by Dan Vaughan Jr., Monarchs
The Kansas City Monarchs (62-34) erased a 4-2 deficit in a five run sixth inning Wednesday night at Shaw Park to overtake the Winnipeg Goldeyes (50-46) 8-5 completing a three-game sweep.
The win extended the Monarchs’ winning streak to a season-long eight games and was the sixth win this season in Winnipeg in six tries.
The Monarchs got the game started with a leadoff single for Mallex Smith off Goldeyes starter Landen Bourassa followed by another single by Darnell Sweeny.
Ryan Grotjohn singled to give the Monarchs a 1-0 lead. The Goldeyes answered with a solo home run by Max Murphy in the bottom of the first to tie the game off Nick Belzer (6-2), who got the starting nod for the Monarchs.
The Goldeyes took the lead on an Ian Sagdal single in the third inning and added two more off Belzer in the fourth. Jacob Rhinesmith hit a solo home run to left and Winnipeg grabbed two more hits in the inning a make it 4-1 on a sacrifice fly from Reggie Pruitt Jr. to lead it 4-1.
Kansas City cut the lead to two in the top of the fifth off Bourassa. Kevin Santa singled to start the inning, but the right-hander quickly retired the next two batters. Grotjohn walked to put runners at first and second. Jacob Robson delivered an RBI double to make it 4-2 Goldeyes.
The big inning for Kansas City came in the top of the sixth. Winnipeg brought in Paul Schwendel out of the pen, and he gave up three straight hits to the Monarchs.
J.C. Escarra and Casey Gillaspie both reached with Escarra scoring on an RBI single from Gio Brusa to cut the lead to 4-3. Santa then hit into a fielder’s choice to force Brusa at second for the first out. Smith walked to load the bases for Darnell Sweeney bringing a pitching change for Winnipeg.
Left-hander Travis Seabrook got the Monarchs’ third baseman to hit a roller to the right side of the mound that Seabrook fielded and elected to throw home instead of on to first. The throw was late as Gillaspie scored to tie the game at four.
Grotjohn then drove in a pair with an RBI single to give the Monarchs the lead at 6-4. Robson drove in the seventh run on an infield single to make it a 7-4 Monarchs advantage. Erasmo Pinales came into the game and got the final two outs to slow Kansas City.
Belzer was done after five innings, tossing a final line of 5 innings pitched, 4 runs, 4 earned runs, 2 bases on balls and 3 strikeouts, getting his sixth win this season.
The Monarchs then went to the pen in the home half of the sixth with Jeremey Rhoades coming into the game. The Goldeyes got a leadoff double from Michael Crouse, but Rhoades retired the next three batters to preserve the lead of 7-4 after six.
Left-hander Jordan Martinson came into the game in the bottom of the seventh after the Monarchs failed to score in the top of the frame. Winnipeg picked up an unearned run on a leadoff walk by Pruitt followed by a fielder’s choice that moved the runner to second. Pruitt then moved to third on a stolen base with two outs.
Sagdal walked to put runners at the corners. Sadgal got caught in a run-down allowing Pruitt to score with the Monarchs throw home wide of the plate to cut the lead to 7-5.
The Monarchs bought an insurance policy in the top of the ninth. Gillaspie and Brusa drew walks off reliever Tasker Strobel to put two aboard for Santa. The Monarchs shortstop delivered an RBI double to make it 8-5 Kansas City.
In the bottom of the ninth Alex Valdez was summoned into the game for the Monarchs and allowed a single to Raul Navarro but picked up the first out when Sagdal forced Navarro out at second on a fielder’s choice. Murphy singled but Valdez got David Washington to fly to shallow center and struck out Crouse to end the game.
The win kept the Monarchs 1.5 games behind the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks for the West Division lead in the American Association with four games to play. The Monarchs are off Thursday, Sept. 1, but will open the four-game series with the first place RedHawks Friday night, Sept. 2, at Legends Field in Kansas City, Kansas.
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.