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The Winnipeg Goldeyes (11-15) fell 6-2 to the Kansas City Monarchs (18-7) Friday evening at Blue Cross Park in the opener of a three-game weekend series.
Boxscore
Kansas City, owners of the American Association’s top-ranked offence, opened the scoring on the second pitch of the game. Monarchs right fielder Isiah Gilliam drove a solo home run over the left field wall to put the visitors ahead 1-0.
The Monarchs continued to press in the second. Catcher Ryan Leitch hit an RBI double to left field that scored Jaylin Williams from second base, and a batter later, Gilliam collected his second RBI of the night with a single that brought home Josh Bissonette to extend the lead to 3-0.
Kansas City added another in the third when third baseman Álvaro González singled to score first baseman John Nogowski, pushing the score to 4-0.
The Monarchs' final runs came in the fifth. Nogowski singled to left to plate Ross Adolph, and centre fielder Blake Rutherford followed with a double into the left-centre gap to bring in Jhailyn Ortiz, making it 6-0.
The Goldeyes responded in the bottom of the sixth with a historic swing from Max Murphy. The Winnipeg right fielder launched a solo home run to left — his fifth of the season and 92nd in a Goldeyes uniform — tying the franchise career record held by Reggie Abercrombie.
In the eighth, Winnipeg threatened with the bases loaded. A fielder’s choice ground ball by Matthew Warkentin allowed Braxton Turner to score from third, cutting the deficit to 6-2. That would be as close as the Goldeyes would get, stranding two more runners in the inning.
Right-hander Zan Rose (L, 1-1) made his second professional start and was tagged with the loss. Rose allowed five earned runs on 10 hits over 4.1 innings, walking none and striking out three.
The bullpen combined for 4.2 innings of work. Derrick Cherry allowed one run in 1.2 innings. Ben Onyshko contributed a scoreless inning-plus, issuing one walk. Will Sierra walked two and struck out one in a brief appearance, and Tasker Strobel closed out the night with 1.1 scoreless innings, giving up one hit and striking out one.
Kansas City starter Daniel Martínez (W, 2-1) earned the win with a quality outing, limiting the Goldeyes to one run on five hits over six innings. He struck out seven and walked just one. Junior Cerda and Hunter McMahon (S, 1) closed it out for the Monarchs, with McMahon recording the final five outs to pick up his first save of the season.
The series continues Saturday at 6 p.m. CDT at Blue Cross Park. Left-hander Mitchell Lambson (3-0, 3.53 ERA) will start for Winnipeg against Kansas City’s Josh Hendrickson (2-1, 4.19 ERA). Gates open at 4:30 p.m.
This year’s Manitoba Baseball Hall of Fame inductees will be honoured on field before the game, and the Goldeyes will wear special jerseys commemorating the 2012-18 Brandon Cardinals.