DockHounds Win in Wagner Debut, Explorers Roll, Dogs Derail Cleburne

Robert Pannier May 24, 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, Robert Pannier recaps the six games in the American Association on Tuesday, including the Lake Country DockHounds winning in the debut of interim manager Paul Wagner, the Chicago Dogs hold off the Cleburne Railroaders, and the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks win a slugfest in Lincoln.

Game Recaps for Tuesday

RedHawks Down Saltdogs in Slugfest

The Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks held an early four-run lead, only to watch the Lincoln Saltdogs battle back to take an 8-6 advantage. However, the RedHawks responded with four unanswered runs to come away with a 10-8 victory. The teams combined for 23 hits and 11 walks, hitting five home runs in the game.

Fargo jumped out on top in the top of the first, scoring three runs. Leobaldo Pina delivered a two-run in single and Ben Livorsi drove home a run with a bases loaded walk. Lincoln cut the disadvantage to two in the bottom of the second, but in the third the RedHawks scored two more to take a 5-1 lead. The Saltdogs responded in the bottom of the third, as Connor Panas drilled a two-run homer, his second of the year.

An inning later, the Saltdogs took the lead, scoring three runs on three hits. Zach Miller had a run-scoring single, and a double play and a wild pitch made it 6-5. The RedHawks tied the score in the top of the fifth, but homers by Luke Roskam and Aaron Takacs made it 8-6. The Saltdogs bullpen could not hold the lead, however, as Manuel Boscan made it a one run game with an RBI single and Dillon Thomas followed with his second home run of the year, a two-run blast. Boscan hit his first home run of the season to lead off the top of the eighth to close out the scoring.

John Witkowski was fantastic out of the bullpen, tossing three scoreless innings to earn the victory. Reid Birlingmair earned his fifth save of the season, tossing a scoreless ninth. David Zoz took the loss. Piña had three hits and three RBI for Fargo and John Silviano scored three runs. Takacs and Drew Devine each had three hits for the Saltdogs.

Lincoln Saltdogs Recap by Michael Dixon

Boxscore

Explorers Late Surge Seals Victory

The Sioux City Explorers scored nine runs over the final three innings to seal a 17-7 victory over the Sioux Falls Canaries. All nine starters had at least one hit in the game, and the 1-6 hitters each had at least two hits and drove in at least one run as Sioux City recorded a season-high 20 hits.

The Explorers took control of this game early, scoring six in the top of the first. Matt Lloyd delivered a two-run single and Eury Perez hit a grand slam, his first home run of the season. Sioux Falls responded with three runs of their own, then the bats went silent until the fifth when Lloyd hit a two-run homer. In the sixth, the Canaries cut the deficit to two on a three-run homer by Hunter Clanin, but Sioux City responded with a run in the seventh, four in the eighth, and four in the ninth to close out the victory. Miguel Sierra had a two run double and Lloyd added an RBI double in the eighth, and Vince Fernandez hit a grand slam in the ninth. Solomon Bates earned his second victory of the season while Ty Culbreth remained winless (0-2) Lloyd finished 5-6 with three runs scored and five RBI and Fernandez and Perez each recorded three runs scored and four RBI for Sioux City. Clanin finished with five runs driven in for Sioux Falls.

Sioux City Explorers Recap by Dan Vaughan Jr. and Austin Thomas

Sioux Falls Canaries Recap by Tanner Hoops

Boxscore

DockHounds Victorious in Wagner Debut

Paul Wagner made his debut as the Lake Country DockHounds interim manager a successful one, as the club beat the Gary SouthShore RailCats, 11-2. Nick Herold was spectacular, allowing two runs in seven innings to earn the victory and Nick Banks drove in four. The win was the second in a row for the DockHounds.

The RailCats took the lead in the top of the second on a two-run homer by Sam Abbott, his first of the year. However, Lake Country took control from there, scoring 11 unanswered runs. The first two came in the bottom of the second when Harrison Smith hit his first home run of the season, a two-run shot. An inning later, it was Jaxx Groshans going deep, hitting his team-leading third home run of the year, another two-run blast to make it 4-2. Lake Country blew this game open in the fourth, as Blake Tiberi delivered an RBI single and Banks followed with a three-run shot, his first homer of the year. The DockHounds added two more in the sixth and a run in the seventh to close out the scoring.

Banks finished 2-5 with two runs scored and four RBI and Smith was 3-4 with two runs scored and three runs driven in. Michael Woodworth and LG Castillo each had two hits for the RailCats.

