GARY, IN. 8-3-2010 – The Winnipeg Goldeyes scored five early runs and Zach Baldwin earned the win with 5.1 innings of relief as the Goldeyes beat the Gary SouthShore RailCats 6-4 at U. S. Steel Yard for their second straight win to start a three-game series.

On a night filled with early scoring, Baldwin (3-1) was excellent in relief of Winnipeg starter Stephen Flake, who could not get out of the second inning.  The left-hander allowed just one run on three hits to settle down a game that featured six combined runs before the end of the second.  The Goldeyes took the lead for good with a two-out run in the third and extended their lead over the fifth place RailCats to 2.5 games in the race for the fourth and final playoff spot.

The RailCats opened the scoring in the bottom of the first inning when Mike Massaro singled and went to second on a Cristian Guerrero two-out walk.  Randall Simon put the ‘Cats in front 2-0 with a line drive double into the right field corner, one of two hits for the former Chicago Cub in the game.

Winnipeg responded with a big second inning off Brad Halsey (4-6), quickly tying the score when Luis Alen hit his eighth home run of the year with Kevin West on second base.  The Goldeyes were not done either, getting four straight singles after the Alen home run to force another run across and grab a 3-2 lead.

The RailCats came back to tie the game with a run in the second when Mike Valadez singled into right and took second when rightfielder Justin Justice ever so slightly bobbled the ball.  Valadez would score one batter later on a Chris Carrara single to tie the game.  Later in the inning, the RailCats loaded the bases with one out before Baldwin came on and got Cristian Guerrero to hit into an inning-ending double play.

Alen drove in the game-winning run in the third inning, singling West – who had tripled – in from third with two outs, and the Fish got insurance on another two-out RBI hit, this one from Juan Diaz in the fourth.

Halsey went 5.0 innings in the loss, allowing five earned runs on 12 hits, walking and striking out one.  The RailCats bullpen did a nice job in back of the starter, with Jeff Williams, Zeb Engle, Aaron Cook and Andy Shipman combining to allow just an unearned run in 4.0 innings.

Baldwin carried the game into the seventh for the Goldeyes, and Ian Thomas did most of the rest of the work.  The second-year left-hander struck out two and allowed just a Carrara one-out single in the ninth to pick up his third save of the season.

The Goldeyes out-hit the RailCats 15-8 and got three hits from leadoff man Aharon Eggleston.  Diaz, West, Alen, Dee Brown and Price Kendall all had two hits for the Goldeyes.  Simon, Valadez and Carrara each had two of the RailCats eight hits.

The RailCats (33-35) and Goldeyes (36-33) conclude their three-game series Wednesday night at 7 p.m. at U. S. Steel Yard.  The ‘Cats will send right-hander Willie Glen (7-2, 2.70 ERA) with Ace Walker (5-3, 3.98 ERA) countering for Winnipeg.  The game will be broadcast live on 89.1 FM, The Lakeshore, and online at www.railcatsbaseball.com.

Wednesday is Hockey Night at The Steel Yard in conjunction with the Stanley Cup Champion Chicago Blackhawks!  The first 5,000 fans at the game will get a poster of Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews – a couple of which will be autographed – and the ‘Cats will be wearing commemorative hockey-style jerseys, to be auctioned off after the game.  Plus, Hockey Hall of Famer Denis Savard will be on hand, signing autographs and mingling with fans!  And if that’s not enough, it’s Wet Your Whistle Wednesday, with $2 Miller Lite and MGD drafts available for fans 21 and over, thanks to Miller Lite and X-Rock 103.9 FM.

Notes: The 12 hits allowed by Halsey were the most the veteran southpaw has allowed in any of his 14 starts … the RailCats had won the first two series of the year against the Goldeyes, but will lose this series even with a win Wednesday … the RailCats fell to just 13-20 at U. S. Steel Yard this year … Winnipeg stranded 13 runners on base in the game.