Goldeyes use power play to own three-game series
Times Staff | Posted: Monday, July 27, 2009 12:00 am
WINNIPEG, Manitoba | Juan Diaz hit a third-inning grand slam, then added a two-run shot in the seventh as the Winnipeg Goldeyes swept the RailCats in a three-game series with a 7-4 win Sunday afternoon in front of 5,853 fans at Canwest Park.
Diaz hit his fifth and sixth homers against the RailCats this year with two colossal blasts to left. The veteran slugger drove the first pitch he saw from Garret Holleran (1-2) in the second for his second grand slam in the last 10 days, then blasted a 2-2 pitch from Kyle Heyne in the seventh to drive in Cory Patton from second base. Diaz went 3-for-5 Sunday and finished the three-game series 6-for-13 with three home runs and nine RBIs.
The RailCats drew first blood Sunday when Steve Haake led off the second inning with a triple against Mark Michael (2-2) and scored on a Jeff Beachum grounder.
The RailCats continued to claw out from under the grand slam, getting a run back in the fifth on Rob Marconi's third home run of the year, then another in the sixth when Cristian Guerrero delivered a two-out RBI single to make it 4-3. But Winnipeg answered with a run in the bottom of the sixth and Diaz's home run in the seventh put the game away.
Holleran did not pitch poorly outside of the third inning but took the loss, allowing six hits and five earned runs in six innings. Michael allowed only four hits in his six innings but did walk four and was charged with three runs.
The Goldeyes got revenge for a three-game sweep at the hands of the RailCats from July 10-12 at Canwest Park, sweeping the RailCats for the second time this year at their home ballpark and winning for the sixth game in a row. With the win, the Goldeyes have extended their lead over the second place RailCats to three games.
Sunday's game was the 13th the two teams have played already this year in Winnipeg, with the Goldeyes winning nine of those games. The teams have played only three times at The Steel Yard and will meet for four more games in Northwest Indiana -- Aug. 13-16 -- before the end of the regular season.
PRO BASEBALL
Goldeyes 7, RailCats 4
Winnipeg's Juan Diaz hit two home runs and had six RBIs.
Up next: RailCats (Tony Cogan 6-5) at Joliet (Jason Richardson 2-8), 6:05 p.m. Tuesday.
Radio/Internet: The Lakeshore-FM (89.1); railcatsbaseball.com.