WINNIPEG GOLDEYES DAILY CLIPPINGS

TUESDAY, JULY 28th , 2020

- For One Goldeye, Being at Home on Road an Adjustment—Winnipeg sun, 7/28/20 - Kash Beauchamp Interview (Audio Link)—TSN 1290 (Darin Bauming), 7/27/20 - Goldeyes Earn a Sweep Against RedHawks—Winnipeg Sun, 7/27/20 - Goldeyes Top RedHawks in Pitching Duel— (Steve Schuster), 7/26/20 - Tomshaw Gem Not Enough as Goldeyes Sweep Hawks—Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks, 7/26/20 - July 26 th Game Highlights (Video Link)—Winnipeg Goldeyes (Jason Young), 7/26/20 - Goldeyes Dominating Both Sides of Running Game—Winnipeg Sun, 7/26/20 - Goldeyes Add Former MLB Brandon Cumpton—Winnipeg Sun, 7/24/20 - Goldeyes Relievers Making a Big Contribution—Winnipeg Sun, 7/23/20 - Goldeyes Sign Former Major Leaguer Cumpton—Winnipeg Goldeyes (Steve Schuster), 7/23/20 - Goldeyes Aim to Tighten Defence as Runs Pile Up League-Wide—Winnipeg Sun, 7/22/20

FOR ONE GOLDEYE, BEING AT HOME ON ROAD AN ADJUSTMENT WINNIPEG SUN – TUESDAY, JULY 28 th The Goldeyes have now played nine “home” games at Newman Outdoor Field, including six against the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks.

As is the case when the St. Paul Saints are the home team in the Sioux Falls hub, the Goldeyes are treated to additional benefits beyond simply having the final at-bat.

The home team always takes outdoor batting practice first (usually 4 p.m. for a standard 7 p.m. first pitch) and receives early priority in the indoor cages. The PA announcers at both Newman Outdoor Field and Sioux Falls Stadium have provided enthusiasm for the Goldeyes and Saints typically reserved for the hosts. Players also step into the batter’s box or onto the pitcher’s mound to a personally chosen walk-out song.

Having won five games in a row, the Goldeyes are hoping they are beginning to their stride on the field as the 2020 season approaches the halfway point. At least one member of the Fish, though, is still getting used to his temporary home.

“The last two days, I’ve completely forgotten that we were the home team,” Goldeyes infielder Kevin Lachance said over the weekend. “I’m usually one of the first ones here, so it wasn’t a huge deal. I was thinking that our times for batting practice and the cage were messed up. (Friday), I was out there stretching for the game thinking I’m leading off and batting in the top of the first, and then realized in time (Winnipeg was batting second).

RARE SWEEP The Goldeyes served as the home team on the scoreboard this past weekend, but their three-game sweep of the RedHawks still took place at Newman Outdoor Field. The last time the Goldeyes swept the RedHawks in North Dakota was July of 2014.

The ball park formerly known as “The Nest” has not been particularly kind to the Goldeyes over the past quarter century. The RedHawks remain one of independent ’s elite franchises, and Winnipeg entered the 2020 season with a 73-97 (.429) all-time record at Newman Outdoor Field.

BACK TO CUMPTON Former major leaguer Brandon Cumpton will make his second start for the Goldeyes on Wednesday night. The 31-year-old held the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks to two earned runs over four innings in the nightcap of last Thursday’s doubleheader. Cumpton walked none and struck out three with a power sinker that touched 94 m.p.h.

The Goldeyes scored in each of the first five innings en route to an 8-4 win. Cumpton exited with the lead, but took a no-decision. Starting are still required to pitch at least five innings to qualify for the win, even in the shortened seven-inning contests of doubleheaders.

“I thought he looked really good,” Goldeyes manager Rick Forney said. “The ball came out of his hand well. We had some long half-innings on the offensive side where he had to sit in the dugout a little bit. (Fargo-Moorhead) was also using a bullpen for the seven-inning game, which means they made some pitching changes which also lengthened his stay in the dugout. If it was a normal game with a little more pace between innings, I’m pretty sure he would have gotten through five at least. He threw the ball well.”

