Milkmen, Cougars, Saltdogs Avoid Sweeps, Quintana, Jones Homer Twice
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 six great games in the American Association on Thursday, including the Lincoln Saltdogs, Milwaukee Milkmen, and Gary SouthShore RailCats avoid sweeps, and the Sioux City Explorers win a wild affair over the Sioux Falls Canaries.
Game Recaps for Thursday
Saltdogs Crush Goldeyes to Avoid Sweep
The Lincoln Saltdogs scored six in the fifth and five in the sixth to defeat the Winnipeg Goldeyes, 13-2. The Saltdogs had lost the first three games of the series, but avoided the sweep with the victory. Yanio Perez and Nate Samson each drove in three.
Lincoln held a 2-0 lead after scoring single runs in the first and third innings, but blew this game open in the fifth, needing just three hits and sending 11 men to the plate to score six runs. Perez had a two-run single, and four other players plated a run in the frame. An inning later, the Saltdogs were back at it, scoring five runs on four hits. Two wild pitches brought home runs in the inning.
John Bezdicek pitched very well, allowing two unearned runs in six innings. Walter Borkovich tossed three scoreless frames to earn the save.
Winnipeg Goldeyes Recap by Doug Grenwald
Lincoln Saltdogs Recap by Michael Dixon
Quintana Homer Twice to Pace Railroaders
Guillermo Quintana homered twice as part of a three-hit day as the Cleburne Railroaders offense exploded to defeat the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks 13-7. All nine players in the starting lineup had at least one and scored one run. Cleburne scored in every inning but the first and last frames.
Fargo-Moorhead held a 1-0 lead heading into the bottom of the second, but the Railroaders scored four to take charge of this contest. Mark Karaviotis hit a three-run homer and Quintana followed with a solo blast. The Railroaders added another run in the third, then scored three more in the fourth. Nick Novak hit a two-run shot for the RedHawks in the top of the fifth, but Quintana hit a solo blast in the bottom of the frame.
Every time that Fargo-Moorhead put a run across the plate, the Railroaders responded. Karaviotis finished with four RBI and Zach Nehrir drove in three. Novak had four RBI for the RedHawks.
Cougars Rally to Avoid Sweep
The Kane County Cougars found themselves trailing 7-3 entering the bottom of the third, but responded with five unanswered runs to defeat the Kansas City Monarchs, 8-7. That made a winner of Jose Fuentes, who came out of the bullpen to toss three shutout innings. Daniel Bies came on in the ninth to earn his sixth save of the season as the Kane County bullpen did not allow a run in six innings.
The Monarchs rolled early as Brian O’Grady staked his team to the lead with a two-run double in the first. In the second, both teams scored three times as Jan Hernandez hit a three-run homer and Pete Kozma delivered an RBI single and Galli Cribbs a two-run double in the bottom half of the inning.
Peter Maris hit a two-run homer in the top of the third and it looked like Kansas City would sweep the series, but the Cougars scored single runs in the third, fourth, and fifth innings, then added two in the sixth to take the lead. J.D. Osbourne scored three times for the Cougars.
Kansas City Monarchs Recap by Carter Woodiel
Jones Homers Twice to Lead DockHounds
Thomas Jones homered twice and drove in three as the Lake Country DockHounds defeated the Chicago Dogs, 8-4. The DockHounds drew the full house, scoring two runs in the first, fourth, and sixth innings, then adding single runs in the seventh and eighth frames.
Jones put hit team on top in the bottom of the first, drilling a two-run homer, his fourth of the season. Chicago tied the score in the top of the third, but Marcus Chiu led off the fourth with his sixth home run of the season to put his team on top for good. Brian Rey added a two-run shot in the sixth and Jones hit his second home run of the day in the seventh.
Marcus Shawaryn earned the win, allowing three runs in six innings. Trevor Lane took the loss. Jones finished 3-4 with two runs scored and three RBI. Matt Bottcher had four hits for the Dogs.
Vasquez, Early Runs Spur Milkmen to Victory
Gregori Vasquez allowed one run in five innings and the Milwaukee Milkmen scored five runs through the first three innings to defeat the Gary SouthShore RailCats, 6-4. Vasquez allowed five hits and a walk, lowering his ERA to 1.93.
Milwaukee took the lead in the top of the first on an RBI single by Roy Morales and a run scoring double by Gabriel Cancel. Michael Woodworth cut the deficit in half in the bottom half of the frame, leading off with his first home run of the season. The Milkmen responded with two runs in the second as an error kept the inning alive, allowing both runs to score. Justin Williams hit his third homer of the season in the third and a double-play ground out in the seventh made it 6-1. The RailCats had been shut down, but mounted a late rally, scoring three in the ninth, however, they left the tying run at the plate.
Morales finished with three hits and two RBI and Cancel also had three hits for Milwaukee. Woodworth had two hits and two RBI for Gary SouthShore.
Gary SouthShore RailCats Recap by Ryan Zimmerman
Explorers Win Wild Battle with Canaries
Chase Harris knocked home the winning run in the bottom of the eighth inning, helping the Sioux City Explorers to win a wild affair over the Sioux Falls Canaries, 9-8. The teams made the most of their opportunities as the two combined to score 17 runs on 18 hits.
The Canaries took the lead in the top of the first thanks to a three-run homer by Jabari Henry, his eighth of the season. The Explorers responded right away, scoring five runs on four hits in the bottom half of the frame. Wilfredo Gimenez had the big blow of the frame, hitting a three-run homer. Sioux Falls tied the score in the top of the second and took the lead in the third on a two-run homer by Welington Dotel. Sioux City retook the lead in the fifth, scoring three, but the Canaries tied the score in the sixth on an RBI single by Hunter Clanin. It remained tied until the eighth when Harris delivered the winning hit with two down.
Kent Hassler earned the victory in relief, tossing 2.1 scoreless innings, and Sean Rackoski came on to record his sixth save of the year. Gimenez reached base four times with three walks and a home run and John Nogowski had three hits.
Sioux Falls Canaries Recap by Tanner Hoops
Sioux City Explorers Recap by Austin Thomas
Three Stars of the Night
No. 3 – Gregori Vasquez (Milwaukee Milkmen) 5.0 IP, 5 H, ER, BB
No. 2 – Guillermo Quintana (Cleburne Railroaders) 3-5, 3 R, 2 HR, 2 RBI
No. 1 – Thomas Jones (Lake Country DockHounds) 3-4, 2 R, 2 HR, 3 RBI
American Association Daily Notes
Kane County Cougars infielder Josh Allen has now reached base in 32 straight games, the longest streak in the league this season… Winnipeg Goldeyes OF Max Murphy saw his four-game home run streak end.
Transactions
Sioux City: Activated RHP Francys Peguero from the Injured List; Placed C Tyler Rando on the Injured List retroactive to June 19
American Association Stories at Minor League Sports Report
TWITA: Sioux City Explorers RHP Solomon Bates
Cleburne Railroaders OF Hill Alexander Named American Association Player of the Week
Sioux City Explorers RHP Solomon Bates Named American Association Pitcher of the Week
By Robert Pannier
