With the score tied 4-4 and the bases loaded in the eighth inning, Andy Armstrong laced a single to left field that scored two runs and proved the difference in a 6-4 Winnipeg Goldeyes win over the Milwaukee Milkmen.
The victory was much needed for the Fish, who were on a six-game skid coming into the Sunday contest. The win improves the Goldeyes to 20-32
Winnipeg native Marc-André Habeck got the start for the Goldeyes. The hometown hero pitched 6.1 innings and gave up four earned runs on eight hits while striking out four. Three of the four runs for Milwaukee came via the long ball with Cam Balego, Cam Redding and Reggie Pruitt Jr. all taking the College Jeanne-Sauve graduate deep.
JOHN WOODS / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Winnipeg Goldeyes Jackson Smith (9) celebrates his homerun against the Milwaukee Milkmen Sunday afternoon at Shaw Park.
Landen Bourassa took over in the seventh and pitched 1.2 scoreless innings giving up only one hit and Samuel Adames closed it out in the ninth also surrendering only one hit and no runs.
Habeck has been quite the story for the Fish. He began the season coming out of the bullpen, but switched to a starting role in early July because of some key absences on the pitching staff.
Pitchers Travis Seabrooke and Landon Bourassa were named to Canada’s national team at the WBSC Americas Pan Am Games Qualifier in Argentina which resulted in them being unavailable for the Goldeyes for three weeks in June.
The door swung open for the Winnipegger.
The right-handed hurler started his first game for his hometown team on June 7 against the Chicago Dogs, but pitched only two innings. Habeck continued to pitch well in his starts, never surrendering more than four earned runs in any outing this season. With each start came more innings and more trust from his manager Greg Tagert.
“When Travis and Landon were out of the rotation during those three weeks, Marc filled in a little bit and he looked solid,” said Tagert.
JOHN WOODS / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Winnipeg Goldeyes pitcher Marc-Andre Habeck (47) pitched 6.1 innings and gave up four earned runs on eight hits while striking out four.
Habeck was improving with each start and it came to a head when he shut out the Sioux City Explorers in his last start.
“The starts got a little better and a little better, his last start at Sioux City was by far his best, seven innings and no runs. He was outstanding,” said Tagert.
Left-fielder Najee Gaskins was also a standout for the fish. The outfielder was a beast in both the outfield and in the batters box Sunday afternoon.
Gaskins certainly got his cardio in making a number of catches on the run throughout the game. He caught a total of seven fly balls in the contest.
“It’s a lot of running,” Gaskins said with a smile. “I trust our pitching and they count on me to make the catches.”
Gaskins’ biggest contribution was at the plate where he went two for three with a double and a single but his most important at-bat may have been one where he didn’t register a hit.
Gaskins led off the eighth inning with a six pitch walk. Javeyan Williams bunted and beat the throw to first to advance Gaskins to second. Milwaukee intentionally walked Dayson Croes to load the bases and Andy Armstrong drove the winning runs to home plate.
The rally started with Gaskins and his plate discipline did not go unnoticed by his manager.
“His best at-bat of the day was his last one,” said Tagert.
The Goldeyes next take on the Cleburne Railroaders (27-26) on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. at Shaw Park.
