Fish Let Series Opener in Kansas City Slip Away
Published on June 28, 2011 under American Association (AA)
Winnipeg Goldeyes News Release
It was a rare night for the Winnipeg Goldeyes bullpen: The usually reliable Chad Benefield and Aaron Hartsock couldn't hold a lead and then the usually lights-out Jamie Vermilyea couldn't hold another lead in the ninth.
Eventually, Kala Kaaihue hit a walk-off home run off Vermilyea in the bottom of the 11th to win it for the Kansas City T-Bones.
Tuesday night at CommunityAmerica Ballpark in Kansas City, the Goldeyes got a good start from Isaac Hess, a pair of home runs from Brian Myrow, a five-run fifth inning and a two-run ninth inning. However, despite building a 5-2 lead after five and a 7-6 lead heading into the bottom of the ninth, the bullpen fell apart and Winnipeg lost 8-7 to the T-Bones.
With the loss, Winnipeg's four game winning streak came to an end, the Fish fell to 25-18 on the season and fell out of first place in the North Division of the American Association thanks to St. Paul's 10-7 win in Fargo. The Fish now trail St. Paul by half a game.
The Goldeyes, who had seven runs on 13 hits, certainly produced enough offence to win. In fact, trailing 2-0 heading into the top of the fifth, Winnipeg put up a five spot to take a three-run lead.
Justin Bass led off with a single and went to third on a single by Louis Ott. Then right fielder Brian Joynt, coming off that grand slam home in the eighth inning on Sunday, drilled a triple to score both Bass and Ott. Price Kendall drove home Joynt with a sacrifice fly. But it wasn't over yet.
Wes Long singled and then Myrow homered to make it 5-2, but the Fish didn't score another run and the bullpen couldn't hold the 5-2 advantage.
Kansas City scored one more run off starter Isaac Hess in the bottom of the sixth and then Benefield and Hartsock combined to allow two runs in the seventh and then Hartsock gave up another run in the eighth.
That made it 7-6 Kansas City and things looked bleak for the Goldeyes heading into the ninth, but Kody Kaiser singled and scored all the way from first on two errors on the same play by T-Bones shortstop Jimmy Mojica (Mojica made an incredible five errors, a team record, in the game). Then with the score tied 6-6, Myrow hit his second home of the game to give Winnipeg a 7-6 lead.
But it wasn't over yet.
In the bottom of the ninth, Mojica tripled off Vermilyea and then scored on a double by Rico Washington. Vermilyea eventually loaded the bases and had a 3-2 count on Jeff Hulett, but Hulett filed out right to end the inning.
Finally, Kaaihue homered with one out in the 11th to win it.
Andy Shipman (1-2, 4.34 ERA) blew the save, but got the win for Kansas City. Jamie Vermilyea (1-2, 2.29 ERA) blew the save (his third blown save of the year) and took the loss.
The Goldeyes and Kansas City will play Game 2 of this series at 11 o'clock Wednesday morning. It's a quick turn-around after a game that took three hours and 53 minutes to play on Tuesday night.
The game, with Paul Edmonds calling the play-by-play, can be heard live on Sports Radio 1290.
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