Delgado Dominates, Culbreth Commands, RailCats Win 1000th

Robert Pannier July 10, 2023

Photo Credit: Jennifer Andreachi/Field Dreams Photography

American Association Daily provides insights, features, and recaps of the action from around the American Association of Professional Baseball League, as well as player and coaching profiles and transactions. In today’s edition, Rob Pannier recaps the six great games in the American Association on Sunday, including the Kansas City Monarchs sweeping their three-game set in Fargo, Randall Delgado dominating for the Lake Country DockHounds, and the Gary SouthShore RailCats defeated the Lincoln Saltdogs to avoid the sweep.

Game Recaps for Sunday

Culbreth Muzzles Dogs

Ty Culbreth allowed one run in seven innings, leading the Sioux Falls Canaries to a 7-1 victory over the Chicago Dogs. It was the second straight solid start for the left-hander, who moved to 3-5 with the victory. Hunter Clanin and Jordan Barth each had three hits and drove in three for the Canaries.

The Canaries took the lead in the bottom of the first on an RBI double by Barth. Two innings later, Barth extended the lead to three with a two-run home run, his sixth of the year. The lead became four when Jabari Henry delivered an RBI single in the fifth. Culbreth shut out the Dogs through the first six, but Chicago finally got on the board in the seventh. However, Sioux Falls put this game away when Clanin drilled a three-run homer in the eighth, his fourth of the year.

Chicago had a chance to get back in this game, loading the bases with one down in the eighth against José Cruz. However, the reliever struck out Luke Mangieri before David Maberry was thrown out trying to steal home. Dylan Rosa had three hits for Chicago.

Sioux Falls Canaries Recap by Tanner Hoops

Boxscore

RailCats Set Franchise Mark

The Gary SouthShore RailCats defeated the Lincoln Saltdogs on Sunday, winning the 1000th game in franchise history. Harrison Francis was spectacular, allowing two runs in six innings to earn the victory. Michael Woodworth had the key head of the game, delivering a three-run double as part of a five run fifth inning.

The RailCats found themselves trailing, as Lincoln jumped out to a 2-0 lead. A sacrifice fly by Yanio Perez in the top of the first made it 1-0 in the Saltdogs extended the lead to two on a sacrifice fly by Drew Devine in the fifth. Gary SouthShore responded with five runs in the bottom half of that inning, as José Contreras cut the deficit in half with a sacrifice fly and Woodworth cleared the bases with a two-out double. He scored on a single by Gio Diaz. The RailCats sealed the victory two innings later when Daniel Lingua and Jackson Valera each delivered RBI singles.

Francis tossed six innings, allowing one earned run off six hits to earn his third victory of the year. Four relievers combined to toss three scoreless innings. Zach Keenan took the loss for Lincoln.

Lincoln Saltdogs Recap by Michael Dixon

Gary SouthShore RailCats recap by Ryan Zimmerman

Boxscore

Goldeyes Rally to Avoid Sweep

The Winnipeg Goldeyes scored two runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to earn a 6-4 victory over the Milwaukee Milkmen. The victory snapped a four-game losing streak for the Goldeyes, and ensured they were not swept in the series. Andy Armstrong had the big hit in the inning, a two-run single.

The teams exchanged runs in the first inning, but Winnipeg took the lead in the second when Jackson Smith led off with his third home run of the year. It remained a one run Goldeyes lead until the fifth when Cam Redding led off with his second home run of the year and Bryan Torres added an RBI single. Max Murphy drove home a run in the bottom half of the inning to knot the score at three.

Winnipeg retook the lead in the bottom of the sixth on a suicide squeeze bunt by Javeyan Williams, but Milwaukee tied the score when Reggie Pruitt led off the seventh with his third home run of the year. The game remained tied into the bottom of the eighth when Armstrong delivered a two-run single with two outs to provide the margin of victory.

Landen Bourassa earned the win, tossing 1.2 innings of scoreless relief and Samuel Adames came on to get the final three outs for his sixth save of the season. Nate Hadley took the loss.

Winnipeg Goldeyes Recap by Doug Greenwald

Boxscore

Kansas City Completes Sweep in Fargo

The Kansas City Monarchs rallied twice in the late innings to force extra innings, then exploded for seven runs in the 10th to earn a 12-6 victory over the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks. That completed the sweep of the three-game set. Gavin Collins homered and drove in four for the Monarchs.

