ST PAUL, Minnesota. -- The Winnipeg Goldeyes survived a wild game on Monday night to defeat the St. Paul Saints, although the Saints did not make it easy.
Winnipeg hammers John Straka early
The scoring started in the top of the second inning when Jacob Rogers led off the game with a double to right field. Casio Grider followed with a walk, which was followed by a sacrifice bunt from Ridge Hoopli-Haslam, which moved both of the runners up a base. Tanner Murphy then stepped up to the plate and singled to center field to score Rogers and advance Grider to third base.
Maikol Gonzalez reached base on a fielder's choice to third baseman Nate Hanson, who decided to throw home to try and stop the run from scoring. It didn't work, however, as the throw was late, and the Goldeyes gained another run and had runners on first and second.
Wes Darvil got into the act with a single to left field to load the bases for David Rohm, who hit a sacrifice fly to center field to score Murphy. Josh Romanski followed with a single to left field to score Darvil to make it a 5-0 game. That was all in the inning, as the Saints were able to get out with a strikeout and limit the damage.
Winnipeg was right back at it in the third inning, as Hoopli-Haslam and Murphy drew back-to-back one-out walks. They both scored, as Gonzalez and Rohm both singled, extending the lead to 7-0.
After that, Saints pitcher John Straka found his groove and made it through the fifth inning without giving up any more runs, although he did throw 108 pitches in his five innings of work, which was a necessity for a depleted bullpen that had witnessed two straight extra-inning games in the preceding days.
Saints strike in the sixth and eighth innings
The Saints finally scratched across a run in the sixth inning when Chad Christensen led off with a three-base error by the center fielder. He scored when Breland Almadova grounded out, putting the Saints on the board.
The Saints struck again in the eighth inning and did it big. Willie Argo led off with a single and scored when a few batters later Maxx Garrett singled to the shortstop. When the inning was done, the Saints had scored five runs to cut the Goldeyes lead to just one run.
In the ninth, the Goldeyes brought in a reliever, and he did his job, as he set the Saints down in order to end the game and give Winnipeg the narrow win.
The Saints now remain home, as they will host the Sioux Falls Canaries in a midweek set before heading back on the road for the weekend.
Quick Hits
- Alonzo Harris missed his second straight game with a groin injury that he suffered on Saturday night. He is considered day-to-day, according to manager George Tsamis.
- Winnipeg made a move before the game, as they placed Adam Heisler on the disabled list and signed Thunder Bay native Carter McEachern, who did not see the field in Monday's game.
- The Saints have not yet announced who will start the opening game of the Sioux Falls series as they do not have a set fifth starter. The middle game will be started by Mark Hamburger, who has been their most consistent pitcher so far, while the pitcher for the series finale also hasn't been named yet.