The Winnipeg Goldeyes (40-32) opened a four-game series against the West Division leading Sioux Falls Canaries with an 8-2 win on “Winnipeg 150” Night at Blue Cross Park Friday.
Box Score
Winnipeg closed the gap in the standings to just 1.5 games as they rode a massive sixth inning and a gutsy pitching performance that kept the usually potent Sioux Falls (41-30) offence scoreless through seven innings.
The Goldeyes opened things up with a bang in the second inning when centre fielder Nick Anderson blasted his first home run as a member of the Goldeyes. It was a two-run shot to left field to make it 2-0.
The game settled down over the next several innings, but that changed very quickly as Winnipeg exploded for six runs on six hits to blow the game wide open.
Miles Simington and Max Murphy both came around on an Anderson two-run single to right field to extend the Goldeyes’ lead to 4-0 and give the Goldeyes centre fielder four runs batted in on the evening.
The barrage continued on consecutive batters, as Ramón Bramasco lined a single to through the left side of the infield to bring home another to make it 5-0.
Then, Andy Armstrong brought home two more on a single to centre to make it 7-0. The Goldeyes’ shortstop is on a nice run in his last two games, tallying four hits and reaching base six times.
Just a few batters later, Simington brought home the sixth run of the inning with a single to left to bring Armstrong the rest of the way around to make it 8-0. Simington finished the evening going 4-5 with an RBI and two runs scored.
All told, the Goldeyes brought 10 batters to the plate in the sixth inning, including a stretch of seven straight batters reaching safely.
Sioux Falls added a couple of runs in the top of the eighth inning to draw to within six runs, but that was the end of their comeback efforts.
Zac Reininger (W, 7-4) threw seven shutout innings of four-hit baseball on his way to his seventh win of the season.
Canaries’ starter Ryan Zimmerman (L, 5-6) was charged with the loss after giving up two runs on five hits in his five innings of work. Most of the damage was done with Sioux Falls reliever Dylan Chalmers on the mound. After taking over in the sixth inning, Chalmers allowed six runs on 10 hits over three innings.
“This game reminded me of what we saw in June, when we pitched well and had one big inning”, said Goldeyes manager Logan Watkins. “I don’t know if I prefer to win that way, or if I’d rather we be more consistent offensively. But I’m not going to complain about a win.”
Game two of the series goes Saturday at 6:00 p.m. as two of the best pitchers in the American Association go head-to-head. Winnipeg is sending Joey Matulovich (8-2, 1.96 ERA) to the mound while Sioux Falls will counter with Ty Culbreth (9-1, 2.46 ERA).