Goldeyes face rival RedHawks in first round of playoffs

The Winnipeg Goldeyes, the second-place team in the American Association West Division, are set to face the third-place Fargo RedHawks in the first round of the playoffs. The eight teams will battle it out over the next three weeks to secure a spot in the league championship series. The opening round best-of-three series will begin on Wednesday with Game 1 in North Dakota, followed by Games 2 and 3 at Blue Cross Park on Friday and Saturday, with first pitch at 7 p.m. The winner of the series will then face the winner of the No. 1 Kansas City vs. No. 4 Sioux Falls matchup in a best-of-five divisional series, which starts on September 14.

The winner of that series will then compete in the best-of-five league championship series and face one of the top four teams for the championship beginning September 21. Both teams will be looking to build on their recent strong performances, as the Goldeyes have won 34 games at home this season, breaking a franchise record, while Fargo boasts a balanced home and away record of 28-25. The Goldeyes have a +20 run differential this year, while Fargo was at +25.