Perfect Night for Dylan Kelly Helps Send Explorers to Seventh Straight Win
In American Association Daily, Robert Pannier recaps an incredible night of baseball in the American Association, as there were five great games scheduled for Friday. This included the Sioux City Explorers extending their win streak to seven and the Kansas City T-Bones downing Sioux Falls, 3-2.
Dylan Kelly with 3-Hits, 2-RBI to Lead Explorers
After sweeping the St. Paul Saints and Wichita Wingnuts on the road, the Sioux City Explorers returned home looking for their seventh straight victory. The team jumped out to a 5-1 lead, and then held on for the 5-4 victory over the Winnipeg Goldeyes. Dylan Kelly had a perfect night at the plate, recording three hits and driving in two runs to lead the offense.
Winnipeg would jump out in front in the top of the first against Sioux City Explorers starter Keith Picht. After the Explorers starter retired the first batter of the game, Dave Sappelt drilled his second home run of the season to put the Goldeyes on top, 1-0.
That lead held until the bottom of the second when the Explorers would take the lead for good. Nate Samson led off the inning with a single before JC Sulbaran retired the next two batters. Sioux City then put together a rather impressive two out rally, as Dexture McCall walked and Dylan Kelly followed with a single up the middle that brought home Samson to tie the score. Daniel Jackson followed with the ground single into left, bringing around McCall and Sioux City had the lead.
It would stay a one run game until the fourth when the Explorers would extend their lead to three. A one out walk to Jay Baum got the rally going. McCall followed with a single and both runners scored on a base hit by Kelly. That made it 4-1 Sioux City.
In the fifth, the Sioux City Explorers added an insurance run which would prove to be the deciding factor in the game. Luis Durango led off with a walk but was picked off at first base. Michael Lang then through a walk before Jay Austin singled to move him to third. A single by the red-hot José Sermo brought Lang home to give the Explorers a 5-1 lead.
Trailing by four, Winnipeg would begin to rally in the top of the sixth. Josh Romanski walked to start the inning and, two batters later, Tommy Mendonca singled to put two on with one out. That brought Andrew Sohn to the plate, who lined a single into left field. Romanski came around to score, but the ball was misplayed in left field allowing Mendonca to come home as well. That cut the deficit to two and would end the night for Picht (3-2). The Explorers starter went 5.1-innings, allowing 5-hits and 2-earned runs. He walked 2 and struck out 6.
Tyler Falwell came on and closed out the inning without allowing any further damage but the Goldeyes would add another run in the top of the seventh. A walk to Tyler Baker started the inning and he moved to second on a single by Sappelt two batters later. Patrick Schuster came on and walked Romanski, once again bringing the call to the bullpen. Parker Markel relieved and gave up a base hit to Reggie Abercrombie that scored Baker to make it 5-4. However, he struck out Mendonca before getting Sohn to ground out to end the inning.
Markel remained in the game and tossed a scoreless eighth inning. In the ninth, Eric Karch came on and retired the side in order for his sixth save of the season.
Dylan Kelly finished 3-3 with 2-RBI. Dexture McCall was 1-3 with 2-runs scored. Dave Sappelt led the Winnipeg offense, going 2-5 with a run scored and an RBI.
Monger, Palmeiro Power Railroaders to 5-3 Victory
The Cleburne Railroaders defeated their in-state rivals, downing the Texas AirHogs, 5-3. That came courtesy of home runs by both Patrick Palmeiro and Cameron Monger, the sixth of the year for each. Cleburne trailed by two heading into the bottom of the fourth when they would score 4 runs. Palmeiro plaited the first run of the inning with an RBI single and Monger followed with a three run blast to put the Railroaders on top. Josh Hodges, making his second start of the season, earned his first victory of the year by allowing 6-hits and 3-runs in 6-innings of work. Shawn Blackwell earned is six save of the year.
T-Bones Rally Late to Down Canares, 3-2
The Kansas City T-Bones found themselves trailing by a run heading into the bottom the seventh on Monday night, but single runs in the seventh and eighth gave Kansas City the lead as they would go on to defeat the Sioux Falls Canaries, 3-2. An error tied the score in the seventh and a double by Adrian Nieto in the eighth gave the T-Bones the lead. Cody Winiarski, making his first appearance since May 24, earned the victory while Carlos Diaz recorded his seventh save of the season. The loss ruined a fantastic outing by Dylan Thompson, who allowed one run in six innings of work.
Daniel Minor Outduels Barnes to Lead RailCats to 5-1 Victory
Daniel Minor earned his American Association leading seventh victory of the season on Monday night, limiting the Chicago Dogs to one run off of 6-hits in 7-innings of work in a 5-1 Gary Southshore RailCats victory. Minor outdueled Chicago starter Scott Barnes, who allowed two runs in seven innings. The RailCats took the lead in the top of the second on the fourth home run of the season by Alex Crosby, a two run shot. Clinging to that one run lead, Gary would score 3 in the top of the eighth. Andy Paz extended the lead to three with a two run single and Wilfredo Gimenez plaited the final run of the game with an RBI single. The victory extended the RailCats lead in the North Division to 1.5 games.
DJ Brown Blanks Saints Giving RedHawks 4-0 Victory
DJ Brown moved his record to 5-0 with seven shutout innings against the St. Paul Saints on Monday night, giving the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks a 4-0 victory. Single runs in the first and third innings and two in the fifth proved to be too much for St. Paul on this night. Former Saint Tim Colwell had 2-hits and scored 2-runs. Brennan Metzger drove in two. Brown allowed just 5-hits and twice got out of bases-loaded jams with one down, inducing a double play in the bottom of the first and striking out the final two batters in the fourth. He finished with 9-strikeouts.
By Robert Pannier
