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 six games in the American Association on Friday, including the Cleburne Railroaders outlasting the Lake Country DockHounds, Patrick Ledet tosses a gem for the Sioux City Explorers, and A.J. Jones tosses six shutout innings for the Milwaukee Milkmen This, plus much more.

Railroaders Take Opener from DockHounds

The Cleburne Railroaders took the lead for good in the top of the seventh, defeating the Lake Country DockHounds, 9-8. Cleburne took the lead in the top of the first inning, plating three runs. Hill Alexander had the big hit of the frame, a two-run homer, his 10th of the year. Lake Country responded with two runs in the bottom of the first as Daikan Yoh led off with a homerun and T.J. Bennett added a solo shot.

Nick Shumpert drove home a run in the second with a double and Chase Simpson hit his 20th homerun of the season in the third, restoring the three run Cleburne lead. However, the DockHounds responded in the bottom of the third, as Jake Snider drilled a grand slam, his sixth homerun of the season. Lake Country extended the lead to two on a Jordan Schaffer RBI single in the fourth, but Cleburne took the lead once again in the top of the fifth, as Kacy Clemens drove home a run with an RBI single and Shumpert plated two more.

The DockHounds tied the score once again in the bottom of the sixth with a run-scoring double play. The Railroaders responded in the top of the seventh when Chuck Taylor drove home the go-ahead run. The Cleburne bullpen made that lead hold, as three relievers came on to each toss a scoreless frame. Nick Gardewine came on in the ninth to earn his ninth save of the season. Shumpert had four hits and drove in three.

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Six-Run Fifth Leads Canaries

The Sioux Falls Canaries opened with nine unanswered runs, including six in the fifth, as they defeated the Gary SouthShore RailCats, 9-2. Sioux Falls scored single runs in each of the first three innings. Gavin LaValley gave his team the lead with an RBI single in the first and a run-scoring ground out in the second made it 2-0. Leading by three heading in the fifth, the Canaries responded for six runs on four hits, sending 11 men to the plate. Aaron Takacs drove home two with a double and Nick Gotta added a two run double as well.

Cecilio Pimentel was in complete control of this contest, blanking Gary SouthShore through the first five innings. The RailCats finally got on the board in the sixth on a bases loaded walk to Sherman Graves, but that would be the only run scored against the Sioux Falls left-hander. Pimentel left after six innings, allowing seven hits and two walks while striking out three.

Ozzie Martinez had three hits and scored a run for the Canaries. Gotta finished with three RBI. Michael Woodworth, Jesus Marriaga, and Nate Scantlin each had two hits for the RailCats.

Gary SouthShore RailCats Recap by Ryan Zimmerman

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Cougars Rally to Down Monarchs

The Kane County Cougars found themselves trailing by three entering the bottom of the fifth, but scored three runs in both the fifth and sixth innings on their way to an 8-5 victory over the Kansas City Monarchs. Kansas City took the lead in the top of the first on a run-scoring double by Matt Adams. Adams drove home his second run of the game with an RBI single in the third and Darnell Sweeney made it 3-0 with a sacrifice fly in the fifth.

Monarchs’ starter Nick Belzer allowed a walk through each of the first four innings, as the Cougars seemed to have no response for the Kansas City right-hander. However, that changed in the fifth. Ernie De La Trinidad drove home two with a triple and he scored on an Alexis Pantoja single. Frank Rubio came on in the sixth, and Dylan Busby gave Kane County the lead when he drilled a two-run homer, his ninth of the year. Luke Mangieri it a solo shot two batters later.

The Cougars added two more solo home runs in the contest. Cornelius Randolph hit his 11th of the season, and Mangieri added his second homerun of the game in the eighth. Vance Worley earned the victory, allowing four runs in 6.0 innings. Ryan Richardson recorded the final four outs of the game for his fifth save of the season. Adams had three hits and three RBI for the Monarchs.