Cumpton threw just 70 pitches during his four innings.

Goldeyes starting pitchers have issued two walks or fewer in 16 consecutive games, six of which saw zero free passes.

UP NEXT The Goldeyes open a three-game series against the Chicago Dogs tonight. First pitch from Impact Field is at 7:05 p.m. Mitchell Lambson takes on former major-league right-hander Eddie Butler. The game can be heard live on 93.7 FM.

AUDIO: KASH BEAUCHAMP INTERVIEW DARIN BAUMING – TSN 1290 – MONDAY, JULY 27 th LINK (interview begins at 48:23): https://www.tsn.ca/radio/winnipeg-1290/the-don-vito-roundtable-july-27th-2020-1.1500455

GOLDEYES EARN A SWEEP AGAINST REDHAWKS WINNIPEG SUN – MONDAY, JULY 27 th The Winnipeg Goldeyes completed a three-game sweep of the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks with a 2-0 win at Newman Outdoor Field on Sunday afternoon.

The Goldeyes served as the home team.

Darnell Sweeney broke a scoreless deadlock in the bottom of the eighth with a solo . Two batters later, Kyle Martin walked, stole second, and scored an insurance run on Logan Hill’s single to centre.

Victor Capellan pitched a scoreless top of the ninth to earn his fifth save of the year. Capellan is now just one save shy of the American Association’s all- time record of 70.

Winnipeg’s Frank Duncan and Fargo-Moorhead’s Matthew Tomshaw each tossed seven shutout innings in starting efforts. Duncan walked none and struck out five on 93 pitches. Tomshaw walked one and fanned seven on 102 offerings.

Jose Jose earned the win in relief after pitching a perfect top of the eighth. Fargo-Moorhead reliever Tyler Wilson took the loss, allowing both runs in the bottom half.

Martin singled in the second and has hit safely in 12 straight.

WP: Jose (1-0) LP: Wilson (0-1) SV: Capellan (5) HR: WIN Sweeney (5)

THE SKINNY : The Goldeyes pulled out a victory in their last at bat for a second time in three days, blanking Fargo-Moorhead 2-0 to sweep the three- game series.

PLAYER OF THE GAME : Duncan has now pitched 14.0 consecutive scoreless innings dating back to last Tuesday.

PLAY OF THE GAME : With the game still scoreless in the bottom of the seventh, RedHawks’ third baseman Leobaldo Pina hustled down the left-field line, turned, and then dropped to both knees before pinning Wes Darvill’s popfly against his chest to strand a pair of runners.

UP NEXT : The Goldeyes take Monday off and return to action Tuesday night against the Chicago Dogs at Impact Field. First pitch is at 7:05 p.m. The game can be heard on 93.7 FM.

GOLDEYES TOP REDHAWKS IN PITCHING DUEL STEVE SCHUSTER – WINNIPEG GOLDEYES – SUNDAY, JULY 26 th FARGO, ND – The Winnipeg Goldeyes (14-8) beat the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks 2-0 at Newman Outdoor Field on Sunday afternoon.

The Goldeyes served as the home team.

With the game scoreless in the bottom of the eighth inning, Darnell Sweeney hit a solo home run just to the right of centre field with one out. Two batters later, Kyle Martin walked, stole second base, and scored on a two-out single to centre from Logan Hill .

Victor Capellan pitched a scoreless top of the ninth to earn his fifth save of the season. Capellan is now just one save away from the American Association’s all-time record of 70.

Goldeyes’ starter Frank Duncan pitched seven shutout innings on six hits in a no-decision. Duncan walked none, struck out five, and threw just 93 pitches.

RedHawks’ starter Matthew Tomshaw also took a no-decision, pitching seven shutout innings on six hits. Tomshaw walked one and struck out seven.

Jose Jose (1-0) earned the win in relief after pitching a perfect top of the eighth.

Tyler Wilson (0-1) took the loss in relief for the RedHawks.

Martin singled in the top of the second, stretching his career-best hitting streak to 12 games.

It marked the Goldeyes’ first three-game sweep of the RedHawks at Newman Outdoor Field since July 4 th -6th of 2014.

