August 22, 2022

By Steve Schuster

Winnipeg Goldeyes

KANSAS CITY, Kan. – The Winnipeg Goldeyes (48-39) beat the Kansas City Monarchs 7-5 at Legends Field on Monday night.

Ian Sagdal lined a single to right with one out in the top of the first, took third on a single through the right side from David Washington, and scored the game’s first run on a two-out wild pitch from Monarchs’ starter Brock Gilliam.

In the top of the third, Raul Navarro tripled to right-centre leading off. Sagdal followed with a line drive home run to right that made it 3-0. After Max Murphy singled up the middle, Washington blasted a two-run homer to left-centre to extend the lead to 5-0. It was Washington’s 29th home run of the season, which leads the American Association and now ties Sean Hearn (1998) and Juan Diaz (2009) for second on the Goldeyes’ single-season list.

Kansas City (54-33) got on the board in the bottom of the third when Kevin Santa scored on a two-out, RBI double down the left field line from Jacob Robson (Windsor, Ont.).

The Goldeyes re-extended the lead to 7-2 in the top of the fourth. Deon Stafford Jr. lined a single to centre leading off and took third when the ball bounced past centre fielder Mallex Smith. Reggie Pruitt Jr. made it 6-2 with a line drive single to left-centre on an 0-2 count that scored Stafford. Pruitt took second on a ground ball from Navarro, stole third, and scored the Goldeyes’ seventh run on a Sagdal sacrifice fly to deep left.

The Monarchs chipped away over the final six innings, beginning with a leadoff home run to right from Darnell Sweeney in the bottom of the fourth. Casey Gillaspie lifted a sacrifice fly to right in the bottom of the seventh that scored Santa. Jan Hernandez popped a solo home run to left with one out in the home eighth, while Robson’s two-out, solo shot to right in the ninth cut the Goldeyes’ lead to 7-5. Will McAffer (North Vancouver, B.C.) struck out Gillaspie to end the game and pick up his first save as a member of the Goldeyes.

Goldeyes’ starter Alex Manasa picked up the win, allowing two earned runs on six hits in 5 1/3 innings. Manasa walked one, struck out eight, and was pitching on three days rest.

Gilliam took the loss, allowing seven runs, five earned, on 10 hits over six innings. Gilliam walked one and struck out nine.

The series continues Tuesday night at 7:05 p.m. Alex Hart (0-1, 5.14) faces left-hander Jordan Martinson (5-1, 2.64).