Palm Wins Pitchers’ Duel, Habeck Dazzles, Weekley Honorees
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 five great games in the American Association on Monday, including Jalen Miller winning his sixth game of the season, the Lincoln Saltdogs win a slugfest, and the Gary SouthShore RailCats and Sioux City Explorers rally to victory.
Game Recaps for Monday
Palm Outduels Fox in Cougars Victory
Tyler Palm allowed one run in six innings to lead the Chicago Dogs to a 2-1 victory over the Kane County Cougars. This was a great pitcher’s battle between Palm and Jack Fox, as Fox allowed two earned runs in six innings. Brian Schlitter allowed two runners to reach in the ninth, but retired the final three batters for his eighth save of the season.
This was a scoreless battle through the first four innings, but Kane County jumped on top in the top of the fifth when Jimmy Kerrigan led off with his fifth home run of the season. The Dogs responded right away as Cody Bohanek was hit by a pitch to start the inning and Jesus Lujano followed with a triple down the line that brought home Bohanek to tie the score. Matt Bottcher then delivered a sacrifice fly the put the Dogs on top by a run.
Joe Cavallaro tossed two scoreless innings, striking out five before Schlitter came on. Bottcher had two hits and an RBI. Gio Brusa and Olivier Basabe each had two hits for the Cougars.
Chicago Dogs Recap by Sam Brief
Explorers Win Great Pitchers’ Duel
The Winnipeg Goldeyes and Sioux City Explorers were locked in a scoreless battle for seven innings, but both teams finally got on the board in the eighth with the Explorers scoring one more run than the Goldeyes did, winning 2-1. Marc-Andre Habeck was fantastic for Winnipeg, tossing seven scoreless innings before his evening was over.
Trenton Toplikar started for Sioux City and was equally brilliant, keeping the Goldeyes off the scoreboard through the first seven innings. However, Winnipeg finally got on the board in the top of the eighth on an RBI single by Andy Armstrong. Habeck came out in the bottom half of the inning and Sioux City quickly rallied as Chase Harris drilled his fifth homer of the year, a two-run shot to put Sioux City on top for good.
Kent Hasler earned the victory, getting the final out of the eighth inning. Sean Rackoski came on in the ninth and struck out the side for his seventh save the season.
Winnipeg Goldeyes Recap by Doug Greenwald
Sioux City Explorers Recap by Austin Thomas
Lingua Walk-Off Hit Completes RailCats Comeback
Daniel Lingua singled with the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth to give the Gary SouthShore RailCats an 8-7 walkoff victory over the Lake Country DockHounds. The RailCats trailed by two entering the seventh, but cut the deficit to one before scoring two in the bottom of the ninth to earn the victory. That made a winner of DJ Wilkinson who tossed a scoreless ninth inning.
Lake Country scored three in the top of the first as Demetrius Sims delivered a two-run triple and he scored on a Marcus Chiu single. In the second, the DockHounds extended the lead to four on a Thomas Jones hit, but Gary SouthShore responded with two runs in the bottom of the fourth. Chiu hit a solo home run in the top of the third, his seventh of the year.
In the fourth, Gary SouthShore tied the score thanks to an RBI single by Victor Nova and a two-run single by Thomas Greely. Lake Country regained the lead in the top of the fifth, scoring two more runs to make it 7-5. This game was clearly not over, however, as Lingua pulled Gary SouthShore within one with a base hit in the bottom of the seventh. In the ninth, the RailCats loaded the bases on a hit by pitch, an error, and a single before Michael Woodworth walked on four pitches to knot the game at seven. That brought Lingua to the plate, who drove a single up the middle to give Gary SouthShore the victory.
Greely finished with two hits and three RBI and Lingua had two hits and drove in two for the RailCats. Jaxx Groshans had three hits and an RBI for Lake Country.
Gary SouthShore RailCats Recap by Ryan Zimmerman
Miller Grounds Canaries
Jalen Miller allowed one unearned run in 6.2 innings to earn his league-leading sixth victory of the season as the Kansas City Monarchs defeated the Sioux Falls Canaries, 2-1. That spoiled a solid performance by Ty Culbreth, who allowed two runs in 5.0 innings.
Kansas City scored their only runs in the bottom of the fifth as Peter Maris delivered an RBI single and a wild pitch brought Maris home. That two-run advantage held until the seventh when Trevor Achenbach doubled home Wyatt Ulrich to cut the deficit to one. However, the Monarchs bullpen closed out the contest, as three relievers combined to toss 2.1 scoreless innings. Patrick Weigel came on in the ninth to earn his fourth save the season.
Kansas City Monarchs Recap by Nolan Brooks
Anderson Propels Saltdogs in Crushing of Railroaders
Nick Anderson homered twice as part of a five-hit performance, as the Lincoln Saltdogs defeated the Cleburne Railroaders, 17-8. Lincoln produced a season-high 22 hits and the teams combined for 29 hits and 13 walks in the contest.
Lincoln took the lead with four runs in the top of the first, but looked like they had taken complete command of this game, scoring eight more in the top of the third. Cleburne would not quit, however, scoring five in the bottom of the third, including José Sermo hitting his 17th home run of the year. The Saltdogs put up two more in the fifth only to see Cleburne responded with three in the bottom half of the frame. Lincoln put this game away with two in the sixth and one in the eighth.
Anderson homered twice and Luke Roskam and Marshall Awtry also went deep for the Saltdogs. Both Roskam and Anderson had five hits. Alex Jackson had two hits and drove in three for the Railroaders.
Lincoln Saltdogs Recap by Michael Dixon
Three Stars of the Night
No. 3 – Jalen Miller (Kansas City Monarchs) 6.2 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 3 BB, 7 K
No. 2 – Marc-Andre Habeck (Winnipeg Goldeyes) 7.0 IP, 5 H, 0 ER, BB, 7 K
No. 1 – Nick Anderson (Lincoln Saltdogs) 5-6, 4 R, 3 RBI, 2 HR
American Association Daily Notes
The Minor League Sports Report and This Week in the Association name to their Player and Pitcher of the Week for Week 8 of the American Association season. Winnipeg Goldeyes left-hander Travis Seabrooke was named as the top pitcher while Sioux Falls Canaries Jordan Barth was selected as the Player of the Week. Sioux City Explorers infielder Miguel Sierra was selected as the Player of the Week by the American Association… Kane County Cougars infielder Josh Allen has now reached base in 35 straight games the longest streak in the American Association this season… The American Association named the All-Star game rosters on Monday… Kansas City Monarchs right-hander Jalen Miller became the first pitcher to reach six victories the season… Cleburne Railroaders 1B José Sermo hit his league-leading 17th home run of the season.
Transactions
Kane County: Released C Dylan Nolan
Lake Country: Placed LHP Tyler Pike on the Inactive List retroactive to June 22
American Association Stories at Minor League Sports Report
By Robert Pannier