The Goldeyes open a three-game series against the Chicago Dogs on Tuesday night. First pitch from Impact Field is at 7:05 p.m. All the action can be heard locally on 93.7 FM CJNU and worldwide at www.cjnu.ca

For information on Goldeyes’ merchandise and 2021 season tickets, visit the Goldeyes’ official website at www.goldeyes.com

TOMSHAW GEM NOT ENOUGH AS GOLDEYES SWEEP HAWKS FARGO-MOORHEAD REDHAWKS – SUNDAY, JULY 26 th FARGO, N.D. – Darnell Sweeney hit a solo home run in the eighth inning off RedHawks reliever Tyler Wilson (0-1, 18.00 ERA) to give the Winnipeg Goldeyes (14-8) all the offense they would need to secure a series sweep of the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks (7-15) on Sunday afternoon at Newman Outdoor Field. The Goldeyes added another run in the eighth to make the final 2-0 in favor of the home side on the scoreboard.

The first seven innings of the game showcased each team’s starting pitcher as Matt Tomshaw (0-2, 5.40) and Frank Duncan (3-1, 2.73) each threw seven shutout innings but didn’t factor into the decision. Tomshaw struck out seven batters and walked one while giving up six hits in 7.0 . Duncan Struck out five and walked none while giving up six hits in his 7.0 innings of work.

Tyler Wilson, a 2020 American Association Dispersal Draft selection from the Cleburne Railroaders, made his first appearance for the RedHawks in the eighth inning. Wilson gave up the solo homer to Darnell Sweeney and another run on a Logan Hill RBI single to earn the loss.

Leobaldo Pina was the only RedHawks player with multiple hits in the game. Pina went 3-for-4 with a double in the ninth inning. Drew Ward was ejected from the game in the top of the sixth inning after arguing balls and strikes with home plate umpire Jacob McConnell.

The American Association will take Monday off before play resumes on Tuesday. The RedHawks will host the St. Paul Saints (9-11) for a three-game series at Newman Outdoor Field beginning Tuesday night. Tuesday night’s game will be the first meeting between the clubs since the 2019 AA North Division Championship Series that St. Paul won three games to two. First pitch is scheduled for 7:02 p.m. on Tuesday night.

VIDEO: JULY 26 th GAME HIGHLIGHTS JASON YOUNG – WINNIPEG GOLDEYES – SUNDAY, JULY 26 th LINK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OgcI6QfcO1o

GOLDEYES DOMINATING BOTH SIDS OF RUNNING GAME WINNIPEG SUN – SUNDAY, JULY 26 th After one-third of the 2020 American Association season, the Winnipeg Goldeyes are dominating both sides of the running game.

The Goldeyes entered Saturday’s game against Fargo-Moorhead leading the American Association in runs scored, and the club’s baserunning has played a major role. The Goldeyes also pace the league with 27 stolen bases, which have come at a 71% success rate.

“It’s important for us as an offence to do some things with our legs,” said Goldeyes’ manager Rick Forney. “It doesn’t always equate to a , but it’s led to some runs. We’ve put some pressure on the pitcher, catcher, and opposing defence.”

During the opener of Thursday’s double header, Wes Darvill took off for second base in a scoreless game. Darvill would have been safe regardless, but his stolen base attempt forced an errant throw by RedHawks catcher Blake Grant-Parks that went into centre field. Such overthrows usually allow the runner one additional base, but Darvill quickly scrambled to his feet and managed his way to home plate in a game the Goldeyes ultimately won 2-1.

“There have been a lot of situations where we’re putting a guy in motion,” Forney said. “We hit a groundball and they record the out at first, but if we don’t have that guy in motion, it’s a double play of a force out at second. Next thing you know, the next guy’s getting a base hit and scoring that runner from second base. We don’t want to be stagnant and playing station-to-station. We want to be active with our legs, and aggressive going first to third on base hits. If you’re a good base running team, then you can score yourself an extra run or two a night.”

Eight different Goldeyes players have at least one stolen base. As one would expect based on their resumes, speedsters like Darnell Sweeney, Kevin Lachance, and Darvill have been a big part of the Goldeyes’ baserunning success. But Winnipeg is also getting contributions from less likely candidates. First baseman Kyle Martin, outfielder Logan Hill, and catcher Roy Morales have accounted for 10 steals using their baseball IQ to identify vulnerable pitcher-catcher combinations.

