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 four games in the American Association on Thursday, including Alex McRae tossing eight shutout innings for the Late Country DockHounds, the Gary SouthShore RailCats sweep the Chicago Dogs, and Justin Byrd records four hits and drives in three.  This, plus much more.

McRae, Diaz Blank Canaries

Alex McRae blanked the Sioux Falls Canaries for eight innings, and Carlos Diaz completed the shutout in his first appearance as the Lake Country DockHounds defeated the Sioux Falls Canaries, 5-0. McRae allowed five hits and two walks while striking out six to earn his fourth victory of the season, lowering his ERA to 2.82. Diaz, who had been acquired by the DockHounds late last week, came on in the ninth, striking out two.

Lake Country took the lead in the bottom of the first inning on back-to-back RBI singles by Gabriel Noriega and Jake Snider. In the fifth, the club extended the lead to four thanks to a two-run homer by T.J. Bennett, his 14th of the year. The DockHounds added one more run in the eighth on an RBI ground out by Casey Dykstra.

Jordan Schaffer was 2-3 with two runs scored for Lake Country. Snyder also had two hits. Cecilio Pimentel took the loss, allowing four runs in 6.0 innings.

Boxscore

Cougars Rally to Down Railroaders

The Kane County Cougars scored two in the sixth and one of the seventh to help lead them to a 7-5 victory over the Cleburne Railroaders. The teams exchanged a pair of runs in the second inning. Alexis Pantoja delivered a two-run double in the top of the frame, but Hunter Wolfe tied the score in the bottom half, drilling a two-run homer, his fifth of the year.

The Railroaders took the lead in the bottom of the fourth thanks to a sacrifice fly by Chuck Taylor, but the Cougars responded in the top of the fifth, as Jimmy Kerrigan delivered a two-run single to put his team back on top. The lead did not last long, however, as Zach Nehrir scored on a balk to tie the game in the bottom of the fifth and Cleburne pulled ahead on an error. From there, it was all Kane County as Galli Cribbs doubled to drive home two to put his team back on top in the sixth, and Luke Mangieri added a sacrifice fly in the seventh to make it 7-5.

Jack Anderson earned the victory, tossing 1.1 innings of scoreless relief. Ryan Tapani came on in the ninth to record his second save of the season. Ernie De La Trinidad had two hits and Nick Franklin scored two runs. Wolfe had two hits for Cleburne, driving in a pair. Chase Simpson also had two hits.

Boxscore

Decisive Frame Helps RailCats Complete Sweep

The surging Gary SouthShore RailCats scored six runs in the top of the third inning to complete a three-game sweep of the Chicago Dogs, winning 9-3. The score was tied heading into the third when the RailCats exploded for six runs on six hits, sending 10 men to the plate. Sam Abbott led off the inning with his 13th homerun of the season and Michael Woodworth extended the lead to two with a sacrifice fly. With Gary SouthShore up by three, Jesus Marriaga delivered a two run double and he scored on an LG Castillo triple.

The lead became eight in the top of the fifth on a two-run homer by Victor Nova, his fourth of the year. Chicago had no answers for Harrison Francis, as he tossed five scoreless innings. However, Francis came out in the sixth and the Dogs scored two thanks to a K.C. Hobson homerun and a single by Anfernee Grier. Castillo doubled home a run in the top of the seventh and Grier drove home one more run in the bottom of the eighth for Chicago.

Daniel Lingua was 2-4 with three runs scored and an RBI for the RailCats. Castillo had three hits and drove in two runs. Hobson and Grier were both 3-4. Hobson scored two runs and drove in another and Grier had two RBI.

Gary SouthShore RailCats Recap by Ryan Zimmerman

Boxscore

Byrd Leads Saltdogs Past RedHawks

Justin Byrd was a perfect 4-4, scoring three runs and driving in three to help lead the Lincoln Saltdogs to a 12-5 victory over the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks. The Saltdogs were trailing heading to the bottom of the first, but responded with seven unanswered runs, scoring two in the first, three in the second, and two in the fourth. Josh Altmann put his team on top with a two-run single in the bottom of the first and Rayder Ascanio added a two-run homerun in the second. In the fourth, Hunter Clanin and Byrd both hit solo shots as Lincoln was rolling early.

That was plenty enough support for Zach Keenan, who allowed two earned runs in 5.1 innings. The RedHawks were able to get one more run against him in the sixth, but the Saltdogs responded with two more in the bottom of the sixth and added two more in the seventh.

Ryan Long scored three times for the Saltdogs and Altmann was 2-2 with two walks and three RBI. Clanin finished 3-5 with three runs scored and two RBI. Drew Ward hit one of three homeruns for the RedHawks, scoring twice. Pete Maris and Sam Dexter also went deep.

Lincoln Saltdogs Recap by Michael Dixon

Boxscore

Three Stars of the Night

No. 3 – Harrison Francis (Gary SouthShore RailCats) 5.0 IP, 5 H, BB, 0 ER, 4 K

No. 2 – Justin Byrd (Lincoln Saltdogs) 4-4, 3 R, Double, HR, 3 RBI

No. 1 – Alex McRae (Lake Country DockHounds) 8.0 IP, 5 H, 2 BB, 0 ER, 6 K

American Association Daily Notes

The Chicago Dogs have dropped six straight games… The Kane County Cougars have won their last seven games, pulling them 4.5 games behind Chicago for the top record in the East Division… Cleburne Railroaders IF Edwin Arroyo extended his consecutive on-base streak to 40 straight games.

Transactions

Chicago: Signed OF Tony Rosselli

Cleburne: Activated OF Hunter Wolfe from the Injured List; Signed RHP Jordan Foley

Cleburne: Signed INF Wyatt Mathisen

Kane County: Placed LHP Tyler Koch on the Inactive List retroactive to July 23; Released C Milton Perez

Kansas City: Released RHP Justin Donatella

Lake Country: Removed RHP Carson Goldsmith from the Injured List and placed him on the Inactive List retroactive to July 22; Placed INF Manuel Blanco on the Injured List retroactive to August 7; Signed RHP Tyler Schimpf

Lincoln: Acquired OF Justin Byrd on loan from Oaxaca (Mexican League); Signed OF Justin Byrd; Signed C Luke Roskam; Released C Bobby Barnard and OF Patrick Caulfield

By Robert Pannier