Fading Fish hoping they dump slump

THE Winnipeg Goldeyes set a team record Sunday for fewest runs scored in a three-game series — not exactly the kind of record the team wants when clinging to its last playoff hope.

 The Goldeyes (48-38) were defeated 5-1 by the St. Paul Saints (46-40) in front of 6,876 fans at Shaw Park and were swept in the series after losing 4-1 on both Friday and Saturday.

 Winnipeg now holds just a two-game edge over St. Paul for the American Association’s wild-card playoff berth.

 Their three runs in three games set a new mark for futility.

 "We need runs. Our pitching staff has been keeping us close in games but we just haven’t been producing any runs," said Goldeyes second baseman Jose Duran. "We’ve been hitting the ball hard, it’s just going straight at people. Guys aren’t putting together quality at-bats consistent enough to drive in runs. You just have to keep grinding it out, guys have to step up. We can’t get down on ourselves, we just haven’t caught a break yet. You can’t get caught on an emotional rollercoaster.

Just stay levelheaded and keep playing." Duran, still recuperating from a hamstring injury, missed eight games before being forced back into action in the fifth inning Friday when centre-fielder Chris Roberson left with an eye injury.

With one win in their last seven games, the Goldeyes head out Tuesday for the final road trip of the season. A seven-game swing opens Tuesday with three in Gary against the South-Shore RailCats. A four-game set in St. Paul will begin Friday.

 "Obviously it’s not the way we want things to be going right now, but we’ve got to maintain our positive approach here. We’ve got to understand we’re still two games up on them (Saints) in the wild-card standings," said Goldeyes pitching coach Bill Pulsipher. "We’re still a playoff team at this point so we’ve got to remember that. We’re going to head down to Gary and start a new series, a new week.

 "I just said a little something about that in the clubhouse myself. It’s a new week. Last week was a tough week. The week before we went 5-and-1 on the homestand and things looked great," Pulsipher said. "It’s the ebband- flow of the season."

On Sunday, Winnipeg starter Todd Privett (5-6) took the loss, giving up two runs to the first four hitters he faced.

In the top of the fifth, a leadoff walk of Saints catcher Alex Garabedian turned into the third run for St. Paul on designated hitter Willie Cabrera’s single.

Winnipeg finally got on the board in the bottom of the fifth when Amos Ramon hit a leadoff double and scored on Price Kendall’s two-out single.

In the ninth, the Goldeyes used four pitchers on the first four batters, only to see St. Paul score a pair of runs on a two-run single by Joe Speirs for a 5-1 lead.

ashley.prest@freepress.mb.ca Twitter:@WFPAshleyPrest