Category: Kansas City Monarchs

After an almost two-hour rain delay, the first place in the American Association South Division Kansas City Monarchs (29-18) played into the next day securing another win over the Sioux City Explorers (28-20) by an 8-3 score.

Starting pitcher Jose Taveras (2-1) got the win over Sioux City’s pitcher Brett Adcock (2-5). In Taveras’s five innings pitched, he had two hits, five walks, and four strikeouts.

Kansas City went wild in the bottom of the second, loading the bases, courtesy of three-straight walks by Adcock.

With Casey Gillaspie, Charcer Burks, and Nick Franklin on base and two outs on the board, Morgan McCullough walked and scored Gillaspie to get the offense started.

Darnell Sweeny then hit a single to center, scoring Burks and Franklin. McCullough was waiting on second when Ryan Grotjohn rolled it deep for a triple to center. McCullough and Sweeney came home, putting the Monarchs ahead 5-0 at the bottom of the second.

The Monarchs stepped up on defense in the top of the fourth when the Explorers had bases loaded. Kansas City came out unscathed after a smooth double play by Franklin and McCullough.

The Monarchs added to their lead in the bottom of the fifth. Gabby Guerrero singled to centerfield and Charcer Burks followed with a single to right. Nick Franklin hit to left, loading the bases.

Morgan McCullough walked and Sweeney was hit by a pitch, which brought home Guerrero and Burks, putting the Monarchs up 8-0.

The Explorers awakened in the sixth inning, as Gabby Guerrero missed a potential out by Home Run Hill, allowing a two-run home run by Tiberi. After another dropped double by Guerrero, Monge hit another double and scored Zawada, cutting into the Monarchs’ lead 8-3.

Brian Ellington relieved Elroy Urbina in the top of the seventh. Urbina pitched for one inning, notching three hits, three runs, two errors, no walks, and two strikeouts. Ellington pitched for two innings, with one hit, one walk, and six strikeouts.

Carlos Diaz closed the game out for the Monarchs, pitching for one inning, with one hit, and two walks. The Monarchs finished the game just past midnight and will meet the Sioux City Explorers again at 1 p.m. on Sunday.

First pitch on Sunday is slated for 1:05 p.m. 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.

Promotions for Sunday’s game include free kids’ meal for age 10 and younger, and post-game catch on the field. Participants should bring a ball and glove. Also, COVID-19 vaccines with be available on Sunday at the ballpark at Legends Field, with a chance to win prizes.

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

• Story by Emerson Peavey, Monarchs

In an 8-2 win over Sioux City (28-18) on Friday, the Monarchs (28-19) climbed ahead of the Explorers in the standings.

Darnell Sweeney got the scoring started early for the Monarchs with a home run in the first couple minutes of the game.

The tempo picked up in the bottom of the fourth inning as the Monarchs earned six runs, making the score 7-0.

Daniel Wasinger and Jan Hernandez both recorded 2 RBIs with runs coming in from Colin Willis, Nick Franklin, Darnell Sweeney and Ryan Grotjohn. Another RBI resulted in a wild pitch, and the final RBI of the inning came from Casey Gillaspie, scoring Hernandez.

Hernandez looked for back-to-back RBIs with another one in the fifth inning, extending the lead to 8-0.

Sioux City did not go quietly, with two RBIs in the seventh inning from D.J. Poteet and Chris Clare that scored Joseph Monge and L.T. Tolbert.

Starting pitcher Jake Matthys (5-1) pitched seven innings with five strikeouts and earned the win.

The Monarchs will face the Sioux City Explorers in game two of the three-game series Saturday night at Legends Field. First pitch on Saturday is slated for 7 p.m. 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.

Fireworks are planned every Saturday night. The theme on Saturday, July 10, is “Party in the Park,” with $2 beers and hot dogs from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. There will be a live DJ.

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

• by Kaitlyn Sanders, Monarchs

Monarchs a half-game out of first place

After taking the first three games against the Sioux Falls Canaries (19-26), the Monarchs were stifled by the Canaries’ pitching and fell 5-1. The loss snaps a five-game winning streak for Kansas City (27-18).

Looking to bounce back from lackluster start in his previous outing, Nick Travieso took the ball with the hopes of completing another sweep for the Monarchs this season. For the first two innings, the right-hander cruised on a low pitch count.

Travieso, however, ran into trouble in the third. The Canaries tagged him for two runs on a pair of RBI singles. In the next inning, Shamoy Christopher poked a third RBI-single to make it 3-0 Sioux Falls.

Kansas City, who came into the night second in the league in runs, struggled to put together any offense. It wasn’t until the top of the seventh that the Monarchs broke through. With two men on, Morgan McCullough poked an RBI-single to trim the deficit to two. However, that’s all the offense could muster.

After moving into striking distance, the Canaries came back with two more in the bottom of the seventh off Kansas City left-hander Jacob Lindgren. In the ninth, the Monarchs went down quietly without much of a rally.

On Wednesday, the Monarchs won a doubleheader from the Canaries, 7-1 and 8-6. The Monarchs are now 27-18, in second place in the South division standings by a half-game. The first place team, the Sioux City Explorers, have a 28-18 record.

The Monarchs head home for a nine-game home stand, which begins on Friday night against the Sioux City Explorers. First pitch on Friday is slated for 7 p.m. 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 aabaseball.tv.

The Friday night promotion is “Halfway to Halloween,” with trick-or-treat stations on the concourse and a kids’ costume contest.

Fireworks are planned every Saturday night.

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

• Story by Jack Johnson, Monarchs