By Doug Greenwald, Winnipeg Goldeyes

WINNIPEG, MB – Two Grand Slams in one game (one of them a pinch hit), an inside-the-park-home run, a two-homer game by one player, and a team home run cycle – you never know what you’ll see when you come to the ballpark. Fortunately for the Winnipeg Goldeyes (33-45) they had the majority of the above in a 16-6 win over the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks (37-40). It was the most runs this year in a game for Winnipeg.

Box Score

On a night where the Goldeyes retired the jersey of one of their greats – Reggie Abercrombie‘s number 11, the club saluted their all-time home run leader with five round-trippers and a homer cycle. The Goldeyes had a pair of solo homers, a two-run clout, three-run round tripper, and a Grand Slam. The five homers match the most in a game this year for Winnipeg. They also accomplished that on May 30th at Chicago.

Right fielder Max Murphy (23, 24) got the party started in the first inning with a three-run homer to left-centre making it 3-0. Several batters later, catcher Jackson Smith (4) homered to right giving the Goldeyes a four-run first. Murphy added a solo homer in the sixth which was his third multi-homer game this year and tenth all-time in a Goldeyes uniform. He has a three-run homer and four RBIs in back-to-back games. Murphy leads the American Association with 24 homers and 71 RBIs. Friday was his sixth game this season with at least four RBIs. The four runs scored by Murphy are the most by a Goldeye this season.

Winnipeg followed with four more runs in the second. Fargo-Moorhead starter Correlle Prime (3-8) walked second baseman Brynn Martinez, and third baseman Dayson Croes. With two out, the RedHawks passed on Murphy, walking him intentionally to load the bases to face left fielder Miles Simington (3). He ripped the first pitch over the right field wall for a Grand Slam–the Goldeyes first ‘Slam this season which made it 8-0. Simington had a Grand Slam in all three seasons in college, now can add one in his first professional season.

The Goldeyes accomplished their third four-run inning in the fourth. Simington was involved with a two-run triple, giving him six RBIs–the most by a Goldeye in 2023. He’s the first Goldeye to have at least six RBIs in a game since Murphy who had seven last season at Fargo-Moorhead. Simington also doubled and had one chance for the cycle needing the single but he lined to shortstop in the seventh.

Goldeyes shortstop Andy Armstrong (1) joined the home run fun in the seventh. He lined a ball toward right, Fargo-Moorhead right fielder Alec Olund went back and the ball went over his head. Olund fell and didn’t get up, and the ball sat on the warning track allowing Armstrong to circle the bases for an inside-the-park homer. That completed the homer cycle as Croes also scored. Olund laid on the warning track for close to ten minutes and was taken off on a cart with a knee injury.

Tyler Jandron was the “opener” for Winnipeg going three shutout innings. Travis Seabrooke (6-5) hopped in in the fourth and lasted five innings. He gave up six hits, six runs (all earned), walked four and fanned seven. Seabrooke gave up five runs in the sixth which included a pinch-hit Grand Slam by Michael Falsetti.

Prime gave up 12 runs (all earned), and walked seven (one intentional). He worked four innings.

Winnipeg has won three straight games on this homestand and four-of-their-last five while Fargo-Moorhead has dropped eight-of-ten. The second game of this series is Saturday night at Shaw Park with a 6:00 commencement. The scheduled starters are left-hander Tyler Grauer (5-2) for Fargo-Moorhead against Winnipeg righty Landen Bourassa (7-5).

GOLDEYES SCALES

The last inside-the-park homer for Winnipeg prior to Armstrong was hit June 17, 2022 by Raul Navarro. Armstrong’s last homer was with Evansville (Frontier League) in 2022

Winnipeg’s last Grand Slam before Simington was by Justin Thompson on August 2 a year ago at Sioux Falls

Croes has hit safely in his last seven games. He was 1-3 with two walks and three runs scored. Over the seven contests he’s 12-27, .444. The Aruba native has hits in 16-of-his-last 17 games (26-66, .394). He’s third in the league in hitting at .350

Simington had a significant contribution before Winnipeg came to bat. He robbed Fargo-Moorhead catcher Manuel Boscan of a two-run double in the first by making a diving catch toward left-centre

The 16 runs are the most for Winnipeg at Shaw Park since Game Five of the American Association Championship Series in 2017 when they defeated Wichita 18-2. The last time they scored 16 runs in a game anywhere was August 16, 2020 at Sioux Falls.