SIOUX CITY, IOWA (Courtesy of the Sioux City Explorers) – It was a pitcher’s duel as the Sioux City Explorers (43-38) took down the Winnipeg Goldeyes (34-47) Tuesday night 2-0. Explorers starter Mitchell Verburg (5-3) pitched 7.2 innings of shutout ball as a Vince Fernandez homer proved to be the difference in the game. The win was Sioux City’s sixth consecutive series-opening victory and put them at 9-3 during the month of August.

Neither team advanced a runner past second until the fourth inning when X’s Matt Lloyd started with a leadoff single. Explorers Vince Fernandez, with one-out and Lloyd on first, ripped a no-doubt homer to right-center off Winnipeg starter Joey Matulovich (4-9), giving Sioux City a 2-0 lead.

X’s Verburg pitched well the rest of his outing, and so did Goldeyes Matulovich, keeping the game tight all the way to the end. Nolan LaMere pitched two scoreless innings for the Goldeyes, relieving Matulovich to start the seventh, but Sioux City’s Brandon Brosher and Sean Rackoski (17) filled in behind Verburg to complete the shutout and finish the game 2-0.