Goldeyes let Canaries out of cage

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This article was published 02/06/2016 (3444 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

It started with a thunderous smash hit, but the Goldeyes’ series closer turned out to be more suited to the bargain bin.

The Fish dropped the last of their four games against the Sioux Falls Canaries on Thursday afternoon, falling 8-4 after a late-game breakdown let the Canaries bust through. The series split leaves the Goldeyes sitting at 8-6 on the season, while north division rival Sioux Falls are now 7-7.

It looked so promising at the start. The game got off on the right foot (err, fin?) for the Fish in the first inning, when designated hitter Reggie Abercrombie launched a two-run homer down right field. The blast, his second of the year, leaves him just seven away from setting a new American Association career record.

That delighted the crowd of over 5,500, most of them school kids out for a year-end celebration — though maybe not as much as the Spongebob Squarepants theme song that played between later innings, and sent the crowd into a gleeful singalong.

Only problem is, it took the Goldeyes eight innings to add some more. And while the defence and starter Edwin Carl held Sioux Falls at bay for seven innings, eventually something had to break. When it did, the Canaries capitalized, broke a long 2-2 stalemate and flew away with the game.

It happened in the top of the eighth, when the visitors lit up Goldeyes reliever Conor Spink to the tune of five hits and five earned runs. The most damage came in order: Canaries catcher Cameron Garfield walloped a two-RBI double, then second baseman Frank Martinez followed with a two-run homer.

The Goldeyes hitters got no traction in the bottom of the eighth. They did in the final inning, after the Canaries put another run on the board. Shortstop Maikol Gonzalez doubled to score Tanner Murphy, while left fielder Adam Heisler scored on a Josh Romanski ground out. But it wasn’t enough.

In his third start of the summer, Carl finished up with five hits, two runs, four walks and five strikeouts in seven innings, dropping his ERA to 5.40. Gonzalez was 2-for-5 with an RBI and a run, while catcher Carlton Tanabe also snagged a pair of hits in three at-bats.

Next up, the Goldeyes will get ready to host the Lincoln Saltdogs for three games, starting with a 7 p.m. Friday tilt.

melissa.martin@freepress.mb.ca