Fish deal themselves a wild-card spot

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This article was published 06/09/2016 (3558 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

It couldn’t have been scripted any better: a raucous, beyond-capacity crowd on hand for the final day of the regular season with a playoff berth on the line. And the Winnipeg Goldeyes didn’t disappoint their hometown faithful, coming through with a clutch performance and punching their ticket to the post-season.

Winnipeg entered the Labour Day doubleheader needing just a single victory to win the wild-card race. Failing that, a Laredo Lemurs’ loss in either of their two games Monday would have also done the trick.

But with no help coming from the out-of-town scoreboard, the Goldeyes took matters into their own hands with a 6-1 victory over the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks in the opening game at Shaw Park.

Kevin McGovern had a dominant outing, going all seven innings for the complete-game victory. He gave up just two hits and struck out nine, including the final batter of the game. That triggered an on-field celebration with Goldeyes players and staff as 7,787 fans stood cheering.

“Remember that time we won a playoff spot on the final day of the season? Good times,” Goldeyes GM Andrew Collier told the crowd a few minutes later. Goldeyes owner Sam Katz also spoke briefly, thanking fans for their support and the players for their strong performance this season. He singled out Reggie Abercrombie — just awarded the league’s “Man Of The Year” award — for praise.

“When I grow up I want to be Reggie,” the former mayor joked.

The second game of the double-header was rendered meaningless after the Goldeyes victory, and the end result was a 10-5 loss.

Winnipeg (58-42) will open the playoffs Wednesday at Shaw Park against St. Paul (61-39). Game 2 is set for Thursday, with the remaining three contests to be played Saturday, Sunday and Monday in Minnesota. This is the Goldeyes’ 18th playoff appearance in their 23 seasons.

The Wichita Wingnuts and Sioux City Explorers meet in the other American Association playoff semifinal. The two winners will then play in the final series later this month.

The Goldeyes began their first game Monday with Laredo trailing 3-0 in their game. Then the Lemurs stormed back to tie it at pretty much the same time Fargo-Moorhead’s Ryan Pineda opened the scoring with a solo home run in the first inning.

Suddenly, things weren’t looking so positive.

But just as Laredo took the lead in their game, Abercrombie got things going for the Goldeyes with an RBI single in the first. Winnipeg then broke it open in the second. After Casio Grider started the inning with a single, Carlton Tanabe doubled him home, then was cashed in by Adam Heisler’s single.

Willie Cabrera then added some insurance with an RBI single in the fifth before Abercrombie sealed it with a two-run shot. It was Abercrombie’s 20th home run of the year — and 99th of his American Association career, which is tops all-time. It also gives Abercrombie his second season of at least 20 homers and 20 stolen bases. He’s only the second person to achieve that feat in league history.

“Without my teammates, I can’t do what I do. I believe in them and they believe in me. And McGovern pitched a great game. He gave us the opportunity to win,” Abercrombie said following the doubleheader as teammates soaked each other with champagne.

After giving up the first-inning home run, McGovern didn’t yield another hit until a harmless two-out single in the sixth. It was his best performance of the season and the timing couldn’t have been better.

‘That last out… the fans were standing up. It was really exciting. I just took a step back when I had two strikes and took a look around. That was, by far, my most exciting moment’– Goldeyes starting pitcher Kevin McGovern

“It feels to great to win. An amazing year,” he said. “That last out… the fans were standing up. It was really exciting. I just took a step back when I had two strikes and took a look around. That was, by far, my most exciting moment.”

In Monday’s final game, the Goldeyes opted to rest scheduled starter Mikey O’Brien in lieu of short appearances from several relievers. Fargo-Moorhead erupted for five runs in the fourth, another in the sixth and four more in the seventh. Grider had a two-run double for the Goldeyes, while Tanner Murphy, Josh Romanski and Jacob Rogers had the other RBI.

The Goldeyes will now enjoy an off day today to prepare for the start of the playoffs.

FISH HOOKS:

Prior to Monday’s games, the Goldeyes handed out some end-of-year hardware. Reggie Abercrombie took home the Most Valuable Player trophy after capturing the most in-game awards this season. David Rohm earned the “Tear The Cover Off The Ball” trophy for leading the team in hitting with a .339 average.

The Goldeyes held a moment of silence for Jerry Maslowsky, the prominent Winnipeg sports and business executive who died Saturday of cancer. Maslowsky’s daughter, Tara, works for the Goldeyes as the promotions manager.

Amber Balcaen threw out the first pitch. The 24-year-old Winnipeg dirt track racer recently became the first Canadian woman to win a NASCAR-sanctioned race.

mike.mcintyre@freepress.mb.ca