Category: Kansas City Monarchs

The Monarchs overcame late defensive miscues with the bat of Gabby Guerrero in a 9-6 win over the Cleburne Railroaders on Friday night. The victory marks the third of the season for Kansas City.

Despite the non-spring-like weather that had the game time temperature at 53 degrees and north winds at 11 mph at Legends Field, the offense warmed those in attendance with a blazing start in the first inning.

Following a scoreless frame from RHP Justin Shafer, who was making his season debut, the Monarchs blitzed Railroaders starter Tristan Roberts in the home half of the inning.

After the first two hitters reached and moved up on a wild pitch, Jan Hernandez plated the game’s first run on a groundout. In the ensuing at-bat, Guerrero rocked a two-run shot over the wall in right-center field to give Kansas City a 3-0 lead. He finished with four RBIs on the night.

The good fortune, however, was squandered quickly. In the top of the second, Cleburne stormed back and tagged Shafer for three runs on four hits — including a solo home run by Hunt
er Clanin.

With Shafer only scheduled to throw two innings, the Monarchs turned to the bullpen and found stability in the form of right-handed pitcher Dylan Baker. Baker, who last pitched on May 22, began his outing with three scoreless innings.

“We just had to get Shafer going tonight,” Joe Calfapietra said. “We figured we’d give him the two [innings] and then go with Baker.”

Kansas City reclaimed the lead in the bottom of the third on a sacrifice fly from Johnny Field. The Monarchs held their slim one-run advantage until the top of the sixth.

The Railroaders tallied two runs (one unearned) to take back the lead at 6-5.

In the bottom of the sixth, Kansas City racked up five runs (all unearned) on an error and two wild pitches to take a commanding 9-5 lead. The right-handed pitcher Jameson McGrane relieved Baker in the seventh inning and allowed one run on one hit in two innings of work.

“After we gave up the lead, we battled,” manager Joe Calfapietra said. “So that was good. It was a good win.”

In the top of the ninth, Carlos Diaz worked around some trouble and slammed the door for his first save of the season.

Kansas City continues the three-game series Saturday night against the Cleburne Railroaders as part of a six-game homestand. First pitch 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 will air on aabaseball.tv.

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

• Story from Dan Vaughan, Kansas City Monarchs

The Kansas City Monarchs fell to the Sioux City Explorers 11-8 in their second road game Wednesday night at Sioux City, Iowa, despite a grand slam homerun from Jan Hernandez in the top of the ninth inning.

The Monarchs kickstarted the offense in the second inning with a single to left field by Ryan Grotjohn and a walk to Anibal Sierra off Explorers starter Patrick Ledet.

Designated hitter Ramsey Romano then got Kansas City on the board, 1-0, with an RBI single to left.

The third inning saw the Monarchs add to the lead. Darnell Sweeney led off the inning with a single and would steal second. With one out Jan Hernandez hit a single to left field, driving in Sweeney to make it a 2-0 game in favor of the Monarchs.

Right-handed pitcher Brian Glowicki (1-1) got off to a good start in his second outing, holding Sioux City scoreless for the first two innings. The X’s got busy in the bottom of the third. They sent 11 batters in the inning, scoring five runs including a bases-loaded walk and a hit-by-a-pitch.

Glowicki went 3.2 innings and was relieved by right-handed pitcher Wilmer Torres in the fourth. Glowicki allowed four hits, seven runs and notched one strikeout.

The Explorers pushed their lead to 7-2 with two runs in the home half of the fourth. Jose Sermo hit a bases-clearing double to left center on a 3-0 count off Torres, scoring Lane Milligan and Jared Walker.

In the top of the fifth Johnny Field launched a two-run homer to left field, cutting into the Explorers lead, 9-4.

In the bottom of the sixth, Brian Ellington took over on the mound for Kansas City. Ellington pitched for just one inning, allowing no runs, giving up only two hits, and recording two strikeouts. Ramsey Romano took over on the mound in the bottom of the seventh.

