JEREMIAH BURKS GRAND SLAM PUTS MILKMEN UP FOR GOOD.

By Chife Jaeger

FRANKLIN, Wis. - The Milwaukee Milkmen found themselves down 7-4 as they entered the bottom of the eighth inning, with their bid for eight straight series wins in jeopardy.

Bryan Torres scored on a sac-fly in the first inning. Torres then hit a deep single in the second that scored Aaron Hill and Christ Conley, and Miguel Gomez hit a solo home run in the sixth.

Meanwhile starting pitcher A.J. Schugel gave up only two hits and one run in his five innings of work. Ben Holmes then relieved Schugel and gave up two home runs in the sixth, one of which was a three run shot that gave Winnipeg the lead. Holmes then gave up another two runs in the eighth where the Goldeyes took the 7-4 lead.

But the Milkmen refused to give up with two innings to go. Gomez and Keon Barnum hit back to back doubles that scored a run and cut the lead to two. Milwaukee then forced a hit by pitch and two more walks that scored Barnum as the Winnipeg lead fell to just one run.

The Goldeyes finally got their first out of the inning with a popout from Chirst Conley, but then Jeremiah Burks smashed his second home run of the season over the left field wall to put the Milkmen up 10-7.

“When I hit it I knew it was gone,” Burks said of his slam. “I was just trying to put together a good at bat and keep the line moving.”

Rodrigo Benoit got off to a rocky start in the top of the ninth inning, giving up a run and two baserunners with only one out. But Benoit closed by striking out the last two batters to seal Milwaukee's eighth straight series win.

“I’m really proud of the guys,” manager Anthony Barone said of the team's fight they’ve had on their winning streak. “We hit a point in the middle of the year where we were not in a good space, but we turned it around in the all-star break. We have a lot of guys with pride on the team and they had enough of where we were at.”

The Milkmen will now go on a six game road trip to both Winnipeg and Gary Southshore before returning to Franklin Field for a four game series against the Lake Country Dockhounds that begins on August 15th at 6:35 p.m.

Tickets are available at MilwaukeeMilkmen.com and at the Franklin Field Box Office prior to the game.