Grills pitches six strong innings in Goldeyes' win
Photo: Winnipeg Goldeyes/Twitter
August 20, 2020
By Jason Young
Canadian Baseball Network
FRANKLIN, WI – The Winnipeg Goldeyes (24-17) defeated the Milwaukee Milkmen 6-3 at Franklin Field on Thursday evening.
For the second time in two games the Goldeyes took a first inning lead via the long ball as Kyle Martin homered to left-centre field with Darnell Sweeney on base to make the score Winnipeg 2 Milwaukee 0. It was Martin’s eighth of the season, tying him with Sweeney for the team lead.
Jordan George made it 3-0 Winnipeg in the top of the third inning when he led off with a line drive home run to right-centre field, his fifth of the campaign.
Milwaukee (23-19) cut the Goldeyes’ lead to 3-1 in the bottom of the same inning when Brett Vertigan hit a sacrifice fly to centre field that scored Christian Correa.
The Milkmen tied the game at 3-3 in the sixth inning when David Washington and Adam Brett Walker hit back-to-back home runs. Washington’s four-bagger broke a streak of ten consecutive batters retired by Goldeyes starter Evan Grills (St. Albert, Ont.).
Milwaukee’s Henderson Alvarez sat down 12 straight Goldeyes hitters before exiting the game after the sixth inning.
After the Milkmen tied the contest, Winnipeg responded quickly in the seventh inning to take a 6-3 lead. First John Nester hit a two-run double down the left field line to score Logan Hill and Dario Pizzano, then Wes Darvill (Langley, B.C.) singled to left field to drive in Eric Wood (Pickering, Ont.).
Grills (1-2) allowed just three hits over six innings to earn his first win of the season, surrendering three earned runs. He struck out nine and did not walk a batter. The St. Albert, Ontario native has 18 strikeouts over his past two starts. Nate Antone, Jose Jose, and Victor Capellan pitched an inning of scoreless relief with Capellan recording his tenth save.
Milwaukee reliever Jake Matthys (4-2) pitched just a third of an inning and was tagged with the loss.
The teams will remain in Franklin to begin a second three-game weekend series with the Goldeyes as the home team on the scoreboard. Both teams will send former Major Leaguers to the mound in the series-opener Friday at 6:35 PM. Brandon Cumpton (1-1, 3.48) will start for the Goldeyes while Drew Hutchison (0-0, 3.60) gets the call for Milwaukee. All the action can be heard locally on 93.7 FM CJNU and worldwide at www.cjnu.ca.