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The Winnipeg Goldeyes (17-15) came from behind to defeat the Sioux City Explorers 8-7 in game one of the three-game weekend at Blue Cross Park Friday evening. The Goldeyes won despite being out-hit 16-6. It was the 14 free passes surrendered by Sioux City pitching that made the difference.
Zac Reininger started for the Goldeyes and while it wasn’t his best effort of the season, he did manage to gut through five innings giving up 12 hits, and six runs, five of them earned, walking three, and striking out two.
Joey Murray took the ball for Sioux City and he lasted four innings, giving up two hits, and three runs, two of them earned, walked six and struck out two.
Ryder Yakel (W, 1-1) threw one inning of relief to earn the victory. He gave up two hits, one run that was earned, and struck out two batters.
Brandon Brosher (L, 1-4) ended up taking the loss. He threw one inning giving up two hits, five runs all earned, walked three, and stuck out one.
The scoring got started early in the top of the first inning when John Nogowski hit his second home run scoring Daniel Lingua to get the Explorers on the board at 2-0. A walk to Osvaldo Martínez put the following batter on base, and a base hit would advance him to second. An RBI single by Jake Ortega would score Martínez and put the Explorers up 3-0.
The Goldeyes answered in the bottom of the second with the bases loaded and Kevin García up to bat. García’s fourth double of the season scored Miles Simington and Keshawn Lynch making it a 3-2 ballgame.
Sioux City (14-17) extended their lead to 4-2 in the top of the third on an infield single by Austin Drury that scored Zac Vooletich.
Two more runs would score in the top of the fourth inning on a fielder’s choice from Vooletich scoring Nogowski making it 5-2. Vooletich would later come around to score on a single by Ortega that made it a 6-2 Explorers lead.
The Goldeyes would get a run back in the bottom of the fifth on a bases-loaded issued to Lynch that forced in Ramón Bramasco and made it 6-3 Sioux City.
The final run for the Explorers came in the top of the sixth inning on a single by Martínez off Yakel.
In the bottom of the sixth inning with Brosher back out for his second inning of work, the bases were loaded for Dayson Croes, who hit a two-run double down the left field line scoring García and Andy Armstrong cutting the lead down to two at 7-5. Rob Emery stepped to the dish and hit an RBI single of his own making it a one-run ballgame at 7-6. Nick Gercken came in to relieve Brosher before the at-bat to Max Murphy. Murphy would hit a sacrifice fly driving in Croes and tying the game at 7-7. Not done yet, Rob Emery made it all the way around to third base on a stolen base and an errant throw by the Sioux City catcher Dwight Childs setting the stage for Simington, who chopped a base hit up the middle scoring Emery to give the Goldeyes an 8-7 edge.
Local product Ben Onyshko later came into the ballgame and threw two innings of hitless baseball and stuck out one batter.
Gercken pitched an inning for Sioux City and allowed a hit. Jacob Gilliland followed with two shutout innings, gave up a hit, walked two batters, and stuck out two.
Justin Courtney (S, 5) came in to pitch for the top of the ninth. After giving up back-to-back singles to lead off the inning, Courtney would settle in and fan the next three batters to secure the victory.
Sioux City pitchers ended up allowing 14 free passes, 11 of them being walks, while three batters were hit by pitches.
Murphy also added to his hitting streak which is now up to 20 games.
In the end, Goldeyes manager Logan Watkins was glad his team got the win, in a scrappy performance. “I'd say it wasn’t a good game, but it was a game that I was happy we won.” Watkins said chuckling. “We didn't necessarily play badly and we put together quite a few good at bats today and then finally we started getting some knocks that were starting to cash in some guys. It was great to see (Ben) Onsyshko, and Justin Courtney come in and close it out.”
The Goldeyes will be back for game two at Blue Cross Park Saturday night at 6:00 p.m. CDT to meet the Sioux City Explorers. Joey Matulovich (4-0, 2.02 ERA) will start for Winnipeg, while Austin Drury (1-0, 4.76 ERA) is expected to take the mound for Sioux City.