The Winnipeg Goldeyes (55-41) inched closer to their first division title in seven years with a 12-4 victory over the Lincoln Saltdogs Friday evening at Blue Cross Park.
Box Score
With three games remaining on the American Association schedule, the Goldeyes sit atop the West Division standings, a game ahead of the Sioux Falls Canaries.
Right fielder Miles Simington gave Winnipeg an early 3-0 lead with 410-foot, three-run blast to right with one out in the bottom of the first inning.
The Goldeyes added two more in the second. First baseman Ramón Bramasco singled to centre field to bring in catcher Kevin García. Then, designated hitter Max Murphy drew a bases-loaded walk that forced shortstop Andy Armstrong home.
With two down in the fourth inning, Simington belted his second four-bagger of the game and seventh of the campaign. It was a two-run shot to right and it made the score 7-0 Winnipeg. Simington was two of five at the plate with five runs batted in.
Lincoln (36-61) got a run back in the top of the fifth when centre fielder Kyle Battle hit a one-out solo home run down the left field line.
In the bottom of the sixth inning Murphy hit the Goldeyes’ third long ball of the game – a three-run bomb to left-centre field that gave Winnipeg a 10-1 lead.
A seventh inning single by Bramasco brought in second baseman Edwin Arroyo to make it 11-1. Bramasco went four for five with two RBIs. Four pitches later, Armstrong came home on a wild pitch to score Winnipeg’s final run of the ballgame.
The Saltdogs scratched out three runs over the final two frames to round out the scoring. In the eighth, third baseman Luke Roskam drove in catcher and Midhurst, Ontario native Max Hewitt with a sacrifice fly to left. This was followed by a double to left field by designated hitter Matt Pita that brought former Goldeyes second baseman Dakota Conners in to score.
Another sacrifice fly in the top of the ninth inning, this one off the bat of Battle, allowed first baseman Dalton Reeves to round out the scoring.
Mitchell Lambson (W, 2-0) started for Winnipeg and worked seven innings. He allowed one run on only four hits while fanning seven.
Lincoln’s Zach Keenan (L, 6-9) gave up ten runs – all earned – on 13 hits over six innings.
The four-game series continues Saturday at 6:00 p.m. CDT when Zac Reininger (9-5, 4.30 ERA) will start for the Goldeyes. Cam Wynne (1-4, 5.69 ERA) will take the mound for the Saltdogs.
The first 500 fans through the gates Saturday will receive an exclusive 2024 Goldeyes player card set. Sunday’s game features a picnic blanket giveaway to the first 1,000 in attendance, and Monday is our annual team photo giveaway and on-field autograph session.