Goldeyes Even Series with Total Team Effort
July 11, 2015 - American Association (AA)
Winnipeg Goldeyes News Release
Brad Boyer was the hero, but Saturday night's comeback at Shaw Park was a total team effort.
The Winnipeg Goldeyes scored two runs in the bottom of the ninth inning to come back for the second time in the ball game and beat the powerful St. Paul Saints 4-3. It was the most thrilling victory in a season that hasn't provided Goldeyes fans with enough thrilling victories.
Trailing 3-2 heading into the bottom of the ninth, the Goldeyes finally caught a break. Josh Mazzola's routine fly ball to right field to open the ninth never caught the eye of St. Paul outfielder Mike Kvasnicka. With Kvasnicka stumbling around in the dark trying to locate the baseball, it fell harmlessly onto the right field grass and Mazzola cruised into second base with a double.
Jon Weber then singled, sending Mazzola to third and he almost immediately came home with the tying run on a wild pitch by St. Paul closer Ryan Rodebaugh.
Weber moved up to second and then went to third on another wild pitch. After Ryan Babineau walked, Rodebaugh walked Luis Alen to load the bases. That's when Boyer stepped up and hit a sacrifice fly to right field to score Weber and give the Goldeyes a rare come-from-behind victory.
"That's what baseball is all about," said Goldeyes rightfielder Jon Weber. "When I scored the winning run, I felt like a kid playing Little League again. I didn't run out on the field to celebrate, though, because I was just too tired. That was fun out there tonight.
"Hopefully, we can ride this. We didn't give up tonight. We got a great effort from the bullpen after the rain delay. Now we have to carry this to tomorrow. I hope we can do that. I believe we can do that."
The Saints scored a run in the first off Goldeyes starter Kyle Anderson and then Kvasnicka hit a solo homer off Anderson in the fourth. That's when the rains came and the game was delayed for one hour and 44 minutes with St. Paul leading 2-0.
After the game resumed, Winnipeg's bullpen was rock solid as Mark Pope and Mike Noteware gave the Goldeyes three hitless/scoreless innings and in the bottom of the seventh the hitters responded. Weber led off with a single and scored ahead of Luis Alen who hit a two-run homer.
But the Saints scored a run in the top of the eighth to break the 2-2 deadlock and that set up the Goldeyes heroics in the ninth.
The Goldeyes finished with four runs on eight hits while St. Paul had three runs on seven hits. Mazzola and Weber led the Fish with two hits each. Alen's two-run homer ignited the comeback.
With the win, the Goldeyes snapped a two-game losing streak and split the first two games of this four-game series with St. Paul. They also improved to 20-27 on the season and also improved their home record to 7-14. The Goldeyes are 13-13 on the road.
The Saints fell to 37-11 on the season.
Closer Jailen Pegeuro (1-1, 1.88 ERA) earned the victory for the Goldeyes, while St. Paul closer Ryan Rodebaugh (2-3, 4.82) gave up both runs in the ninth and was tagged with the loss.
The Goldeyes and Saints will play Game 3 of this four-game series on Sunday at 1:30 p.m. at Shaw Park. Lefty Nick Hernandez (5-2, 1.89 ERA) will get the start for Winnipeg while right-hander Robert Coe (4-1, 3.25 ERA) will take to the hill for St. Paul.
Tickets for all Goldeyes home games in 2015 are available through Ticketmaster by clicking on Goldeyes.com, calling 1-855-GOLDEYE or visiting any Ticketmaster location, including the Shaw Park box office.
American Association Stories from July 11, 2015
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