Category: Kansas City Monarchs

by Gabriel Lopez, Monarchs

The Kansas City Monarchs (34-18) outhit the Lincoln Saltdogs (26-25), but fell 4-1 Sunday afternoon at Haymarket Park.

Kansas City had several opportunities to score. The Monarchs finished the game leaving 10 runners on base and were still able to bring the tying run to the plate in the ninth inning.

The Saltdogs got on the scoreboard right away. In the bottom of the first, Josh Altmann worked a walk. Wellington Dotel followed Altmann’s at-bat with an infield single. Matt Goodheart reached on a walk to load the bases for Lincoln.

Garett Delano hit a fly ball to right field that could have ended the inning, but Gaby Guerrero made an error on the play, allowing two runs to score. Skyler Weber followed up the at-bat with an RBI-single to score Goodheart. After one inning of play, the Saltdogs led 3-0 over the Monarchs.

Lincoln extended its lead in the second inning. Randy Norris hit a single, stole second and third base, and was brought in as Patrick Caulfield hit a ground ball to second base to score Norris. After two innings of baseball, the Saltdogs led 4-0 over the Monarchs.

Kansas City finally got on the scoreboard in the sixth inning. Matt Adams led off the inning with a double past Goodheart, the first baseman. David Thompson reached on an error made by third baseman Drew Devine. With runners at first and third, Guerrero drove a sacrifice fly to right field to score Adams and bring the Monarchs within three runs.

Greg Minier started on the mound for the Saltdogs and kept the Monarchs’ offense in check. He had an excellent outing for Lincoln as he earned a quality start. Minier allowed one run and collected eight strikeouts through six innings of work.

In the bottom of the seventh, the Saltdogs threatened once again. J.R. DiSarcina led off the inning with a single.

A few batters later, Caulfield successfully executed a hit and run to advance DiSarcina to third. With one out, Altmann hit a fly ball to center field. Jan Hernandez caught the ball and delivered a missile to catcher Alexis Olmeda, who made a sensational tag at the plate on DiSarcina. The throw was in time to end the inning and Hernandez recorded his third outfield assist of the season. After seven complete innings, the Saltdogs led 4-1 over the Monarchs.

Kansas City still trailed by three runs entering the top of the ninth inning. Pete Kozma led off the inning with a single. Kozma finished his night 3-4 with three singles. After Olmeda was retired, Darnell Sweeney worked a walk to bring the tying run, Chad De La Guerra, to the plate. De La Guerra struck out and Willie Abreu stepped up to the plate as the tying run, but Sweeney was picked off at first base to end the game.

After the American Association All-Star break, the Monarchs are back in action at 7:05 p.m. Thursday, July 14, at Legends Field in Kansas City, Kansas.

The game can be heard on the Monarchs Broadcast Network with the pre-game beginning at 6:35 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 Caleb Grizzle, Monarchs

The Kansas City Monarchs (34-17) had everything but the kitchen sink thrown at them on the mound on Saturday night, as they faced six different Lincoln Saltdogs’ (25-25) pitchers on the way to their 11-5 victory.

Matt Adams led the way with his grand slam in the fourth inning on his way to a five-RBI night. Adams’ RBI total on the season was brought to a league-leading 61 on the night and his home run total to a league-tying 20 with fellow Monarch, Jan Hernandez.

The Monarchs’ offense was knocking on the doorsteps early in Lincoln on Saturday night.

In the first frame, the Monarchs led with two walks and a Sweeney stolen base to set up runners at the corners. The Monarchs were not able to bring Sweeney home as the next three Monarchs were retired in order.

In the home half of the first, Saltdogs threatened to score early with Josh Altmann reaching third base after a blooping, two-out single. Justin Donatella received the start for the Monarchs and picked up his first of four strikeouts on the night in the first inning.

In the second inning both offenses got on the board to break the scoreless start. Following two Monarchs strikeouts, Pete Kozma singled and J.C. Escarra drew a walk. With runners at first and second, Darnell Sweeney singled up the middle to bring home Kozma. Sweeney was caught stealing to end the inning.

The Monarchs 1-0 lead did not last long as the Saltdogs swiped the lead back in the bottom of the second. Lincoln capitalized off a lead-off hit-by-pitch at-bat from Patrick Caulfield. Following a Caulfield stolen base, Hunter Clanin singled to advance Caulfield to third base. With runners on the corners, the Saltdogs tied it up via an RBI single from J.R. DiSarcina. The Saltdogs finished the inning leading 2-1 after a fielder’s choice RBI from Randy Norris.

In the top of the third, the Monarchs flirted with an offensive onslaught, loading the bases with just one out. Casey Gillaspie popped out into foul territory before Gaby Guerrero drove a deep warning track fly out for out number three.

