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Although one team was shut out in both games, Sunday and Monday’s American Association contests at La Moderna Field could not have been more different. After being blanked 1-0 by the Cleburne Railroaders Sunday, the Winnipeg Goldeyes held their hosts off the board Monday evening, while scoring early and often themselves in a lopsided 16-0 victory.
The Goldeyes (1-4) opened the scoring in the second inning when second baseman Dayson Croes hit a sharp single to right field to bring in Gio Brusa and Ramón Bramasco. Croes would later score on right fielder Max Murphy’s ground out to shortstop which made the score 3-0. Before the side was retired, centre fielder Miles Simington doubled to shallow left field driving in designated hitter Jake McMurray. Simington would score the fifth run of the inning when he stole third base and then came home on a throwing error by Cleburne catcher Michael Berglund.
Winnipeg added three more runs in the third to increase their lead to 8-0. First shortstop Andy Armstrong laced a double down the left field line that plated Brusa and Bramasco, who just slid past Berglund’s tag. Then Croes brought Armstrong home with a single to the left-centre field gap.
The Goldeyes stretched the lead to nine in the top of the fourth inning on Brusa’s bloop single to right field that scored Simington.
After the teams combined for two scoreless innings, Winnipeg would put up another crooked number in the top of the seventh, scoring seven times to make it 16-0. Simington doubled off the wall in right-centre field to drive in Croes. Catcher Rob Emery singled to left-centre field to knock in McMurray and Simington. Brusa hit a two-run home run to left, and McMurray wrapped up the scoring with a two-run single to centre field that drove in Bramasco and Armstrong.
Croes had four hits on the evening, while Simington, Brusa, and Bramasco each had three. Croes and Brusa had three runs batted in apiece.
Almost lost in the Goldeyes’ offensive fireworks was a one-hit, six strikeout performance by Travis Seabrooke (W, 1-0). Relievers Ryder Yakel and Brady Schanuel combined to pitch the final three frames for Winnipeg, not allowing any hits in preserving the shutout.
Justin Kleinsorge (L, 0-1) started for Cleburne (1-4) and allowed eight runs – all earned – on ten hits over three innings of work.
After his first win as Goldeyes manager, Logan Watkins said that “Baseball is a crazy game. The bats were a little bit quiet to start the year and we lost a couple of really close games, and then all of a sudden, we score 16 runs and hold them to just one hit tonight.” He added it was a “really great game, and you have to give a lot of credit to the guys for staying positive after losing a couple of heartbreakers."
The series concludes Tuesday at 11:00 a.m. CDT with the Goldeyes sending right-hander Colton Eastman (0-1, 5.40 ERA) to the mound against righty Kasey Kalich (1-0, 5.40 ERA) in a rematch of last Thursday’s season opener.
The Goldeyes’ Home Opener at Blue Cross Park is scheduled for Tuesday, May 21 at 6:30 p.m. against the Chicago Dogs.