Pulsipher, Goldeyes Stymie RailCats for 3-1 Victory
August 14, 2009 - Northern League (NL)
Gary SouthShore Railcats News Release
GARY, Ind. - Former major leaguer Bill Pulsipher allowed just four hits over eight innings and Juan Diaz hit his league-leading 25th home run as the Winnipeg Goldeyes snapped the Gary SouthShore RailCats franchise-record 12-game home winning streak with a 3-1 victory Friday night in front of 5,509 fans at U. S. Steel Yard.
Dustin Richardson homered to lead off the third inning for Winnipeg and Diaz launched a mammoth two-run blast off the scoreboard three batters later to put the Goldeyes ahead 3-0 against starter Chris Jones (6-3).
That was more than enough offense for Pulsipher, who won for the third time in as many starts and had the RailCats off-balance all night. The RailCats had mini-threat in the second when they got runners to second and third with one out but did not score, and after that Pulsipher put the game on cruise control. Mike Massaro singled with one out in the third but Pulsipher set down the next 13 men in a row and worked into the eighth still in front 3-0.
Massaro walked with two outs in the eighth in front of Eric McNamee, who finally got the RailCats on the scoreboard with a double just inside the third base bag, plating Massaro. McNamee's hit was the first by a right-hand batter all night against Pulsipher and the first extra-base hit the left-hander had allowed all season. Pulsipher, who spent parts of six seasons in the major leagues, allowed only four hits and two walks in 8.0 innings, striking out seven and actually seeing his season ERA jump up to 0.90.
Jones left after the fourth inning and gave way to a terrific RailCats bullpen. Tristan Facer and Kyle Heyne each pitched 2.0 scoreless innings and Eddie De la Cruz got through the ninth scoreless to give the RailCats a chance. Mike Rohde did draw a two-out walk from Goldeyes closer Chris Homer in the ninth, but Homer whiffed pinch-hitter Jeff Beachum to end the game.
The loss was the RailCats first at home since July 13 and snapped the record-setting 12-game win streak that included victories in parts of five different series. The loss was only the 'Cats 10th in 39 games at U. S. Steel Yard in 2009 and denied the RailCats a chance to claim sole possession of first place in the league, instead falling a game back of the Goldeyes for the top spot.
The RailCats (48-33) and Goldeyes (48-31) have split the first two games of their showdown series and continue the four-game set Saturday night at 6 p.m. at U. S. Steel Yard. Saturday is Kids Glove Giveaway night, with the first 1,000 youngsters - age 12 and under - picking up a free RailCats mitt courtesy NIEMI Associates and the Post-Tribune. A limited number of tickets are still available by calling 219.882.2255 or visiting www.railcatsbaseball.com.
The 'Cats will send right-hander Garret Holleran (2-2, 3.56 ERA) to the mound Saturday night against Winnipeg right-hander Mark Michael (2-4, 5.19 ERA). All the play-by-play action will be carried live on 89.1 FM, The Lakeshore, and on the web at www.railcatsbaseball.com.
Notes: Friday's crowd was the second-largest of the year at the Steel Yard behind only the 5,650 that saw the June 2 games vs. Joliet ... with the loss and a Schaumburg win over Kansas City, the RailCats "magic number" to clinch a fifth-straight playoff berth remains at two ... Rohde went 2-for-3 in the game to extend his on-base streak to 17 games ... by scoring just one run Friday, the RailCats snapped a streak to seven straight games with at least six runs scored ... the Goldeyes lead the season series against the RailCats 11-7, although the 'Cats have won three of five at U. S. Steel Yard.
Northern League Stories from August 14, 2009
- RedHawks Take 7-3 Win - Joliet JackHammers
- Kansas City Falls in Opener, 6-3 - Kansas City Monarchs
- Flyers run wild over T-Bones - Schaumburg Flyers
- Pulsipher, Goldeyes Stymie RailCats for 3-1 Victory - Gary SouthShore Railcats
- Joliet LF Heads Back to Affiliated Baseball for the 3rd Consecutive Year - Joliet JackHammers
- JackHammers Announce Operation Miracle Drop - Joliet JackHammers
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