Goldeyes dog tired against Chicago

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 16/08/2019 (2271 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A tired team, some tough-luck injuries or just a plain bad performance.

Chalk it up to whatever you want, but the Winnipeg Goldeyes didn’t put up a good showing at Shaw Park on Thursday night.

The Fish were blanked 13-0 by the Chicago Dogs in the first of a three game series at home.

Unfortunately for Winnipeg, their troubles started long before their scheduled 7 p.m. game-day start.

Not long after midnight on Thursday morning, the team’s bus broke down on the side of a Minnesotan interstate highway just outside of St. Paul. The team was travelling back from CHS Field, where they had just lost a three-game series to the St. Paul Saints.

With no repair shop open until morning, the Fish were forced to set up camp and sleep it out. When it was discovered the team bus couldn’t be repaired in time, a spare was sent out on a rescue mission.

The team finally returned home just after 7 p.m. on Thursday — around 20 hours after they had originally departed CHS Field. By that time, at least 1,000 fans were already in their seats at Shaw Park, waiting for the delayed game to begin.

While good things usually come to those who wait, that wasn’t the case for the eventual 4,230 Goldeyes fans who showed up for the 8:15 start.

The Fish were absolutely blown out of the water. Chicago boasted 18 hits to Winnipeg’s four. In five of Winnipeg’s nine innings, Chicago pitchers shut down the first three batters in order. Four Dogs players hit home runs, including a three-run blast from designated hitter Victor Roache.

It didn’t help that the Goldeyes were without Jonathan Moroney, one of their newest additions to the batting lineup. In Wednesday night’s game, Moroney injured himself while trying to beat out an infield single.

Moroney was put on the disabled list with a lower-body injury Thursday morning and will be out for at least a week. His exit is a big blow for the Fish, who’ve been looking to fill the leadoff batter role since Tyler Hill’s departure to the Kansas City Royals organization.

Moroney came in batting .315 with three home runs and 26 RBIs in 65 games with the Texas Air Hogs when he joined the Goldeyes last Friday.

Unfortunately for the Goldeyes, veteran Reggie Abercrombie is also banged up. He’s been taking it easy, playing in the DH role for the past four games.

Goldeyes starting pitcher Joel Seddon put up a lacklustre performance for the Fish, allowing seven runs on 12 hits in just five innings. Jake Dahlberg started for the Dogs and had a stellar performance, allowing just three hits over seven innings.

Goldeyes second baseman Alex Perez recorded two of the team’s four base hits.

The Fish take on the Dogs at Shaw Park for Game 2 of the three-game series at 7:05 p.m.

devon.shewchuk@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @devonshewchuk