KANSAS CITY, KS – The slow bats of yesterday were quickly pushed to the wayside as the Winnipeg Goldeyes collected ten hits to beat the reigning Miles Wolff Cup Champion Kansas City Monarchs 5-2.
On a warm afternoon in KCK, Winnipeg played their best game of the preseason where pitching, fielding, and hitting all came together in perfect harmony.
The scoring started right off the bat when Rob Emery drilled a single into left field scoring Max Murphy who had a pitch previously doubled off the left field wall giving Winnipeg a 1-0 lead.
In the top of the third inning, Keshawn Lynch found the jet stream to left field and tattooed his first home run in a Goldeyes uniform into the visitors’ bullpen to make it a 2-0 lead.
In the next inning, Miles Simington led off the frame with a base hit and swiped second. A few batters later, Ramón Bramasco chopped an RBI single down the third base line and Simington would trot home giving the Fish a three-run advantage after the third inning.
Later, in the top of the sixth, Murphy would blast his first home run this year atop the visitors' bullpen to push the needle even further to 4-0.
The final run for the Goldeyes came in the top of the eighth inning when Andy Armstrong led off with a double the opposite way, getting to third on a stolen base. Dayson Croes’ hard groundball to the shortstop scored Armstrong giving Winnipeg their fifth and final run.
The Monarchs’ bats were the quiet ones today as Goldeyes starter Landen Bourassa carved up Kansas City’s lineup twirling five innings of two-hit ball and striking out six. Grant Townsend was first out of the pen throwing two solid innings walking two and striking out one. Tasker Strobel followed and pitched well in his one inning of work. A swinging bunt single and a two-run home run hit by Kansas City’s Ross Adolph reduced the Goldeyes’ lead to 5-2. Strobel would come back and strike out the next batter and get a flyout to end his inning with two strikeouts. Ryder Yakel came into the ballgame with a save situation and sat the Monarchs down one, two, three with two flyouts and a strikeout mixed in securing the Winnipeg win.
Following the game, Goldeyes Manager Logan Watkins was more than pleased with his club’s effort. “I’m again pleasantly surprised.” Watkins continues. “Obviously in Lincoln, you know the scoreboard wouldn’t say we played well or hit well in that second game. I continue to see guys making strides in the box.” When asked about how his pitching staff looked, Watkins has enjoyed watching his staff grind out innings in the new year. “Colton Eastman was fantastic in Sioux Falls, Zac Reininger looked great in Lincoln only giving up a couple of solo home runs but other than that he looked solid. Joey Matulovich and Landen Bourassa both looked fantastic. When Marshall Kasowski comes in, we expect him to fit in nicely. And Travis Seabrooke will get the ball tomorrow, so hopefully he can continue the trend of what the starting pitchers have shown so far.”
Not to mention how well the bullpen has pitched up to this point, the Goldeyes pitching staff has looked excellent here in 2024.
Winnipeg will wrap up the preseason with another matchup in Kansas City Tuesday at 12:00 Noon. The pregame show will get underway at 11:30 a.m. on CJNU 93.7 FM and cjnu.ca.
The Goldeyes begin the 2024 season on the road versus the Cleburne Railroaders on Thursday, May 9. The Home Opener is scheduled for Tuesday, May 21 at 6:30 p.m. against the Chicago Dogs at Blue Cross Park.
For information about 2024 Season Tickets, Mini Packs, Skysuites, and Group Packages, please complete and submit the form below.
ShopGoldeyes.ca is available 24/7.
Blue Cross Park is located on the original lands of Anishinaabeg, Cree, Ojibwe-Cree, Dakota, and Dene peoples, and on the National Homeland of the Red River Métis. We respect the Treaties that were made on these territories, we acknowledge the harms and mistakes of the past, and we dedicate ourselves to move forward in partnership with Indigenous communities in a spirit of reconciliation and collaboration.
| All Rights Reserved | Winnipeg Goldeyes Baseball Club