toss two scoreless innings before the RailCats grabbed another tally in the top of the eighth. Woodworth led off with a double and advanced to third on a Castillo single before scoring on a Jesus Marriaga sacrifice fly. Victor Nova then walked to move the tying run into the on-deck circle, but a strikeout promptly dashed their hopes at a bigger rally.
Ryan Campbell emerged from the bullpen and worked a perfect eighth, giving the RailCats a chance at a four-run comeback, but the Dogs managed to shut the door in the ninth.
Monarchs 3, Canaries 1 (10 Innings) – Boxscore
The Kansas City Monarchs (58-34) were one strike away from securing an win before the Sioux Falls Canaries (32-60) tied the game in the bottom of the ninth. Kansas City would not waste the extra innings as the Monarchs would plate two runs in the top of the 10th to send their winning streak to four games in a 3-1 thriller.
Brock Gilliam was outstanding for the Monarchs in getting a no decision. The Basehor, Kansas native tossed 5.2 shutout innings while allowing only two hits; he would leave in the sixth with a 1-0 lead. The Canaries got a great effort as well from their starter Neal Lang. The lefty went 5.1 innings, giving up one earned run with six strikeouts.
The game was goose eggs until the sixth although the Monarchs did threaten in the second and the fourth innings with a runner at third but could not push across a run.
That all changed in the top of the sixth. Jacob Robson would work a walk off Lang then a fielder’s choice from Jan Hernandez would force out Robson at second for out number one. Casey Gillaspie would single to put runners at first and second and chase Lang to the showers. Gio Brusa would single to load the bases for the Monarchs. Pete Kozma hit a sacrifice fly to center to score Hernandez for a 1-0 lead.
The Canaries would get two on with two outs in the home half of the sixth, but Alex Valdez was able to get the final out of the inning to keep the game 1-0. Valdez would strikeout the side in the seventh, and lefty Jordan Martinson would allow two hits but work around them in the eighth, including getting Jabari Henry to fly out to left with two outs.
Jameson McGrane came in for Kansas City after a scoreless top of the ninth for “kay-see”. He would strikeout the first batter, Trey Michalczewski, but walk Connor Blair. He then struck out Kona Squiggle for the second out of the inning. John Nester would work a full count walk to put runners at first and second. Angelo Altavilla would single to left to tie the game at one in the bottom of the ninth. McGrane would strike out Nick Gotta to send the game to extra innings.
In the top of the 10th the Monarchs would start with Mallex Smith at second base, facing Mitchell Walters who worked a 1-2-3 ninth for the Canaries. Ryan Grotjohn would hit an infield single to put runners at the corners. Walters then stumbled in his delivery and did not deliver a pitch and was called for a balk to score Smith and move Grotjohn to second, giving the Monarchs a 2-1 lead. Kevin Santa would walk and then Jacob Robson would strikeout for out number one. Jan Hernandez was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Walters uncorked a wild pitch to score Grotjohn for a 3-1 lead. Walters then got back-to-back punch outs on Gillaspie and Brusa to take the game to the bottom of the 10th.
The Canaries started Gotta at second as the zombie runner. McGrane would hit Ozzie Martinez with a pitch to put runners at first and second. Wyatt Ulrich hit a ground ball to short, but with Martinez running on the pitch, Monarchs shortstop Pete Kozma threw home to get Gotta by a mile for out number one. The Monarchs would summon Brian Glowicki into the game and he would get a big strikeout of Henry and then a ground ball to second off the bat of Michalczewski that Santa threw to Kozma to force out Ulrich to close the door on the birds.
Explorers 13, DockHounds 9 – Boxscore
The Sioux City Explorers blasted a season high five home runs including two from Gabe Snyder to power their way past Lake Country 13-9.
After a scoreless couple of innings the floodgates opened in the third. Danry Vasquez got the scoring started with a two-run single to right field to give Sioux City a 2-0 lead. After a two out walk, Gabe Snyder blasted a three-run homer to catapult the X’s ahead 5-0.
In the third Sioux City put together another five run rally. After back to back singles and a walk loaded the bases, Trey Martin drove in two with a double down the left field line pushing the lead to 7-0. An Ademar Rifaela sacrifice fly scored a third run of the inning and Snyder crushed his second homer of the game to center. The two-run dinger made it 10-0 Explorers.
Taking the loss for the DockHounds was Alex McRae (5-4) who allowed 10 runs in three and two-thirds innings on 9 hits and four walks with two strikeouts.
Lake Country made things slightly interesting in the bottom of the fourth as they scored six runs. Three consecutive singles started off the inning and loaded the bases for Lamar Briggs who worked a ten pitch walk to bring home a run. Jordan Schaffer doubled to drive in two. A ground out produced another run. Daikan Yoh drove home a run with a triple and Tristen Carranza finished the rally with a single to pull the DockHounds to within four runs 10-6.
That rally ended the start for Explorers starter Patrick Ledet who received a no decision. He allowed six runs on eight hits across four innings with four strikeouts and a walk.
Sioux City would gain a comfortable lead over the course of the next three innings by blasting a solo home run in each frame. Miguel Sierra crushed his first with the team in the fifth. Chase Harris smacked one in the sixth and Jack Kelly hit one in the seventh to expand the lead to 13-6.
Solomon Bates (1-2) earned the win by tossing three innings of relief and allowed only one run on three hits with three strikeouts and no walks.
The DockHounds scored a run in the seventh on a Gabriel Noriega double and two in the ninth on a Jake Snider double and a Briggs single to give the game its final score 13-9.
Railroaders 0, Saltdogs 3 – Boxscore
Greg Minier tossed seven scoreless innings, and the ‘Dogs beat the Cleburne Railroaders, 3-0, to even the series at Haymarket Park on Saturday night.
Minier tossed his fourth seven-inning start and lowered his ERA to 2.62, and the ‘Dogs won their first game against Cleburne this year.
The game was scoreless entering the 8th inning, when the Saltdogs loaded the bases with nobody out against Austin Fairchild. Josh Altmann broke the tie with a sacrifice fly before Luke Roskam and Skyler Weber added run-scoring singles to make it 3-0.
After Minier’s seven scoreless innings, Matt Cronin pitched the final two innings to pick up his third win of the year. Cronin allowed one hit, one walk and struck out two.
The ‘Dogs pitched their fourth shutout of the year and snapped a three-game losing streak. Lincoln is now 19-3 when the opponent scores two runs or fewer, and the ‘Dogs picked up their 10th win in August.
Lincoln kept the pace with Sioux City after the Explorers beat Lake Country earlier in the evening. The ‘Dogs are three games back of Sioux City with eight games to play – fighting for the final playoff spot in the West Division.
