The Winnipeg Goldeyes (30-26) pulled to within 4.5 games of West Division-leading Sioux Falls with a 9-4 victory over the Canaries at Sioux Falls Stadium Friday evening.
Box Score
The Goldeyes – winners of four straight – grabbed a 2-0 lead in the top of the second inning when third baseman Ramón Bramasco singled through the right side of the infield to bring home centre fielder Nick Anderson and first baseman Jake McMurray.
Anderson doubled the Winnipeg lead an inning later when he lined a single to centre field to score catcher Rob Emery and second baseman Dayson Croes.
Sioux Falls (34-21) cut the lead to three in the bottom of the third on centre fielder Wyatt Ulrich’s two-out solo home run to right-centre that made the score 4-1.
The Canaries tied the contest in their next at-bat. Second baseman Trevor Achenbach drove in right fielder Josh Rehwaldt with a single to shallow left field to cut the Goldeyes’ lead to two before left fielder Liam Spence hit a sacrifice fly to centre field that scored first baseman Mike Hart to bring Sioux Falls within one. The next batter, third baseman Derek Maiben, hit a bloop single to right field that brought Achenbach home to even the score at 4-4.
The Goldeyes rallied with two out in the fifth to re-take the lead. McMurray put Winnipeg back in front with a single up the middle that scored Emery. Then shortstop Andy Armstrong doubled off the wall in left field to bring both Anderson and McMurray around to score. Finally, Armstrong crossed the plate as the result of a throwing error which made the scored Goldeyes 8 Canaries 4.
The final run of the ballgame came in the top of the seventh inning when Croes scored on a wild pitch.
Winnipeg starter Landen Bourassa (W, 5-3), who did not miss a start after taking a line drive off his throwing elbow July 5, worked six innings and gave up four runs on eight hits while striking out three. Ben Onyshko and Tasker Strobel kept Sioux Falls off the scoresheet for the final three frames.
Christian Johnson (L, 1-10) started for the Canaries. He pitched five innings and surrendered eight runs – seven earned – on eight hits. He fanned three and walked five..
“Offensively, it was a sustained effort and it felt like we were threatening almost every inning,” said Goldeyes skipper Logan Watkins. “Landen threw well, he had the one inning where they got to him a little, but he came back and gave us a couple more after that and did a great job. As far as playing a game on a travel day, that’s kind of how you draw it up and it worked out great today.”
The Goldeyes made two transactions earlier in the day. Anderson was acquired from the Lincoln Saltdogs in exchange for cash and right-handed pitcher Grant Townsend was released.
The series continues at 5:35 p.m. CDT Saturday with Winnipeg sending righty Colton Eastman (2-8, 6.98 ERA) to the mound. Southpaw Ty Culbreth (8-1, 1.90 ERA) will start for Sioux Falls.
The team returns home Friday, July 19 at 7:00 p.m. when the Milwaukee Milkmen come to Blue Cross Park for Throwback Night. The first 1,000 fans through the gate will receive a vintage pennant, the Goldeyes will wear special retro jerseys, and there will be postgame fireworks!