For the second straight night, the Winnipeg Goldeyes got an outstanding performance from their pitching staff, shutting out the New Jersey Jackals and moving their lead in the North Division to 10 games. With just 11 games left in the season, the Goldeyes reduced their magic number to just two.

Chris Salamida started for Winnipeg and pitched 7.2 innings of shutout ball. The 6-0, 195 pound lefty moved his record to 7-4 on the season and showed great command. He walked two, giving him just 24 walks in 120.2 innings pitched, while striking out 110. He left Wednesday’s game with the fourth lowest ERA in the league (3.21), and has the lowest WHIP of any starting pitcher (1.11).

Brendan Lafferty pitched the final 1.1 innings of the game collecting his fifth save of the season. The lefty provided another outstanding appearance of relief, allowing no base runners while striking out one.

The Goldeyes got on the board in the third when Ryan Pineda walked to start out the inning. Pineda advanced to second on a ground out by Jake Blackwood. With two outs, Tyler Kuhn would work the count to 2-1 before lining a single into right field that scored Pineda on a close play at the plate, and it was 1-0.

The score would remain that way until the eighth when Pineda would lead off the inning with a walk again, this time against reliever Shaun Ellis. Brock Bond grounded back to the pitcher to force Pineda at second. Blackwood then drove a 2-1 pitch into right field. Bond headed for third, but Felix Sanchez’s throw from right sailed for an error, allowing Bond to score. That was all the scoring the Goldeyes staff would need.

Keith Bilodeau was the hard-luck loser for New Jersey. He went seven innings, yielding six hits and just one walk, while striking out six.

The combined shutout followed the outstanding performance by Ethan Hollingsworth from the previous night. Hollingsworth (7-1) went the distance on a two-hit shutout, walking just one while fanning five. Winnipeg pitchers have now gone 21 innings without giving up a run.

Winnipeg welcomes the Sioux Falls Canaries to town tonight, with a chance to at least clinch a tie for the division championship. With their magic number at two they need a win and a St. Paul loss at Lincoln to outright claim the division crown.

By Robert Pannier
Senior Baseball Editor
Member of the IBWAA