by G.M.W. Vaughan
The Kansas City Monarchs (51-31) went fishing in Canada, and came home with plenty, sending the Goldeyes (46-36) home with another loss at their own pond, 7-3 the final score.
Game two of the series with the Goldeyes started rather slowly. With Alex Hart on the bump for the Goldeyes and Brock Gilliam for the Monarchs, the first, second and third innings ended without any action from either team.
In the top of the fourth, however, an early walk for Matt Adams got the action started for the Monarchs.
Casey Gillaspie followed with a base hit, and a bunt from Kevin Santa advanced him to second on an error by the pitcher, Hart, and scored Adams, giving the Monarchs the first lead of the game, 1-0.
Gio Brusa followed with a base hit that moved Santa to third, and an Alexis Olmeda base hit brought in Santa, adding to the Monarchs lead, 3-0.
Darnell Sweeney advanced to first on an error by first baseman David Washington, scoring Brusa and ending the inning with a 4-0 lead over the Goldeyes.
After a pitching change for the Goldeyes, Adams started the fifth with a towering home run off John Vargas who came in for Hart, adding to the Monarchs lead 5-0.
In the home half of the fifth inning, a Jacob Rhinesmith walk followed by Logan Hill homerun got the Goldeyes on the board, 5-2. It was only the second hit allowed by Gilliam on the night.
The Basehor, Kansas, native went six innings with two hits and two earned runs and picked up his sixth win of the year.
Jeremy Rhoades took the bump for the Monarchs in the home half of the seventh and kept the Goldeyes’ bats silent. Rhoades struck out Deon Stafford Jr. with two on and two outs to preserve the Monarchs 5-3 lead.
Reliever Zac Ryan came in for Winnipeg in the top of the eighth and shut down the Monarchs.
Ryan Glowicki then came in for the Monarchs and walked Eric Rivera followed by a base hit for Ian Sagdal. With the big bat of Max Murphy batting the tying run, a pop fly deep to right field moved Rivera to third and Sagdal to second. David Washington came to the plate, hoping to tie up the game. Glowicki’s final strike got him out, but a wild pitch brought in a run, making the score 5-3.
Finally, Will McAffer took the mound for the Goldeyes, hoping to keep the Monarchs bats quiet in the ninth, but Mallex Smith started the inning with a base hit, followed with another base hit by Sweeney that moved Smith to third. Jacob Robson walked, loading the bases with no outs. The power bat of Adams stepped up next, and he hit a chopper to left, bringing home Smith and scoring Sweeney on a bad throw to first, and buying some insurance, 7-3 the score.
As Brandon Koch came in to close in the bottom of the ninth, the Goldeyes hoped to cut into the Monarchs’ lead, but Koch quickly struck out the first batter, Jacob Rhinesmith. Logan Hill followed with a double.
But the defensive glove of Smith got Deon Stafford Jr. out. Rivera struck out to end the hopes for the Goldeyes as the Monarchs took game two, 7-3.
The winning pitcher was Gilliam (6-2) and the loser Hart (0-1).
The Kansas City Monarchs and Winnipeg Goldeyes will play the final game of the three game series at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 18, in Winnipeg.
The game can be heard on the Monarchs Broadcast Network with the pre-game beginning at 6 p.m. and the video stream airing on aabaseball.tv.
Tickets to Monarchs games can be purchased by calling 913-328-5618 or by visiting monarchsbaseball.com.