Goldeyes claim seventh-straight win

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This article was published 28/07/2019 (2282 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

It’s been a long time coming, but the Winnipeg Goldeyes are finally hitting their stride.

The Fish notched their seventh-straight win Sunday afternoon, defeating the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks 3-1 at Shaw Park.

Bats have really been clicking for Winnipeg lately. In the past seven games, the team has scored an incredible 54 runs.

Manager Rick Forney said it’s about time the team got something good going.

“If you look at our division alone, everybody else has kind of hit their stride a little bit earlier, putting together their long win streaks where we had yet to do that,” Forney said.

“Until the last series against Texas we didn’t sweep anybody, while your foes in your own division are sweeping people and running off with seven, eight, nine, 10 wins in a row. It’s hard to keep pace but we’ve done the best we could. Hopefully we’re hitting our stride right now.”

When asked to comment on the Goldeyes and their performance at the beginning of July compared to the team he’s watching now, Forney described the difference as “night and day.”

“Offensively, we’re better. I mean, we’ve improved in a lot of areas on offence. We’re still having troubles on the bases every now and then, but at the same time we’re stealing bags.”

The two-game series sweep over Fargo was a big one for the Fish. The RedHawks currently sit at first place in the American Association’s North Division standings, but the race for the division’s top two spots is tighter than ever.

The Goldeyes are sitting fourth in the north, but only 2.5 games back of the RedHawks.

Sunday’s game was a nice welcome back for Goldeyes shortstop Adrian Marin, who’s been sidelined with a hand injury since June 18. After undergoing surgery in late June, Marin needed a few weeks to get back into playing condition.

“It’s been about four weeks or so of strengthening that area, my wrists, my hand, doing all that stuff. The trainers have been great here. I’ve been continuing to run a lot, going to the gym and working hard,” he said.

Marin had no trouble making up for lost time Sunday. He hit a single, double, stole a base and made a handful of impressive defensive plays.

On a hard ground ball in the top of the fifth, Marin slid down to a knee, scooped up the ball and fired it to first — just in time to get RedHawks’ Daniel Comstock and end the inning. If Marin had missed the play, there was a good chance the runner on second could’ve made a sprint for home and tied the game.

Strong pitching was also a big asset. Forney opted for a bullpen start, going with former Triple-A pitcher Joel Bender.

Bender took the place of Goldeyes lefty Kevin McGovern, who was supposed to start the game but had to sit out due to blistering on his hand.

It was Bender’s first professional start since 2017, but it didn’t show one bit. He pitched three scoreless innings and was relieved by Christian Torres, who followed up with another three scoreless frames.

Fargo’s only run came in the seventh inning, off of reliever Cameron McVey. McVey re-signed with the Goldeyes on Saturday, making it his third tour with the Fish.

McVey was a huge part of the team’s 2016 championship run, with a 3.14 ERA in 37 relief innings. He spent time with the team again in 2018, before signing with the Mexican League’s Algodoneros de Union Laguna.

With the homestand over, the Goldeyes now hit the road for a six-game stretch. The team will be on the road a lot coming up, playing only three of the next 17 games at home.

The Goldeyes’ next series begins Tuesday against Gary.

devon.shewchuk@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @devonshewchuk