August 19: Goldeyes Fall From First to Third

The Winnipeg Goldeyes looked to have Game 1 of a Tuesday night double-header in the bag. Leading 5-0 through the first six innings of a seven-inning ball game and with Andrew Cruse pitching wonderfully, it appeared as if Winnipeg would record its 50th win of the season.

But you just knew something would have to go wrong.

In the seventh, Cruse walked the first two men he faced, was removed from the game by manager Rick Forney and the two of them could only watch as the bullpen imploded and gave up seven runs in the top of the seventh in a 7-5 loss.

“It’s not even something you think about,” said RedHawks third baseman Jeremiah Piepkorn, the Shaw TV player of the game and the guy who hit the deciding blow, a three-run bomb off closer Chris Homer.

“We didn’t say anything in the dugout, we really didn’t talk about anything at all. When you’re down five runs, you just go out there and try to string some hits together and see what happens.”

What happened was a Game 1 victory and all the momentum heading into Game 2.

“We’ve fought back into the race and now, heading down the stretch, every game is important,” Piepkorn said. “Nobody on the team gives up. The score at the time really doesn’t matter.”

In Game 2, Fargo simply did a number on the Goldeyes, scoring five unearned runs against starter Zach Baldwin, as the RedHawks cruised to an 11-0 shellacking of the home side.

It just wasn’t the type of night the Fish wanted to have in front of 8,144 at Canwest Park. With the two losses, the Goldeyes fell from first to third, a game-and-a-half back of first-place Gary and a half-game back of second-place Fargo.

“We’re just trying to do the best we can and win as many as we can down the stretch,” said Fargo reliever and game winner T.J. Stanton, Shaw TV’s player of the game in Game 2.

“From the time I arrived here, we’ve gone on a pretty good streak. This team is playing good baseball and as a pitcher, it’s always good to know that the guys behind you are going to go out and get you some runs. At this stage, you just want to build some momentum heading into the playoffs.”

The final game of this four-game series goes Wednesday at noon at Canwest Park.