The Gary SouthShore RailCats could not generate much offense against a Winnipeg Goldeyes pitching staff that brought their best stuff to The Steel Yard as they were dealt a 5-2 defeat.
Goldeyes starting pitcher Luis Ramirez put together a masterful performance, tossing seven innings and allowing just two runs as he earned his seventh victory of the season.
The Gary SouthShore offense got to him early, though, as they scored the game’s first run in the bottom of the second inning. Jesus Marriaga blasted the first pitch he saw over the right field wall, and his second home run in as many days put the RailCats ahead 1-0.
However, the Goldeyes fought back by tying the score in their next turn at bat. A one-out Eric Rivera single brought Winnipeg level at one, but RailCats pitching stranded runners at the corners to keep the two teams on equal footing.
In the top of the fourth, Winnipeg found their groove at the plate as they took their first lead. Two consecutive innings to lead off the frame placed runners on the corners, and the next batter, Logan Hill, lifted a sacrifice fly to move the Goldeyes in front. Justin Thompson followed up two batters later as he hit a two-run home run, his second of the season, as the Goldeyes pulled ahead by three.
The RailCats responded by plating a run themselves in the bottom half of the inning. Jonathan Engelmann singled Michael Woodworth home from second base to cut their deficit to two.
Looking to restore the run, the Goldeyes got their lineup working once again in the top of the fifth. A wild pitch brought home the fifth run of the game, and Winnipeg restored their advantage back to three runs.
At that point, the two pitching staffs took control. Augie Voight came out of the RailCats bullpen to fire 2.1 innings of scoreless baseball, stranding four runners on base in the process to hold Winnipeg’s offense in check.
Though he pitched brilliantly, the Goldeyes had three relievers combine for two scoreless innings to close out the ball game, hammering down the series-opening victory.
The RailCats head back to The Steel Yard for game two against the Goldeyes at 4:00 p.m. on Military Appreciation Night. All the action can be found on www.aabaseball.tv, 95.9 WEFM, and the Gary SouthShore RailCats Broadcast Network through the Mixlr app.
