The Gary SouthShore RailCats did not have luck on their side at the plate as the Winnipeg Goldeyes pitched their way to a 3-0 victory in the series finale.
Through the first three innings, the RailCats kept pace with their cross-division rival. Even as the Goldeyes strung together three singles, double plays in the first and second innings held their offense in neutral.
However, Winnipeg used their plate discipline to kickstart their offense in the top of the fourth. A trio of base hits loaded the bases with one out before two walks brought home the first two runs to give the Goldeyes a 2-0 lead.
The very next inning, the Goldeyes lineup came through to tack on another run. Ian Sagdal doubled to place a runner on second with two outs, and Max Murphy grounded a ball into right field to force an error and bring in another tally, putting Winnipeg ahead by three.
Though Winnipeg consistently worked runners into scoring position throughout the rest of the game, RailCats pitching held strong to prevent any further damage. They worked two walks in the top of the seventh as they threatened to add to their total, but new reliever Julio Vivas and catcher Thomas Greely quickly reacted to a pitch in the dirt to catch Eric Rivera trying to score to finish the frame.
Vivas returned to the mound in the top of the eighth to strand another runner in scoring position, capping off his debut by tossing two scoreless innings.
However, the RailCats offense could not supplement a trio of strong pitching performances from starter Harrison Francis, Vivas, and Yeison Medina. The Winnipeg bullpen scattered three hits, including two doubles, over the course of the final four innings to complete the shutout win.
The RailCats have a day off tomorrow before heading to The Depot at Cleburne Station on Tuesday at 7:06 p.m. to begin a six-game series against the Cleburne Railroaders. All the action can be found on www.aabaseball.tv, 95.9 WEFM, and the Gary SouthShore RailCats Broadcast Network through the Mixlr app.
