Category: Kansas City Monarchs

by Adam Cook, Monarchs

The Kansas City Monarchs (37-18) dusted off a few early struggles before completing the home series sweep Saturday over the Lake Country DockHounds (19-37).

KC came out on top in a back-and-forth battle where both teams held a lead twice behind a big 10-hit offensive showing, headlined by Jan Hernandez’s 3-for-5 night.

The DockHounds Gio Brusa began the game with a bang as he blasted a two-run home run to the out-of-town bullpen in left field and gave Lake Country an early 2-0 lead in the top of the first. In the bottom half, the DockHounds remained in control when their starting pitcher, Alex McRae, struck out the side in order.

Over the next two innings, pitcher Lewis Thorpe looked more like his normal self, only facing four batters in both the top of the second and third innings.

The next signs of life from the DockHounds came in the fourth, when Lance Briggs roped a line drive down the left field line, advancing Tristen Carranza from first to third, but a great play off the left field wall and strong throw from Darnell Sweeney put Briggs out at second base, retiring the side scoreless.

In the bottom half, the Monarchs’ offense finally came alive for Thorpe with a leadoff bomb from second baseman Chad De La Guerra, cutting the Lake Country lead in half. The DockHounds went on to allow two more baserunners but stranded them both, only allowing one run in the inning.

The top of the fifth was led off with back-to-back singles from Zion Pettigrew and Efrain Contreras. Then, a ground ball from Gabriel Noriega induced a double play but scored Pettigrew. Despite the run, Kansas City was lucky to get the double play when it did, as the next batter of the inning, T.J. Bennett, hit a solo home run and extended the Lake Country lead by one, bringing the score to 4-1 DockHounds.

In classic Monarchs fashion, the bats didn’t let the lead hold for long. The inning was led off by back-to-back-to-back doubles from Pete Kozma, J.C. Escarra and Sweeney, cutting the Lake Country lead to one for De La Guerra with Sweeney in scoring position. De La Guerra did not make it four straight doubles, but he was productive nonetheless with an RBI single to right center that scored Sweeney, knotting the score at four.

In the bottom of the sixth and the top of the seventh, both teams relieved their starting pitchers with entrances from Cyrillo Watson and Jordan Martinson.

Watson had a clean sixth, only allowing one walk to Kozma before the turn of the inning, but he began to show struggles with control in the seventh, awarding two-out walks to Hernandez and Adams, setting the table for home run derby champion David Thompson, who hit a hard ground ball to shortstop Noriega that turned out to be too hot to handle, loading the bases with two away.

Watson’s control continued to haunt him, as Hernandez scored from third on a wild pitch, giving the Monarchs their first lead of the game, 5-4.

Martinson began the top of the eighth, but he allowed a single, walk and hit by pitch, loading the bases and forcing manager Joe Calfapietra’s hand, subbing Brandon Koch for Martinson on the mound. Koch’s first batter was Wilfredo Giminez, who hit a fielder’s choice ground ball to first, scoring Noriega and tying the game again.

A rare Thompson error scored Bennett during the next plate appearance and gave the DockHounds their second lead of the game. But once again, the Monarchs took this personally. Takoda Metoxen began the bottom half on the bump, and after two singles and a fielder’s choice, De La Guerra stepped up with Sweeney at first and Kozma at third.

De La Guerra then received the first of three straight walks that gave the Monarchs their second lead of the game, making the score 7-6 Kansas City, and chased Metoxen from the game for Shea Murray.

Murray promptly allowed a single to Thompson, scoring De La Guerra and Hernandez and blowing the lead wide open, putting the Monarchs ahead by three, their biggest lead of the game.

Koch stayed on for the top of the ninth, first allowing a leadoff walk to Pettigrew and a single to Contreras, putting runners on first and second with no outs. Koch wasn’t phased, however, as he retired the next three batters, striking out Gio Brusa to secure the win for himself and the series sweep for the Monarchs.

The Monarchs will have an off day Sunday before hitting the road to begin a four-game series in Milwaukee against the Milkmen on Monday, July 18. The game will begin at 6:35 p.m. Monday and can be heard on the Monarchs Broadcast Network with the pre-game beginning at 6 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.

by Gabriel Lopez, Monarchs

Casey Gillaspie was the hero for the KC Monarchs (35-18) Thursday night.

He delivered a walk-off base hit in the bottom of the ninth as Kansas City defeated the Lake Country DockHounds (19-35) 3-2 at Legends Field in Kansas City, Kansas.

After a short stint with the San Francisco Giants organization, the left-handed ace, Matt Hall, returned to the Kansas City Monarchs. He picked up where he left off, striking out Lamar Briggs and Gio Brusa in the top half of the first inning.

The Monarchs took an early lead in the bottom of the first. Darnell Sweeney led off the game with a solo shot to right field to give Kansas City an early 1-0 lead.

Hall started to find his groove in the second and third inning, striking out four DockHounds without allowing a run. After two innings of play, the Monarchs led 1-0 over the DockHounds.

The Monarchs extended their lead in the third inning. Chad De La Guerra reached base with a leadoff walk. Jan Hernandez stepped up to the plate and roped a double down the left field line. Adams brought in De La Guerra with a sacrifice fly to right field.

After three innings of baseball, the Monarchs led 2-0.

Hall had an incredible return to Kansas City. He finished his night throwing six scoreless innings, striking out seven and allowing just one walk.

The DockHounds cut Kansas City’s lead in half as Tristen Carranza hit a solo shot over the home run patio in left field. After seven innings of play, the Monarchs led over the DockHounds 2-1.

Both teams were scoreless in the eighth. However, the DockHounds made some noise in the top of the ninth when Briggs singled to left field, scoring Efrain Contreras and tying the game 2-2.

Entering the bottom of the ninth, David Thompson hit a single up the middle.

Gillaspie stepped up to the plate and belted a line drive on a hit and run to score Thompson and win the game for the Monarchs in a walk off.

The Monarchs will continue their homestand against the DockHounds at 7 p.m. Friday in game two of the series. 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 aabaseball.tv.

Tickets to Monarchs games can be purchased by calling 913-328-5618 or by visiting monarchsbaseball.com.