Playoffs pretty much out of sight

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This article was published 18/08/2018 (2074 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Winnipeg Goldeyes’ playoff hopes are hanging by a thread.

The South Division leading Sioux City Explorers finished off a three-game sweep over the Goldeyes at Shaw Park on Sunday afternoon with a 6-2 victory.

Goldeyes outfielder Grant Heyman hit a two-run home run in the fourth inning — which was one of only four extra base hits by the Fish in the series — but it wasn’t enough, as the Explorers took a 3-2 lead in the fifth inning and never looked back, adding three more runs in the final two frames to close it out.

Sioux City — the top team in the league with a 63-22 record — kept the Goldeyes’ offence in check all series, as the Fish were held to five runs in three games.

“They have good pitching on that side. Their starters are pretty lights out and their bullpen is lights out, too,” said Goldeyes shortstop Andrew Sohn, who returned to the lineup on Sunday after missing more than a month of action due to a broken fibula. “They’ve got a lot of good arms. We were putting a lot of good swings on balls, a lot of breaks weren’t going our way. We were hitting balls, hard and that’s all you can really ask for.”

The Goldeyes are now losers of five straight, giving them a 36-50 record on the year. With only 14 games remaining, the best the Goldeyes can do is finish at .500 — which really isn’t all that likely considering their biggest winning streak this season is five games, and that was back in May.

But, more importantly, the Goldeyes sit 13 games out of a playoff spot, as they need to finish in the top two of the North Division to qualify for the post-season. The St. Paul Saints, 49-37, and the Gary SouthShore RailCats, 48-36, currently share the division lead.

The Fish, who play the Saints five more times this season, would need to go 13-1 at worst in their final 14 games, and St. Paul would essentially have to forget how to play baseball and close out the year with a 1-13 record at best. The Goldeyes lost the season series to Gary, meaning they’d have to finish with more wins than the RailCats. It’s even more unlikely they’ll surpass Gary as the RailCats have the advantage of having 16 more games this season. Then, there’s the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks, who are still in the North Division playoff race, as they’re in third place with a 46-38 record.

“Everyone kind of realizes the position we’re in,” said Sohn, a member of last season’s championship team. “But, that’s not going to stop us from playing every day. These are professional guys, and they know you’re competing for a job every day. It doesn’t matter if your (team) is in it or out of it. Everyone is going to give it their all, whether it’s for pride, to be spoilers, whatever it is, we’re going to come out every day and give it all we’ve got.”

If the Goldeyes are unable to pull off the miracle, it would be the first time they’ve missed the playoffs since 2015. The Fish will also need to step up their game to avoid having their worst season in their 25-year history. The 2010 campaign was the worst in franchise history, with the Fish finishing with a 46-53 record. This year’s squad needs to go at least 11-3 in the final stretch to avoid the negative side of the record book.

The Goldeyes are heading out on a six-game road trip, which starts with a three-game series today against the Wichita Wingnuts.

taylor.allen@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @TaylorAllen31