Lane Milligan reached base on an error by Jan Hernandez to set up the inning for Sioux City. A pair of singles by Sebastian Zawada and Joseph Monge drove in two unearned runs to put the X’s on top 11-8.

The Monarchs came back to life in the top of the ninth, thanks to a grand slam homer by Hernandez off Samson Abernathy, cutting into the Explorers’ lead 11-8.

Sioux City had to turn to closer Matt Pobereyko to get the final two outs of the game after Gabby Guerrero reached base on an error by Jose Sermo.

Ledet (1-0) picked up the win while Glowicki (1-1) was charged with the loss and the save for Pobereyko, his third. The Monarchs fell to 2-5 while the Explorers went to 6-2.

The Monarchs wrap up their series with the Sioux City Explorers on Thursday; first pitch is set for 7:05 p.m. at Mercy Field at Lewis and Clark Park in Sioux City, Iowa. The game can be heard on the Monarchs Broadcast Network with the pre-game beginning at 6:40 p.m. and the video stream will air on aabaseball.tv.

The Monarchs return home Friday night, May 28, to open a six-game homestand, beginning with a three-game series with the Cleburne Railroaders.

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

• Story from Dan Vaughan, Kansas City Monarchs

In the early years of the Kansas City Monarchs, having the lights go out would not have been a problem for the team that had their own traveling light system. The Monarchs could have used those lights Tuesday night in Sioux City, Iowa, when the lights failed in the top of the eighth inning.

They could have also used one more big hit to complete their comeback that fell just short 7-6 to the Sioux City Explorers.

In the top of the first, Kansas City wasted no time giving run support to right-handed pitcher Nick Travieso (0-2), who was making his second start of the season.

After a one-out double from Johnny Field, Jan Hernandez drove him home on an RBI-single to center field. Two batters later, Casey Gillaspie hit a single to center to score Hernandez.

Before Travieso took the bump, his offense had provided him a two-run cushion. The lead, however, would not last, as Sioux City tagged Travieso for three runs in the bottom of the second.

Two innings later, the Explorers added a fourth run on an RBI-single by Lane Milligan. Travieso was done after four complete innings — allowing four runs on five hits with five walks.

Following their two-run first inning, the Monarchs went scoreless for the next five innings. It was not until the top of the seventh that they began chipping away at the lead. Sioux City starter Tyler Beardsley (2-0) struck out 12 batters in 6.1 innings including seven in a row at one point.

Trailing 5-2 in the top of the seventh, Kansas City got an RBI-double from Ryan Grotjohn and he later scored on a wild pitch to make it a 5-4 game. However, right-handed pitcher Dean Deetz surrendered two runs in the bottom half — inflating the lead back up to three for Sioux City.

Casey Gillaspie hit a two-run home run in the top of the eighth to cut the Sioux City lead to one run.

As he hit the dugout after his home run trot the lights went out at Mercy Field at Lewis and Clark Park for 20 minutes.

When play resumed the Monarchs got two more runners on with two outs after back-to-back singles from Anibal Sierra and Ryan Grotjohn off X’s closer Matt Pobereyko (2). Pobereyko got Morgan McCullough looking at a called third strike to end the Monarchs threat.

The Sioux City closer retired the Monarchs in order in the top of the ninth to seal the win for Sioux City. With the loss, Kansas City dropped to 2-4 on the season while Sioux City went to 5-2.

The Monarchs continue the series with the Sioux City Explorers on Wednesday night; first pitch is set for 7:05 p.m. at Mercy Field at Lewis and Clark Park in Iowa. The game can be heard on the Monarchs Broadcast Network with the pre-game beginning at 6:35 p.m. and the video stream will air on aabaseball.tv.
Tickets to Monarchs games can be purchased by calling 913-328-5618 or by visiting monarchsbaseball.com.

• Story from Dan Vaughan, Kansas City Monarchs