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 five games in the American Association on Thursdat, including the Sioux City Explorers completing their sweep of the Kansas City Monarchs, the Milkwaukee Milkmen blank the Chicago Dogs, and the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks dominate the Cleburne Railroaders. This and much more.

Ledet Dominates to Help Explorers Complete Sweep

Patrick Ledet allowed one run in seven innings to help lead the Sioux City Explorers to a 2-1 victory over the Kansas City Monarchs. That helped Sioux City complete the sweep of the three-game series, moving the Explorers just 0.5 games behind the Winnipeg Goldeyes for fourth place in the West Division.

Sioux City took the lead in this game in the bottom of the second when Blake Tiberi drove home Nate Samson. The Monarchs tied the score on a sacrifice fly by Joel Booker in the top of the fifth, but Sioux City would retake the lead in the bottom of the seventh when Samson scored on an error.

Ledet did the rest, allowing three hits while striking out nine. Samson finished with two hits and scored two runs. Matt Hartman took the loss for Kansas City, allowing two runs in 6.0 innings.

Kansas City Monarchs Recap by Jaxson Webb

Sioux City Explorers Recap by Will Glocker

Boxscore

Kruczynski Shines in DockHounds Rain Shortened Victory

Evan Kruczynski allowed one run in five innings as the Lake Country DockHounds defeated the Lincoln Saltdogs in a rain-shortened affair, 5-1. Kruczynski was on top of his game, allowing just two hits and a walk while striking out eight.

The DockHounds took the lead in the top of the second inning. Tristen Carranza got Lake Country on the board with an RBI triple and he scored on a ground out by Aaron Takacs. Lincoln cut the deficit to one in the bottom half of the frame when Justin Byrd connected on his sixth homerun of the season. However, Lake Country put this contest away, scoring three more in the fourth as an error helped the DockHounds to extend the lead to four.

Takacs finished with two RBI and Carranza and Gio Brusa each scored two runs for Lake Country. Byrd reached base twice for the Saltdogs.

Lake Country DockHounds Recap by Sam Matheny

Lincoln Saltdogs Recap by Michael Dixon

Boxscore

Espada, Bullpen Tame Dogs in Milkmen Shutout

Jose Espada combined with three relievers to blank the Chicago Dogs on Thursday, as the Milwaukee Milkmen earned a 3-0 victory. Espada was in complete command, allowing five hits and a walk while striking out nine to earn his second victory of the season.

Milwaukee jumped out to a quick lead, scoring single runs in each of the first two frames. In the bottom of the first, Will Kengor drove home Mason Davis with a groundout and Bryan Torres made this a 2-0 game an inning later with an RBI double. The Milkmen closed out the scoring in the seventh on a double by Chad Sedio.

It was all Espada from there. The right-hander struck out nine for the second straight game and now has 41 Ks in 33 innings pitched. Davis finished 2-4 with a run and an RBI. Ryan Lidge had two of the five hits for Chicago.

Boxscore

McGovern Stymies Railroaders as RedHawks Soar

Kevin McGovern hamstrung the Cleburne Railroaders on Thursday, allowing four hits and a run in 7.0 innings to help lead the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks to 10-1 victory over the Cleburne Railroaders. McGovern struck out eight, allowing a single run in the fifth when his team already held an eight-run lead.

The RedHawks took command of this game early, scoring three in the first and one in the second. In the fourth, they put the contest away with four more and added two for good measure in the seventh. Leobaldo Pina led the way for Fargo-Moorhead, going 4-5 with two runs and an RBI. Drew Ward was 3-4 with two runs scored and Manuel Boscan went 3-5, including hitting his third homer of the year. Everyone but John Silviano had at least one hit for the RedHawks.

Cleburne had just five hits in the contest. Edwin Arroyo had two of them.

Boxscore

Ulrich Walk-Off Homer Sends Canaries to Victory

Wyatt Ulrich led off the bottom of the ninth inning with his first home of the year, as the Sioux Falls Canaries battled back to down the Gary SouthShore RailCats, 6-5. The Canaries took a 2-1 lead coming out of the first inning thanks to the league leading 12th homer of the year by Jabari Henry.

Sioux Falls held a 4-2 lead heading into the sixth, but the RailCats tied the score in the sixth and took the lead in the seventh on Javeyan William’s first homer of the year. This looked like it was going to be another disappointing loss for the Canaries, but Gavin LaValley tied the score, leading off the bottom of the eighth with his fifth homer of the year. That set up the dramatic ninth, where Ulrich turned on an 0-1 pitch for his first homerun of the season.

Ulrich finished 3-5 with three runs scored and Henry had two hits and drove in three. Jesus Marriaga had a huge day for Gary, going 4-4 with two runs scored an RBI. Zach Racusin was 2-4 with two RBI.

Gary SouthShore RailCats Recap by Ryan Zimmerman

Boxscore

Three Stars of the Night

No. 3 – Kevin McGovern (Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks) 7.0 IP, 4 H, ER, BB, 8 K

No. 2 – Jose Espada (Milwaukee Milkmen) 6.0 IP, 5 H, 0 BB, 0 ER, 9 K

No. 1 – Patrick Ledet (Sioux City Explorers) 7.0 IP, 3 H, ER, 3 BB, 9 K

American Association Daily Notes

The Kansas City Monarchs were swept for the first time this season when they lost to the Sioux City Explorers on Thursday… The Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks have won five straight games, vaulting them into the top spot in the West Division… Both Lake Country DockHounds OF Aaron Takacs and Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks IF Drew Ward extended their consecutive on-base streaks to 30 games yesterday. Ward has hit .387 during the streak and has a .489 OBP.

Transactions

Chicago: Released RHP Michael Bowden

Cleburne: Signed RHP Austen Seidel; Released OF Jordan Wiley

Kane County: Released INF Josh Allen;

Kansas City: Signed RHP Justin Donatella; Placed RHP Brock Gilliam on the Injured List retroactive to June 4

Lincoln: Released RHP Brandon Cunniff

Sioux Falls: Traded C Andres Noriega and future considerations to Staten Island (Atlantic League) for C John Nester; Signed C Robert Barham

Winnipeg: Removed RHP Zac Ryan from the Injured List and placed him on the Inactive List retroactive to May 21

By Robert Pannier