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Monarchs blast their way into championship series with 14-2 win at Sioux City

KC sweeps South Division playoffs

The Kansas City Monarchs won the South Division championship series in only three games, beating the Sioux City Explorers 14-2 on Monday night.

The Monarchs now will go on to the American Association Championship Series. They will play either the Chicago Dogs or the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks, who are 1-1 in the North Division. Monday’s game between the Dogs and RedHawks was rained out.

The Monarchs got enough runs – six—in the first inning to win the game Monday, but they went on to get another six runs in the third and two more when Darnell Sweeney hit a home run in the eighth.

The bases were loaded in the first inning after Ryan Grotjohn walked and two Monarchs players, Sweeney and Casey Gillaspie, were hit by pitches. There were two outs when the first run was scored on a bases-loaded walk to Ibandel Isabel. Another run walked in, then Paulo Orlando hit a single to score two more. Alexis Olmeda hit a double to score the final two runs of the inning.

The Monarchs had 14 runs on 14 hits in the game, while Sioux City had two runs on seven hits.

Justin Donatella, Monarchs pitcher, got the win after six innings and five strikeouts.

The first two games of the American Association Championship Series will be away on Sept. 17 and 18.

Game 3 will be at home on Monday, Sept. 20, in Kansas City, Kansas. If needed, Game 4 will be at home on Tuesday, Sept. 21. Game 5, if needed, is scheduled Wednesday, Sept. 22.

Tickets to Monarchs home championship games are online at https://monarchsbaseball.com/postseason-2021/.

Raining cats and Saltdogs beat the Monarchs

The Kansas City Monarchs and Lincoln Saltdogs dodged ominous skies most of Wednesday in Kansas City, Kansas, but the rain finally took over and helped push Lincoln to the win column in a 2-1 rain-shortened game at Legends Field.

For the second night in a row, the Saltdogs took the early lead 1-0 on wild pitch on a dropped third strike in the top of the first. They added another off Monarchs starter Nick Travieso (0-1), making his Kansas City debut in the third inning on an RBI single from Justin Byrd to make it a 2-0 lead.

Travieso settled in and allowed just two earned runs on four hits while striking out five in five innings. Lincoln got another solid effort from its rotation as well with Johnny Barbato (1-0) holding the Monarchs to one run over five innings, surrendering five hits while striking out six.

In the bottom of the fifth, the Monarchs started a comeback effort as the rains began to fall at the ballpark. Colin Willis and and Ryan Grotjohn singled to put runners at first and second. After a fielder’s choice moved the runners up,

Morgan McCullough cut the lead to 2-1 on an RBI-single to right off Barbato. The Lincoln right-hander retired the next two batters on fly balls with the Monarchs leaving the tying run at third.

With the game now official, the skies opened up even more, forcing the two teams into a rain delay that would eventually turn into the 2-1 final. The Monarchs managed to out hit Lincoln in the rainy weather loss.

Manager Joe Calfapietra expressed his satisfaction with the offense, but he was disappointed that they didn’t get a chance to come back to tie.

“We started swinging the bats in the middle innings; we had an opportunity there. Unfortunately, we didn’t get a chance to tie it,” Calfapietra said.

Catcher Morgan McCullough had a great impact, going two-for-two in the game with a double in the third inning and an RBI single in the fifth inning, making it a 2-1 game.

“[McCullough’s] doing a great job for us; when he is given the opportunity, the kid comes in, he swings the bat, and he’s not fearful at all,” Calfapietra said.

Gabby Guerrero, Colin Willis, and Ryan Grotjohn added to the offense, each getting one hit.

The Monarchs will close out the three-game home series against Lincoln Saltdogs at 7 p.m. Thursday. The Monarchs have yet to name a starter for the game after Akeem Bostick the scheduled starter had his contract transferred to the New York Mets organization. The Saltdogs will send RHP John Richy to the mound in the series finale.

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 aabaseball.tv. The game can also be heard locally on 1510 ESPN Kansas City.

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

From Dan Vaughan, Kansas City Monarchs

Monarchs comeback falls short in season opener

Mayor David Alvey attended the inaugural Kansas City Monarchs game on Tuesday night at Legends Field and threw out the first pitch. (Photo by William Crum)

by William Crum

The Kansas City Monarchs made a strong showing with a comeback attempt in the season opener on Tuesday night at Legends Field in Kansas City, Kansas.

The Monarchs dropped the opener 7-5 to the Lincoln Saltdogs, after getting behind by six runs early in the game, then almost catching up with an eighth inning rally to bring the score to 6-5.

Right-fielder Gabriel Guerrero made a huge impression for the Monarchs’ first regular season game, with a soaring solo home run in the seventh inning, followed by a three-run home run in the eighth inning.

Guerrero, from Paradise Valley, Arizona, went three for four with four runs batted in.

Before Guerrero’s eighth-inning home run, Jan Hernandez hit a single, scoring Darnell Sweeney for the Monarchs.

Winning pitcher Kyle Kinman of the Lincoln Saltdogs shut down the Monarchs in the first five innings of the game. James Pugliese got the save. Eric Stout took the loss for the Monarchs.

The Saltdogs’ Ryan Long hit a home run in the top of the sixth, and the score was then 6-0. A double by the Saltdogs’ Forrest Allday in the top of the ninth inning gave Lincoln another run, bringing Justin Byrd home and making the score 7-5.

On hand for the season opener, and the first game for the team under its new ownership, were Mayor David Alvey, who threw out the first pitch; as well as Gov. Laura Kelly, Unified Government Commissioners Brian McKiernan and Melissa Bynum, Sen. Pat Pettey, Bonner Springs Mayor Jeff Harrington and Edwardsville Mayor John McTaggart.

Despite rain and thunder in the opening minutes of the game, 3,687 people attended the season opener.

The next Monarchs game is at 7 p.m. Wednesday, May 19, against the Lincoln Saltdogs at Legends Field. For ticket information, see https://monarchsbaseball.com/.

Statistics for the game are online at http://baseball.pointstreak.com/boxscore.html?gameid=553022.