The Winnipeg Goldeyes are championship bound.
The Fish captured the American Association of Professional Baseball’s West Division crown at their home park on Thursday night in the must-win third game of a best-of-three series against the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks.
Goldeyes pitcher Mitchell Lambson put on a clinic with his best performance of the entire season, striking out 11 and allowing just one run and five hits in nearly seven innings of work.
The home squad took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the fourth inning before the teams traded single scores in the following frame.
The Goldeyes held on to that thin 2-1 lead into the bottom of the eighth, when first baseman Jake McMurray put a solo shot over the left field onto Waterfront Drive for some insurance.
It was all they’d need. Nick Trogrlic-Iverson pitched an inning in relief and Winnipegger Ben Onyshko closed things off for the Fish.
They now play in the Miles Wolff Cup championship for the first time since 2017, facing the Kane County Cougars.
The best-of-five final starts Saturday at Northwestern Medicine Field in Geneva, Ill.
Game 2 is Sunday in Illinois, before the Goldeyes return home to Blue Cross Park for Game 3 on Tuesday and, if necessary, games 4 and 5 on Wednesday and Thursday.
“I’ve been to a few games this year and I thought [that one] was just fantastic,” fan Rob Barnsley said following Thursday’s contest.
“And this stadium is amazing. I’ve been in many provinces, many states and this crowd is great. I hope everybody comes out for the final and packs this place.”
Karen Zapisocki will also be among the fans there. She went straight from her seat to the box office to grab her ticket after the clinching win.
“We wanted to make sure we grabbed it right away for Tuesday’s game.”
After a shaky start to the season, which saw the Goldeyes stumble out to a 3-7 start in their opening 10 games, they caught fire, eventually clinching first place in the West with a 56-43 record — going, coincidentally, 7-3 in their final 10.
The series opener will feature Goldeyes ace Joey Matulovich on the mound. A video stream of every game will be available for free through the American Association.
The Goldeyes were champions of the Northern League in 1994, in their inaugural season, and played in that league until 2010 when it ceased operation.
The joined the American League for the following season and won it all in 2012, then took back-to-back titles in 2016 and 2017.
In the six years since, they have failed to make the playoffs five times, including last season. They reached the division final in 2022 but lost.
Jocko Rodgers, who has been a Fish fan since 1994, was decked out with a hat from that year’s championship and a jersey coming out of Thursday night’s game.
He credited the team’s turnaround to its pitching and didn’t hesitate when asked for his prediction around the final series.
“We’re gonna win.”