What’s been equally impressive is the lack of stolen bases against the Goldeyes’ defence.

Entering Saturday, there were just three stolen base attempts against Goldeyes’ batteries all season. Milwaukee’s defence had the next fewest with 12 attempts against, while the remaining four teams were well north of 20.

The opposition’s lack of running is largely attributed to the catching tandem of John Nester and Morales, both of whom were American Association All- Stars in 2019. Nester cut down 44% of base stealers in 2015 while playing for Wichita, which ranks as the fourth-highest mark in league history.

“It’s a respect thing,” Forney said on the reputation of his catchers. “I think there are some pitchers on our staff that you can run against, but the opposition knows that we have two formidable guys behind the plate that, if given the opportunity, they throw really, really well. That’s a respect thing, and both of them are doing a good job for us.”

GOLDEYES ADD FORMER MLB PITCHER BRANDON CUMPTON WINNIPEG SUN – FRIDAY, JULY 24 th The Goldeyes bolstered their pitching staff in a big way on Thursday with the addition of former major-league right-hander Brandon Cumpton.

Cumpton pitched for the from 2013-14. After Tommy John surgery sidelined the 31-year-old during the 2015 and 2016 seasons, Cumpton returned all the way back to the majors in 2018 with the .

“We started out slow with our starting pitching, and needed to make some decisions and try to find someone with experience,” Goldeyes manager Rick Forney said. “Brandon wants to work, and he’s anxious to pitch and compete. He stretched himself out at home and was looking for a place to play, so I’m glad we have him in here. Hopefully that veteran experience can help us stabilize the starting rotation a little bit.”

Cumpton totaled 102.1 innings at the major-league level, compiling a 4.05 ERA and a 3.06 FIP (fielding independent pitching), a metric scaled to ERA that strictly measures the factors within a pitcher’s control.

The 6-foot-2 righty is one of several players who recently signed in the American Association following the cancellation of the season. Cumpton had signed with the Diablos Rojos del Mexico in January. Former American Association all-stars Nate Samson and Alonzo Harris signed with the St. Paul Saints last week due to similar circumstances.

Last year, Cumpton logged 83.0 innings for the Atlantic League’s Southern Maryland Blue Crabs, posting a 4.88 ERA and a 3.86 FIP.

During his major-league debut on June 15, 2013, Cumpton struck out five batters over five innings in a no-decision versus the . Just over a month later, Cumpton threw seven shutout innings on just three hits against the St. Louis Cardinals to record his first major-league win.

Cumpton helps round out a Goldeyes rotation that includes returnees Mitchell Lambson, Kevin McGovern, and Kevin Hilton, as well as newcomer Frank Duncan. The first three have all been American Association all-stars within the past three years, while Duncan was a Can-Am League all-star in 2019 and pitched seven scoreless innings in a win at Fargo-Moorhead on Tuesday.

The Goldeyes entered Thursday second in the six-team American Association with a 4.68 team ERA. Excluding the six innings this season in which the Goldeyes have surrendered five or more runs, Winnipeg is averaging just 3.1 runs per game across the remaining 140.0 innings.

GOLDEYES RELIEVERS MAKING A BIG CONTRIBUTION WINNIPEG SUN – THURSDAY, JULY 23 rd With seven games scheduled for his team over six calendar days this week, Goldeyes manager Rick Forney is pleased with how his bullpen is taking shape.

Entering the game against Fargo-Moorhead on Wednesday, Goldeyes relievers owned a 3.53 ERA in 63.2 combined innings.

The bullpen received a major boost over the weekend when left-hander Jose Jose was activated from the Reserve List. Jose, who turned 30 years old on Monday, has averaged 10.5 per nine innings since converting into a pitcher in 2010.

Jose made his season debut Sunday in the rubber match of the Goldeyes’ series with the Sioux Falls Canaries, and protected a one-run lead with a scoreless top of the eighth.

