August 5: Pulsipher Nearly Perfect As Goldeyes Rip JackHammers

There were two things that surprised Goldeyes starter Bill Pulsipher on Tuesday night. For one thing, he didn’t expect fireworks when Shaw TV named him player of the game. And he did not think his teammates would give him the run support they did in his Canwest Park debut.

Pulsipher was almost perfect, going five full innings, allowing no runs on just two hits. The former Mets phenom was the winner as the Goldeyes blasted Joliet 13-1 in front of 7,124 at Winnipeg’s downtown ballpark.

“This is the first time I’ve ever done an interview with fireworks going off behind me,” Pulsipher told Shaw TV’s Jim Toth. “I haven’t been in Winnipeg very long, but this seems like a pretty good place to play.

“I haven’t pitched for nearly two months, so I just wanted to go out and make sure I had my command and stretch it out, pitch as well as I could and give us a chance to win. I didn’t expect the run support as early as I got it.”

And, boy, did he get it.

While Pulsipher shut down the JackHammers, the Goldeyes bats boomed. Winnipeg hit four home runs in the first two innings – Josh Asanovich, Kevin West and Dee Brown hit solo shots while Juan Diaz hit a three-run bomb – as Winnipeg jumped off to a quick 7-0 lead.

Diaz hit his second home run of the game, a solo shot in the eighth, and Brent Metheny added another solo homer in the eighth as the Goldeyes hit six in total to improve to a league-best 44-25 on the season.

With 27 games left, the Fish are three-and-a-half games ahead of Gary in the race for first in the Northern League. Winnipeg has won eight of its last 10 and its magic number to reach the 2009 playoffs is now 12.

Meanwhile, with two homers and four runs driven in, Diaz took over the Northern League lead in dingers from Kansas City’s Ryan Fox. Diaz also has 66 runs batted in, second in the NL to Fargo’s Nic Jackson. However, West tried to keep pace. With one home run and two RBIs, West now as 18 homers and 62 RBIs, both good for third.

“I know I’ve come into a really good situation here in Winnipeg,” the 35-year-old Pulsipher said. “I just hope I can pitch well and provide some veteran leadership for the young guys here.”

The Goldeyes and JackHammers play Game 2 of this three-game series Wednesday night at 7:00 at Canwest Park. Mark Michael takes the hill for the hosts while Devin Anderson replies for the visitors.