Goldeyes go deep six times in win

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This article was published 10/07/2022 (1219 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Winnipeg Goldeyes laid a Sunday smackdown on the Sioux City Explorers, heading into the all-star break on a winning note.

Winnipeg pummeled the Explorers 12-3 at Shaw Park to close out the weekend, leaving any memories of their 11-4 defeat one day earlier in the past.

The Fish got the party going in the bottom of the second when David Washington hit his 14th home run of the season to lead off the inning. Logan Hill wouldn’t be outdone and crushed his 12th home run of the season on the next at-bat.

It was a 7-1 contest when Washington came up to bat again and he smacked his second home run of the inning to right field, giving Winnipeg a 9-1 lead. The damage had already been done, but Sioux City put another run on the board in the top of the third inning.

A 9-2 lead in the bottom of the fourth inning would’ve been a good enough cushion for the Fish to sit back, soak in the sun and enjoy their last game before a three-day break. However, Max Murphy had other plans.

Murphy smacked his 16th home run of the season over the left-field wall to lead off the inning. Murphy added another home run in the bottom of the eighth inning.

Justin Thompson hit his first professional home run in the fifth inning, but it’s likely to be lost in all the talk about Winnipeg’s offensive explosion. The Fish put up six home runs Sunday and looked like they wanted in on the American Association’s upcoming home run derby.

The Goldeyes head into the all-star break with a 28-24 record, good for third in the West Division. They’ve got ground to make up on the Kansas City Monarchs who are 34-18 and the division-leading Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks who are 36-16.

Winnipeg is 5-5 over its last 10 games and the upcoming break could be a good chance to regroup. They’ll return from the break July 14 for a four-game homestand against the Gary SouthShore RailCats.

The Goldeyes will also be in prime position to make up ground in the standings with 10 of their remaining 16 games in July being played at Shaw Park. But for now, the Fish have earned a rare opportunity for some rest amidst a fast-paced season.

Winnipeg will be well represented at the upcoming all-star game Tuesday night at Chicago’s Impact Field. Catcher Deon Stafford Jr., who has 10 home runs and 45 RBI this season will partake in the festivities alongside one of the league’s best shutdown pitchers Tasker Strobel.

Gavin.Axelrod@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: Gavin77axe