Double trouble for Goldeyes

At their best, the Winnipeg Goldeyes have shown they can compete with anyone in the American Association.

The problem has been getting to that level on a regular basis, with the first 20 games of the 100-game campaign marked by dramatic peaks and valleys.

They are, to put it bluntly, consistently inconsistent.

Just look at their last three games for proof. An ugly 10-4 loss on Wednesday to Sioux Falls was followed by a dominant 14-3 win over those same Canaries on Thursday which was followed by a 10-5 defeat to the Sioux City Explorers on Friday night in front of 5,533 fans at Blue Cross Park.

One step forward. One step back. Rinse and repeat.

The latest setback dropped Winnipeg to 9-11, including 2-3 on this season-long 10-game homestand. Sioux City improves to 9-12.

Goldeyes manager Logan Watkins told the Free Press this roller-coaster ride might continue until his club can get back to full health or find some suitable reinforcements either via trade or the waiver wire, particularly when it comes to pitching.

The battered Fish are down to two of the five starters who were projected to be in the opening-night rotation in Luke Boyd and Mitch Lambson. Noah Millikan and Landen Bourassa recently had their contracts purchased by the Milwaukee Brewers and a Mexican team respectively. And James Bradwell, who threw a no-hitter last year, is injured.

Such is life sometimes in the unpredictable world of independent baseball.

That means digging deep into the bullpen for help. Friday’s starter, Kevin Vaupel, was slated to be a key reliever but has been pressed into other duties as required.

Vaupel cruised through the first two innings against Sioux City, keeping them off the board. In a normal situation, those six outs would have been a wrap on his outing.

However, the 24-year-old lefty from Pennsylvania ran into major issues as his pitch count elevated, giving up five runs in the third inning and then three more in the fourth without recording an out.

Vaupel’s final line — three innings, eight earned runs on eight hits with three walks — shows how quickly things can turn.

Another reliever, Arij Fransen, has also been converted to a temporary starter and was roughed up for five runs (four earned) in 4 2/3 innings of work on Wednesday.

You may be noticing a bit of a trend here: When Winnipeg loses, it tends to do it in grand style.

Friday marked the sixth time the Goldeyes have given up double-digit runs, with three of those coming in the past six outings. There have been two other games in which the opponent scored nine times.

Watkins said that’s a product of thinning out his bullpen by having to change roles for Vaupel and Fransen, which can mean games get away from his group as they try to manage innings from the rest of the relievers.

Weston Lombard, for example, gave up a pair of runs in the sixth inning Friday as Sioux City added to their large lead later in the game. Eli Saul pitched two scoreless innings, while Willian Suarez and Quinn Waterhouse each had a clean inning.

This marked the the season debut for Suarez, a reliable veteran from the Dominican Republic who began the year on the injured list. He can hopefully help calm the pitching waters a bit along with Jack Seward, who was obtained in a trade Thursday from Welland of the Canadian Baseball League and pitched a scoreless inning in his debut later that night.

Another injured relief pitcher, James Colyer, is expected back in the next few days. He’s been limited to two innings so far this year and will provide some additional depth.

As far as the offence goes, Winnipeg did most of the damage in the eighth inning Friday as first baseman T.J. Schofield-Sam slugged his second three-run homer in as many nights. Fun fact: Schofield-Sam has six hits so far his year, yet he’s managed to drive in 14 runs, second on the team to outfielder Noah Marcelo’s 21.

Designated hitter Max Murphy’s first inning single gave his team a short-lived lead, while second baseman Keshawn Lynch drove in the other run with a ninth-inning sacrifice fly to make the final score a bit more respectable. Third baseman Ramon Bramasco went 3-for-4 along with a walk.

Winnipeg is still without Canadian infielder Adam Hall, who leads the team with a .358 average. He’s expected to be out at least another week with a pulled hamstring suffered on Tuesday.

The three-game series against Sioux City continues on Saturday. Winnipeg’s scheduled starter is yet-to-be announced, as this was going to be Bourassa’s next turn in the rotation. Expect another bullpen game. The teams will play again Sunday afternoon before Winnipeg welcomes Cleburne for three games starting Tuesday night.

www.winnipegfreepress.com/mikemcintyre

Mike McIntyre
Reporter

Mike McIntyre is a sports reporter whose primary role is covering the Winnipeg Jets. After graduating from the Creative Communications program at Red River College in 1995, he spent two years gaining experience at the Winnipeg Sun before joining the Free Press in 1997, where he served on the crime and justice beat until 2016. Read more about Mike.

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