FARGO, N.D. -- The Winnipeg Goldeyes committed four errors yesterday -- including two in one inning -- as they bumbled their way to a sixth straight loss, 12-4 to the Fargo RedHawks.
The loss ends a disastrous road-trip for the Goldeyes that saw the team go 1-6 and convert what was a narrow lead in the Northern League standings a week ago into a five-game deficit heading into today. Fargo leads the league and has now won nine straight.
"We should be embarrassed by how we're playing," manager Rick Forney said.
"If you can't play defence, you can't beat a little-league team. And right now our defence isn't solid."
And defence is hardly the only problem. "It's not any one thing -- it's a lot of things," Forney said. "We don't pitch well, we don't play defence well, we don't hit well. That's why we got our asses kicked for six straight days."
The Goldeyes were actually fortunate they were pinned with just four errors on Sunday.
Fifth and sixth errors, both by third- baseman Chad Ehrnsberger, were initially recorded but later taken off the board by the official scorer and ruled infield hits.
The Northern League record for errors by one team in a game is seven, and Goldeyes broadcaster Paul Edmonds noted on his radio broadcast that the Fish looked at times yesterday like they were playing another sport entirely.
"They've kicked it around here today like it was Euro 2008," Edmonds quipped.
Missing Metheny
It's probably not entirely a coincidence that the Goldeyes have gone into their worst slump of the year immediately after losing their most valuable player, Brent Metheny.
Metheny, who left the Goldeyes last week to play in Taiwan, has been conspicuous by his absence on a Goldeyes team that desperately needed his quick glove and heavy bat during the past week.
But they weren't using the loss of the league's leading hitter as an excuse. "Metheny's Metheny. He was the best player in the league," shortstop Max Poulin said. "But Metheny's not the reason why we play like crap in the field. We're just making too many mistakes right now."
The Goldeyes have gone just 1-6 in the seven games they've played without Metheny. They've been badly outscored during that period -- 51-26 -- but part of that imbalance was the result of a 15-0 thrashing by Kansas City last week. In fact, three of the six losses have come in narrow one-run ball games.
Sherrill on the move?
Former Goldeyes closer -- and 2008 American League all-star -- George Sherrill could be on the move as the trading deadline approaches July 31.
Buster Olney, lead baseball writer for ESPN, reports that the Baltimore Orioles have been quietly shopping Sherrill around the league and that the Los Angeles Angels, Los Angeles Dodgers and Boston Red Sox are all said to be interested.
Sherrill pitched for the Goldeyes during the 2002 and 2003 seasons.
Up next
The Goldeyes get a rare day off today before returning to the field Tuesday evening at the Fishbowl. They will take on the Kansas City T-Bones in a three-game series. First pitch Tuesday is 7 p.m.
-- Paul Wiecek
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