The Monarchs trailed 3-1 after the bottom of third inning after Matt Goodheart blasted a one-out, solo home run for the Saltdogs. Donatella picked up another two strikeouts in the inning on his way to retiring three of four batters in the third inning.

After a J.C. Escarra one-out single, and two walks drawn, the Monarchs offense finally broke through in the fourth with an Adams grand slam to right field off reliever Josh Norwood. Kansas City was not done in the inning, with a double from David Thompson and a single from Gillaspie to follow, bringing their lead to 6-3.

In the bottom of the fourth, Donatella’s final inning of work was a clean inning, allowing no hits, retiring three out of four Saltdogs.

In the fifth inning, the Saltdogs, for the first time on the night, retired the Monarchs in one, two, three fashion. Frank Rubio replaced Donatella on the mound for the Monarchs, surrendering two runs in the fifth before striking out two Saltdogs to end the inning leading 6-5.

Kansas City added one more run in the sixth inning via an error from Saltdogs first baseman, Goodheart, on a sharply hit ball down the line from Gillaspie. The Monarchs ended the inning leading 7-5.

Jordan Martinson entered for Kansas City on the mound, walking one, allowing no runs or hits on his way to an efficient inning of relief work.

Jesse Stallings replaced Jonathan Chesire on the mound before the Monarchs once again loaded the bases. Kozma reached base via an error from third baseman, Eddy Martinez, to start the inning. Escarra followed up with a single to set up walks from Sweeney and Chad De La Guerra. De La Guerra’s walk brought home another run before Hernandez grounded into a double play to push the Monarchs lead to 9-5 bringing home Escarra.

In the home half of the seventh inning, Kansas retired Lincoln in one, two, three behind a tag team effort from Martinson and Brock Gilliam.

The eighth inning featured both relief pitchers retiring the side in order. Lincoln’s Connor Hope replaced Stallings on his way to picking up two strikeouts in the seventh. Gilliam struck out one on his way to his one, two, three inning,

In the top of the ninth, the Monarchs added two more runs, fueled by Martinez’ two walks and a hit-by-pitch at-bat. The Monarchs led 11-5 heading into the home half.

Gilliam slammed the door shut on the Saltdogs, retiring three out of four Saltdogs, striking out one in the ninth.

The Monarchs will wrap up their series with the Saltdogs at 1:05 p.m. Sunday in Lincoln, Nebraska. The game can be heard on the Monarchs Broadcast Network with the pre-game beginning at 12:35 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.

by Jaxson Webb, Monarchs

The Kansas City Monarchs (33-17) slugged home runs number 103, 104, and 105 on the season in a close call on the road Friday against the Lincoln Saltdogs (25-24).

Casey Gillaspie played a huge factor in the game with his glove and his two-home-run night.

The Saltdogs jumped out in front in the Monarchs fourth consecutive road game on Friday night with a run in the bottom of the second inning.

The Monarchs’ offense was able to easily combat the early 1-0 deficit with three consecutive innings with one run in each the fourth, fifth, and sixth innings.

Catcher J.C. Escarra drove in the Monarchs’ first run in the fourth inning on a single that scored Willie Abreu.

The next two innings were both long-ball innings for Kansas City. Jan Hernandez mashed his 20th homer of the season to give the visiting Monarchs a 2-1 lead. A few minutes later Casey Gillaspie added a moonshot of his own to add to the lead (3-1).

After surrendering a run in the second inning, Monarchs’ starter Matt Hartman went on a tear with four scoreless frames in a row. The right-hander showed the entire Lincoln crowd just why he was selected to compete in the American Association All-Star game next week in Chicago.

Hartman finished the game with six innings pitched, one run, three bases on balls, seven strikeouts and just two hits.

Casey Gillaspie went deep again for Kansas City, making it his second homer on the night, and it gave his team a larger lead at 4-1.

The Saltdogs, however, made things extremely interesting in their last call during the bottom of the ninth inning. Jameson McGrane came from the Monarchs’ bullpen to seal the deal, but the first three Lincoln hitters reached base before Kansas City could get an out.

Hunter Clanin shot a single into the outfield to cut the Monarchs’ lead down to 4-2. With runners on and still nobody out, the Monarchs needed a stop. The man for the job was Casey Gillaspie, continuing his terrific evening. The left-handed first baseman made the biggest defensive play of the evening by recording a 3-6 double play.

The next batter was out on strikes by Jameson McGrane to complete the series opener victory over the Lincoln Saltdogs (4-2).

The Monarchs will continue the series with the Saltdogs at 7:05 p.m. Saturday in Lincoln.

The game can be heard on the Monarchs Broadcast Network with the pre-game beginning at 6:35 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.