“Really good,” Forney said on Jose’s outing on Sunday. “He knows what he’s doing out there and keeps the ball down in the zone. He had nice downhill plane on his fastball, and has a good change-up he can throw in any count. He showed a lot of poise, and looked like the veteran that you’d expect him to look like.”

That poise was on display again Tuesday in the Goldeyes’ 5-0 win over the RedHawks. With two outs and a runner on base in the eighth, Jose appeared to have struck out dangerous slugger Correlle Prime with a fastball away. It was ruled outside, but Jose recovered on the very next pitch and got Prime to swing over the top of a change-up.

Forney is also impressed by first-year Goldeyes reliever Nate Antone, who spent the majority of the first three years of his career in the Frontier and Can-Am Leagues.

“Nate’s done a good job for us,” Forney said of the 29-year-old Antoni. “He’s pitching in an experienced league for the first time, and learning how to compete at this level and with this peer group. His fastball’s good when he’s pounding the zone and attacking with it, and when he gets his slider down and away, he’s a tough match up.”

Antone has not allowed a run in five of his first seven relief appearances, and has settled into a late-inning role. His fastball routinely has sat in the 94 to 95 m.p.h. range.

“I feel like our bullpen has a really good situation going on,” said Forney. “Our starters don’t have to go seven, eight or nine innings. If they’re on top of their game that day and give us seven or eight, then that’s a bonus. But we have the ability to shorten the game up.”

REDHAWKS USE OPENER Speaking of shortening the game, the RedHawks utilized what has unofficially been dubbed the “opener” in recent years.

Right-hander Cale Coshow, primarily a late-inning reliever throughout his career, started Wednesday’s game before giving way to scheduled starting pitcher Ryan Williams. Coshow (pronounced KOH-show) was used in a similar manner last Friday when the RedHawks played at Chicago.

Several MLB teams employ the strategy, most notably the Tampa Bay Rays.

Data revealed the first inning is the highest-scoring inning, largely due to the guarantee of a team’s best hitters coming to the plate.

The premise is to use a high-leverage reliever to get through the first inning, which helps minimize the chances of falling behind early. A more traditional starter then follows the opener, and in theory, should have an easier time working through a lineup more than once.

GOLDEYES SIGN FORMER MAJOR LEAGUER CUMPTON STEVE SCHUSTER – WINNIPEG GOLDEYES – THURSDAY, JULY 23 rd WINNIPEG, MB – The Winnipeg Goldeyes signed former Major League right-handed pitcher Brandon Cumpton on Thursday.

Cumpton will start the second game of Thursday’s double header at Fargo-Moorhead.

Cumpton posted a 3.86 fielding independent pitching (FIP) in 83.0 innings (15 starts) last year for the Atlantic League’s Southern Maryland Blue Crabs. The Augusta, Georgia native struck out 73, walked 34, and allowed just six home runs. Cumpton’s 1.6 wins above replacement (WAR) ranked sixth in the Atlantic League among pitchers with less than 90.0 innings. The 31-year-old right-hander also made five starts and one relief appearance for the Mexican League’s Pericos de Puebla in 2019.

Cumpton has logged 102.1 total innings in the Major Leagues, first with the Pittsburgh Pirates from 2013-14, and again with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2018. Cumpton owns a 4.05 ERA and a 3.06 FIP at the Major League level, striking out 70 while allowing only 25 walks and three home runs. His resume includes Major League strikeouts of Joey Votto, Anthony Rizzo, and Javier Baez.

Cumpton is in his ninth season of professional baseball, and was drafted by the Pirates in the ninth round in 2010 out of Georgia Tech University (Atlanta, Georgia). The 6-foot-2, 200-pound Cumpton is 54-60 lifetime with two saves and a 4.22 ERA in 183 career games, 141 of them as a starting pitcher. Cumpton has averaged just 2.8 walks and 0.6 home runs per nine innings in 853.2 career frames. Cumpton struck out five batters during his Major League debut on June 15 th versus the Los Angeles Dodgers, and picked up his first Major League win on July 30 th of that same year after pitching seven shutout innings versus the St. Louis Cardinals in the second game of a double header. Cumpton managed his way back to the Majors with Toronto after Tommy John Surgery sidelined him during the 2015 and 2016 seasons.

