SERMO SETS HOMER RECORD BUT X’S FALL TO FISH
Sermo Blasts Number 58 In Series Opening Loss
Sioux City, IA (July 27, 2021) – Jose Sermo blasted his franchise record 58th career home run, and the Sioux City Explorers wiped out a five run deficit but the Winnipeg Goldeyes still found a way to take the series opening game by an 8-7 score.
Sermo did not make the X’s fans who braved the over one hundred degree heat at first pitch wait long to witness history as in the bottom of the first inning he blasted his franchise record 58th career home run over the left field fence to put Sioux City on top 1-0.
His home run placed him ahead of Nolan Lane for the top spot in the record book, breaking a record set in 1998, twenty-three years ago. Sermo also passed himself for second place in the single season record book with his 23rd homer of the season. He is now only four behind Kevin Garner’s single season record of 27 homers that he posted in 1997.
Winnipeg however then went on a home run barrage of their own with a Logan Hill two run homer in the second inning to take a 2-1 lead.
In the third with the bases loaded and only one out, it was Kyle Martin who was able to keep pace with Jose Sermo blasting his league best twenty-first homer of the year and his second grand slam of the season to give Winnipeg a 6-1 advantage at the end of the third.
The X’s began to chip away at the Goldeyes lead in the bottom of the fourth. Lane Milligan drove home a run on a two out double and scored from a DJ Poteet single to trim the deficit to three runs, 6-3.
Sioux City nudged a little closer in the fifth on a base hit from Sermo to make it 6-4.
The X’s finally capped off the comeback in the seventh with a three run inning. A single and a walk put runners at first and second. A double steal was successful and forced a Winnipeg throwing error scoring a run and placing the tying run for Sioux City at third. Sermo not only broke the home run record but also enjoyed a four hit and three RBI game delivered the tying tally with a base hit to center knotting up the contest at six. He advanced to scoring position on a wild pitch and came home on an LT Tolbert base hit to left, giving the X’s a 7-6 lead after trailing by five runs.
But Winnipeg did not allow the lead to last long as they were able to retake the lead off of the X’s vaulted bullpen. A lead off triple from Max Murphy set the table in the eighth. After a walk with one out, Raul Navarro stole second on the throw to second, Murphy attempted to steal home and was called safe on a close play at the dish to tie the game. After Navarro was tagged out on a ground out, the Goldeyes had a runner at first with two outs. But a bunt single, coupled with a throwing error moved the go ahead run to third where Logan Hill scored the go ahead run in the top of the eighth on a wild pitch to put the Goldeyes up 7-6.
Taking the loss for Sioux City was Nate Gercken (2-1) who threw two-thirds of an inning allowing an unearned run on a hit and a walk.
Receiving the win in relief for Winnipeg was Travis Seabrook (3-0).
Jose Jose would close it out for Winnipeg in the ninth after allowing a two out single to pick up his tenth save of the season.
Sioux City and Winnipeg will meet again in game two of the series on Wednesday at 7:05 pm. The Goldeyes send right hander Jorge Gonzalez (2-5, 5.42) to the mound, and the X’s will counter with rookie righty Jonah Smith (0-2, 7.48).