Kansas City Monarchs Recap by Caleb Grizzle

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Jones, Milkmen Blank Goldeyes

A.J. Jones allowed just two hits in 6.0 innings, combining with three relievers to blank the Winnipeg Goldeyes, 5-0. The Milwaukee Milkmen starter was in complete command of this contest, giving up a one-out hit in the first, then retiring eight in a row. A leadoff walk in the top of the fourth spoiled the run, but he induced a double play to end the frame. The Goldeyes recorded their only other hit against Jones with two down in the sixth when Eric Rivera tripled, but he was left stranded. Jones faced just two over the minimum in his six innings of work, earning his fifth victory of the season.

The Milkmen took the lead in the bottom of the second, plating two runs. The first came home on a wild pitch, and Bryan Torres extended lead to two on an RBI single. The lead became three on an RBI single by Jeremiah Burks in the sixth and Logan Trowbridge added a two run double in the seventh to make it 5-0.

Frankie Bartow, Karch Kowalczyk, and Rodrigo Benoit each tossed a scoreless frame. Trowbridge finished 3-4 with two runs scored and two RBI. No player had more than one hit for the Goldeyes.

Winnipeg Goldeyes Recap by Steve Schuster

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Ledet Shines in Explorers Victory

Patrick Ledet allowed two earn runs in 7.1 innings as the Sioux City Explorers downed the Chicago Dogs, 9-5. Sioux City took command of this game from the start, opening with nine unanswered runs through the first four frames. It started when Gabe Snyder hit a two-run homer in the top of the first inning. Two innings later, Sioux City added four more runs, sending nine men to the plate. The Explorers extended the lead to nine what Sebastian Zawada blasted a three-run homer in the top of the fourth, his eighth of the year.

Ledet was in complete command, shutting down Chicago through the first seven innings. The Dogs had just three hits through the first seven frames, but mounted a rally in the bottom of the eighth. A sacrifice fly and a ground out put two runs on the board, ending the day for the Sioux City left-hander. K.C. Hobson later added a two run double in the frame, to cut the deficit to five. An inning later, Grant Kay led off with a homerun, his 16th of the year, but the Dogs could get no closer.

Thomas McIlraith came on to record the final out of the game, earning his 16th save of the year. Zawada finished with three hits and four RBI. Blake Tiberi had two hits and scored three times and Trey Martin had three hits and scored twice. Hobson had three hits for Chicago.

Sioux City Explorers Recap by Connor Ryan

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Saltdogs-RedHawks Postponed

The contest between the Lincoln Saltdogs and the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks was postponed because of rain. The contest will be made up as part of a double-header on Saturday starting at 5:00.

Three Stars of the Night

No. 3 – Patrick Ledet (Sioux City Explorers) 7.1 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 2 K

No. 2 – Luke Mangieri (Kane County Cougars) 2-3, 2 R, 2 HR, 2 RBI, BB

No. 1 – A.J. Jones (Milwaukee Milkmen) 6.0 IP, 2 H, BB, 0 ER, 5 K

American Association Daily Notes

Winnipeg Goldeyes IF Raul Navarro saw his 24-game hitting streak and on Friday. That is the longest in the American Association this season… Chicago Dogs OF Michael Crouse extended his home hitting streak to 19 straight games, the longest in the league this season… Cleburne Railroaders IF Edwin Arroyo has hits 17 straight road games, also the longest such streak in the league this year. Arroyo has reached base and 35 straight games, tying the longest mark in the American Association this season. The Cleburne infielder has hit .407 with a .500 on-base percentage during the streak… The Kansas City Monarchs are the only team that is undefeated (43-0) when leading after eight innings.

Transactions

Fargo-Moorhead: Activated INF Drew Ward from the Inactive List

Kansas City: Signed OF Caeden Harris

Lincoln: Released RHP Elijah Johnson

Lake Country: Placed RHP Cyrillo Watson on the Inactive List retroactive to July 24

Lake Country: Signed RHP Jeremiah Mauch

Sioux City: Removed RHP Tyler Beardsley from the Injured List and placed him on the Inactive List retroactive to July 23; Traded INF Nick Franklin to Kane County for two (2) players to be named later and cash; Activated OF Chase Harris from the Inactive List

By Robert Pannier