The Goldeyes active roster now stands at 22 of a possible 23 players.

The Winnipeg Goldeyes play a double header against the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks at Newman Outdoor Field tonight. Game one is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. All the action can be heard locally on 93.7 FM CJNU and worldwide at www.cjnu.ca

For information on Goldeyes’ merchandise and 2021 season tickets, visit the Goldeyes’ official website at www.goldeyes.com

GOLDEYES AIM TO TIGHTEN UP DEFENCE AS RUNS PILE UP LEAGUE-WIDE WINNIPEG SUN – WEDNESDAY, JULY 22 nd Just more than two weeks into the American Association’s abbreviated 2020 season, it has been — for the most part — business as usual for the six teams involved.

While daily temperature checks and social distancing within locker rooms have added new wrinkles to age-old processes, the general consensus among players and coaches is that baseball itself has provided a much-needed sense of normalcy amidst the chaos.

One on-field trend has caught a few uniformed personnel by surprise. Offence across the board has been plentiful.

Entering Tuesday, the American Association was averaging 5.9 runs per team per game. By comparison, the league averaged 4.9 runs per game from 2017-19 combined. The league ERA sits at 5.18, meaning a pitcher with a 5.00 ERA would be considered above average as of right now.

“Who really knows anything in 2020,” Goldeyes’ manager Rick Forney laughed when asked if higher-scoring games may be a new normal this summer. “For our team, we were struggling to execute pitches consistently (last week), and that can lead to some lopsided scores, so hopefully we can get our pitching staff stabilized.”

The Goldeyes entered Tuesday third out of six teams in ERA. Their biggest issue through the first 15 games hasn’t been pitching per se, as much as it has been limiting the big inning.

Of the 85 runs the Goldeyes have allowed this season, 41, or nearly half, have been scored by the opposition in just six innings. The Saints hung a 10 spot on the Goldeyes in Sioux Falls last Tuesday. In the nightcap of Saturday’s double header, the Canaries managed five in the first and seven more in the third.

“If we get some guys that can give us some quick, one-two-three innings, we feel like our offence can be as good as anybody in the league,” said Forney. “It’s just hard to produce offence when you’re playing defence for 15 to 20 minutes per half inning and giving up crooked numbers.”

If you eliminate the six innings in which the Goldeyes have surrendered five runs or more, Winnipeg’s runs per game average drops to an extremely competitive 3.22. Bookending the 13-7 loss in the second half of Saturday’s twin bill, the Goldeyes held a potent Sioux Falls lineup to six total runs in a pair of wins.

Even under normal circumstances, pitching usually tracks ahead of the hitting early in the season. Forney points out two factors that might be contributing to the increased league-wide offence.

With Sioux Falls Stadium hosting both the Canaries and Saints this season, one-third of the entire league’s games are effectively being played at the “Bird Cage.” Since 2011, Sioux Falls Stadium has allowed 46% more home runs than the average American Association venue.

“I mean, it can be tough,” said Forney. “When you’re in Sioux Falls, as everybody knows, anything can happen, and it’s not uncommon to see a high- scoring game.”

Forney also posited the reduced number of teams could lead to hitters familiarizing themselves with opposing pitchers much sooner than they otherwise would.

“It can be a little bit of a tougher task for the pitchers, because you’re going to face a lot of the same hitters throughout the season,” Forney added. “It’s not like you’ve got 11 other teams that you get to pitch against, and at the end of the day, it’s going to boil down to your starting pitcher that day and how well he can execute pitches.”

ROSTER MOVES The Goldeyes made several roster moves in advance of Tuesday’s series-opener. Catcher Ryan Lidge was traded to the Chicago Dogs in exchange for a player to be named later. Lidge appeared in three games at the beginning of the season before he was placed on the Reserve List.

Pitchers McKenzie Mills and Dylan Rheault were both released from the active roster. Mills took the loss in the second game of Saturday’s double header, allowing 11 earned runs in two and one-third innings. Rheault is recovering from a non-throwing related, upper-body injury and is hoping to rejoin the team later this month.

The Goldeyes’ active roster stands at 21 of a possible 23 players.