Gary SouthShore RailCats Recap by Ryan Zimmerman

Boxscore

Wild Ninth Puts Milkmen in Win Column

The Milwaukee Milkmen scored four runs in the top of the ninth to take a six-run lead, then held on to defeat the Kansas City Monarchs, 7-4. José Fuentes was fantastic for Milwaukee, tossing six shutout innings and Roy Morales drove in three. Jeff Singer took the loss for the Monarchs.

Milwaukee took the lead in the top of the first on an RBI single by Drew Ward. An inning later, the lead became three. Rudy Martin hit his third home run of the season and Miguel Gomez reached on an error, scoring Bryan Torres. Fuentes came out in the seventh and Kansas City got on the board on an RBI single by L.J. Hatch.

Milwaukee held onto the two-run advantage entering the ninth, but put four on the board, thanks to a pair of two run doubles by Morales and Ward. The Monarchs refused to quit, however, scoring three runs on four hits in the bottom of the ninth and loading the bases with two down. Trevin Reynolds came on to get the final out, striking out Micker Adolfo to end the game.

Kansas City Monarchs Recap by Nolan Brooks

Boxscore

Goldeyes Down Cougars in 10

Tommy McCarthy drove home Tra Holmes with the winning run in the bottom of the 10th inning to give the Winnipeg Goldeyes a 3-2 victory over the Kane County Cougars. The loss was the sixth straight for Kane County.

This was a great pitchers’ duel as C.J. Eldred and Luis Ramirez both allowed two runs in seven innings of work. Kane County took the lead in the top of the fourth on an RBI single by Daniel Wasinger and an error. Eldred shut down the Goldeyes through the first six innings, but Jake Bockelie tied the score in the bottom of the seventh, drilling a two-run homer, his second of the year. The game remained tied through regulation, sending the contest to extra innings where McCarthy delivered the game-winning hit.

Goldeyes shortstop Andy Armstrong was the only player to record two hits in the contest. Eldred allowed two runs on four hits in seven innings while Ramirez allowed two runs on three hits. R.J. Martinez earned the victory in relief.

Boxscore

Lidge Perfect Night Propels Dogs

Ryan Lidge was a perfect 5-5 and drove in five to lead the Chicago Dogs to an 11-9 victory over the Cleburne Railroaders. The victory moved Chicago ahead of Cleburne in the East Division standings.

Chicago jumped out in front in the top of the first on an RBI single by Lidge. Cleburne tied the score an inning later when Guillermo Quintana drove home Ryan Hernandez with a base hit. The Dogs jumped out in front once again, scoring two more in the top of the third as Lidge hit his first double of the game to score Nicholas Heath and he came home on a Cody Bohanek single. Once again, the Railroaders responded as José Sermo delivered a two run double to tie the game at three.

Chicago retook the lead in the top of the fifth on a double play, and looked like they had put this game away in the top of the sixth when Lidge delivered a two-run single and Josh Altmann followed with a three-run home run, his sixth of the year. Cleburne would not go away, however, as Hernandez drilled a two-run homer in the bottom of the sixth, his fifth of the year. A sacrifice fly made it 9-6 in the bottom of the seventh, and Chicago put up a run in the eighth and ninth innings, looking like they had sealed the contest. However, those Railroaders refused to quit, scoring three in the bottom of the ninth, loading the bases with two down against closer Brian Schlitter. Jonathan Cheshire came on looking to close out the contest and was able to get Hernandez to fly out to end the game for his second save of the season.

Lidge finished 5-5 with three runs scored and five RBI. Brennan Metzger scored three runs for the Dogs. Delino DeShields had three hits and scored two runs for Cleburne.

Boxscore

Three Stars of the Night

No. 3 – José Fuentes (Milwaukee Milkmen) 6.0 IP, 3 H, 2 BB, 0 ER, 2 K

No. 2 – Matt Lloyd (Sioux City Explorers) 5-6, 3 R, 5 RBI, 2 Doubles, HR

No. 1 – Ryan Lidge (Chicago Dogs) 5-5, 3 R, 5 RBI, 2 Doubles

American Association Daily Notes

The Kane County Cougars lost their six straight game on Tuesday… There have been six extra inning games in the American Association this season and Kane County has lost four of them… Sioux Falls Canaries OF Welington Dotel, Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks OF Dillon Thomas, and Gary SouthShore RailCats OF LG Castillo all extended their hitting streak to 10 straight games.