by Adam Cook, Monarchs
The Kansas City Monarchs (52-31) completed the three-game sweep of the Winnipeg Goldeyes (46-37) by a score of 7-2 Thursday night at Shaw Park in Winnipeg.
Some injuries in the rotation and awkward timing of starts required Kansas City’s Jordan Martinson to make his first start of the season, and Martinson took the opportunity by storm as he went six innings of one-run ball, only allowing two hits in the process.
Kansas City’s usual back-end bullpen arm Martinson began the game on the mound for the first time this season, and his phenomenal showing played a large part in keeping the match a low-scoring one. The game started quietly, with the first two innings with only seven batters seeing the plate each inning.
It wasn’t until the third inning that the first run was scored as, after a 1-2-3 top half, Winnipeg second baseman Kevin Lachance belted a leadoff home run, spoiling Martinson’s perfect start. Eric Rivera later smacked a two-out double to center field, but Martinson retired the next batter, only allowing one run through three innings.
As usual for the 2022 Monarchs offense, this opposing score was soon met by the Monarchs scoring a run of their own. Darnell Sweeney reached on a single and Jan Hernandez was hit by a pitch by Alex Manasa. Casey Gillaspie then delivered with a double to right field, scoring Sweeney and evening the game at one. In the bottom half, Martinson settled back into his groove and retired the side in order.
In the fifth, Kansas City once again put a run on the board with two outs when Ryan Grotjohn stepped up to the plate after the first two batters of the inning were sat down. Grotjohn extended the inning and the Monarchs’ run total with a solo home run to right field, giving Kansas City its first lead of the game, 2-1. In the bottom half, Martinson made it seven straight outs when he retired the side in order.
The Monarchs led the top of the sixth off with back-to-back singles, which chased Goldeyes starter Alex Manasa from the game. After relief pitcher Travis Seabrooke got Gillaspie to fly out for the second out of the inning, J.C. Escarra doubled to right field and moved Jan Hernandez to third base.
Pete Kozma then hit a single that scored Hernandez and lengthened the KC lead to 3-1, but Escarra was thrown out on a close play at the plate to end the half-inning.
In the bottom half, Martinson allowed back-to-back walks after retiring the first batter of the inning. He then induced a 1-4-3 double play, ending the inning.
In the top of the seventh, Ryan Grotjohn blasted another solo homer, extending the Monarchs lead to 4-1.
In the bottom half, Jeremy Rhoades entered to begin the inning, ending the stellar night for Martinson. Rhoades struck out two of the four batters he faced, keeping the score 4-1 Monarchs.
Bryan Blanton came in for the top of the eighth and limited the Monarchs to nothing but a Jan Hernandez walk and stolen base. Rhoades remained on for the Monarchs in the eighth and recorded a 1-2-3 inning.
Kozma stepped up to the plate in the top of the ninth as the beginning of the Monarchs’ last chance to add on to their lead. Kozma then delivered with a leadoff single. Two batters later, Grotjohn hit a single, putting runners at first and second. With two outs on the board, Matt Adams hit a three-run bomb, giving the Monarchs a late 7-1 lead. After a pitching change and a pair of free bags, a Gillaspie strikeout ended the half-inning.
Jacob Lindgren relieved Rhoades in the ninth and walked the first batter, which then was followed by an infield single, and then another walk, loading the bases with no outs. Frank Rubio came on for the Monarchs and struck out the first batter he saw. The next batter, Logan Hill, hit a sacrifice fly to left, leaving the Goldeyes with one last chance to make up the now five-run deficit. A ground ball from Kevin Lachance ended those hopes, making the final score 7-2 Monarchs for the final game of the three-game sweep.
The Monarchs begin a three-game weekend series at 7:05 p.m. Friday, Aug. 19, against the Lincoln Saltdogs at Haymarket Park in Lincoln, Nebraska.
The game can be heard on the Monarchs Broadcast Network with the pre-game beginning at 6:30 p.m. and the video stream airing on aa baseball.tv.
Tickets to Monarchs games can be purchased by calling 913-328-5618 or by visiting monarchsbaseball.com.