Kansas City took a one run lead in the top of the first, but the RedHawks responded with single runs in the third in the fourth to take the lead. The game was tied after six, but Fargo-Moorhead jumped out in front in the bottom of the seventh on a single by Nick Novak. Kansas City retook the lead in the top of the eighth, scoring two runs, but a Leobaldo Pina two run homer in the bottom of the frame put the RedHawks back on top again. The Monarchs would not quit, as Pete Maris led off the ninth with his second home run of the year. That sent the contest to extra innings where Kansas City blew this game open, sending 12 men to the plate, scoring seven runs on five hits. Collins had the big hit of the inning, a three-run homer, his seventh of the season.

Reliever Trey Jeans earned the victory while Tristen Roehrich took the loss. Collins, Odubel Herrera, and Justin Wylie each had three hits for Kansas City. Maris drove in three. Piña and Novak finished with two hits for the RedHawks.

Boxscore

Delgado Silences Cougars in DockHounds Victory

Randall Delgado dominated for the Lake Country DockHounds, tossing six scoreless innings, striking out 12 to lead the DockHounds to a 4-1 victory over the Kane County Cougars. Jack Fox took the loss for Kane County, allowing three runs in six innings.

Lake Country took the lead right away, scoring single runs in each of the first three innings. Thomas Jones hit his eighth home run of the season in the bottom of the first, making it 1-0, and Tyler Hill extended the lead to two with a run-scoring double in the second. In the third, Nick Banks hit into a double play that score Jones to extend the lead to three. Delgado came out in the seventh and Kane County finally got on the board on an RBI single by Pete Kozma, but Lake Country restored the three-run advantage in the bottom half of the frame on an RBI double by Banks.

Hill and Demetrius Sims each finished with three hits for the DockHounds. Jones scored twice. Jojanse Torres came on in the ninth to record his sixth save of the season. Kozma had two hits for Kane County.

Boxscore

Fernandez Walk-Off Single Completes Explorers Sweep

Vince Fernandez singled home the winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning to give the Sioux City Explorers an 8-7 walk off victory over the Cleburne Railroaders. The victory completed the sweep of the three game series, and extended the Explorers winning streak to seven straight games.

Cleburne took the lead in the top of the first thanks to a three-run homer off the bat of Zach Nehrir, his 11th home run of the year. Sioux City got one of those runs back in the second on an RBI triple by Miguel Sierra and tied the score in the third on a two-run single by Tyler Rando. In the fourth, the Explorers took a four-run lead, as two wild pitches is helped to plate runs.

The Railroaders were down by four, but responded with two runs in both the fifth and sixth innings. The score remained tied into the bottom of the ninth, but Jake Sanford led off with a single, moved to second on a passed ball and reached third on a sacrifice. That brought Fernandez to the plate, who drove home the winning run.

Kent Hasler earned the victory with a scoreless inning of relief while Nick Gardewine took the loss. Rando finished with two hits and two RBIs for the Explorers. Mark Karaviotis had four hits and Nehrir drove in four.

Boxscore

Three Stars of the Night

No. 3 – Ty Culbreth (Sioux Falls Canaries) 7.0 IP, 6 H, ER, 3 BB, K

No. 2 – Gavin Collins (Kansas City Monarchs) 3-5, R, HR, 4 RBI. BB

No. 1 – Randall Delgado (Lake Country DockHounds) 6.0 IP, 2 H, BB, 0 ER, 12 K

American Association Daily Notes

The Sioux City Explorers earned their seventh straight victory… The Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks and Cleburne Railroaders have each lost five straight… With four RBI on Sunday, Zach Nehrir now leads the American Association with 54 RBI… The Gary SouthShore RailCats won their 1000th game in franchise history…

Transactions

Chicago: Signed RHP Conor Maguire

Fargo-Moorhead: Placed RHP Tanner Riley on the Injured List retroactive to June 29

Winnipeg: Released RHP Brandon Marklund; Activated INF Jacob Bockelie from the Injured List; Placed LHP R.J. Martinez on the Inactive List retroactive to July 4