Explorers, Canaries Clinch, Zimmerman Dominates, RailCats Rally
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 games in the American Association on Wednesday, including Ryan Zimmerman combining with two relievers to shut out the Kane County Cougars, and both the Sioux City Explorers and the Sioux Falls Canaries clinch a playoff berths.
Game Recaps for Wednesday
Drury Shuts Down Monarchs
Austin Drury allowed one run in six innings to help lead the Sioux City Explorers to a 4-1 victory over the Kansas City Monarchs. Drury allowed four hits while striking out eight to earn his fifth victory of the season. Parker Caracci tossed two scoreless innings and Sean Rackoski retired the final three batters of the game for his 19th save of the year.
Sioux City took the lead in the top of the third on an RBI double by Matt Lloyd and a run-scoring single by Wilfredo Gimenez. Drury shut down Kansas City through the first six innings, but Micker Adolfo finally got his team on the board when he led off the bottom of the seventh with his 13th homer of the year. After walking the next batter, the evening was over for Drury. Caracci came on and retired the next three batters to win the frame. Sioux City extended their lead in the top of the ninth on RBI singles by Daniel Lingua and John Nogowski.
Taylor Snyder finished with two of the four hits for Kansas City. Gimenez and Lingua each had three hits for the Explorers. Harris scored twice.
Sioux City Explorers Recap by Dan Vaughan, Jr.
Kansas City Monarchs Recap by Nolan Brooks
RedHawks Down DockHounds Late
The Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks scored a run in the sixth and added one more in the eighth to help them defeat the Lake Country DockHounds, 6-4. Alex DuBord earned the victory in relief, tossing 1.2 scoreless innings, and Garrett Alexander finished off the contest, closing out the final 2.1 innings for his second save of the year.
Fargo-Moorhead took the lead in the bottom of the first, scoring two. Lake Country responded with two runs in the top of the second to tie the score, but Alec Olund gave his team a one advantage with an RBI single in the bottom of the second. The RedHawks extended their lead to two in the third on an error, but the DockHounds benefited from a couple of miscues as well, tying the score in the fifth on an error and a wild pitch.
In the sixth, Fargo-Moorhead took the lead for good on the second run-scoring hit of the day by Olund. He added an RBI single in the eighth as well to seal the victory. All and finished with four hits and three RBI. Juan Graterol had two hits for Lake Country.
Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks Recap by Chad Miller
Zimmerman, Milkmen Blank Cougars
Ryan Zimmerman dominated the Kane County Cougars on Wednesday, tossing seven shutout innings to lead the Milwaukee Milkmen to a 4-0 victory. Zimmerman allowed just two hits while striking out 11 to earn his 10th victory of the year. Frankie Bartow and Peyton Gray each tossed a scoreless frame. Nick Belzer pitched very well for Kane County, allowing two runs in five innings, but took the loss.
Milwaukee scored a run in both the third and fourth innings. Michael Crouse drew a two-out, bases loaded walk in the third, and Aaron Hill added a run-scoring double in the fourth. In the sixth, the Milkmen scored two more runs as Miguel Gomez drove home Cam Balego with an RBI double and Roy Morales scored on a sacrifice fly.
Morales scored twice for the Milkmen. Kane County produced just three total hits in the game.
Canaries Down Goldeyes to Clinch Playoff Berth
The Sioux Falls Canaries locked in their ticket to the playoffs with a 7-4 victory over the Winnipeg Goldeyes. It was a five run first-inning that helped pace Sioux Falls in this contest. James Palmer started for Winnipeg and faced just four batters in the contest, walking three of the first four men he faced. Nolan LaMere came on and struck out Darnell Sweeney, but walked Trevor Achenbach to plate a run and keep the inning alive. That brought Hunter Clanin to the plate, who turned on a 2-2 pitch, drilling it for a grand slam, his 17th home run of the season.
Both teams scored a run in the second, with Chris Burgess leading off the top half with his fifth homer of the year, and Sioux Falls plating a run on a Jabari Henry sacrifice fly. Winnipeg began cutting into the lead, scoring a run in the fourth on Miles Simington’s fourth homer of the year and adding two more in the fifth. However, the Canaries added one more run in the eighth on an RBI double by Clanin.
Clanin finished 3-4 with a run scored and five RBI. Aaron Whitefield and Achenbach each scored twice. Burgess had three hits for Winnipeg.
Winnipeg Goldeyes Recap by Jason Young
RailCats Down Dogs in 10
The Gary South Shore RailCats scored three runs in the top of the 10th inning to defeat the Chicago Dogs, 7-4. Gary rallied in the top of the ninth to force extra innings, then kept the momentum rolling, making a victor of DJ Wilkinson.
The RailCats took the lead in the top of the first on a two-run homer by Jackson Valera, his second of the year. Chicago had been shut down through the first four innings against Harrison Francis, but José Betances came on in the fifth and loaded the bases before giving up a grand slam to Luke Mangieri, his 17th homer of the year. The RailCats got one of those runs back in the sixth, and were able to tie the score in the ninth on an RBI single by Miguel Sierra. That sent the game to the 10th where Gio Diaz put his team on top for good with an RBI double and Jesus Marriaga delivered a two run double to seal the victory.
Francisco Del Valle scored twice in both Valera and Marriaga and two RBI for the RailCats. Payton Eeles had three hits for Chicago.
Gary South Shore RailCats Recap by Zach Letson
Three Stars of the Night
No. 3 – Austin Drury (Sioux City Explorers) 6.0 IP, 4 H, ER, 2 BB, 8 K
No. 2 – Hunter Clanin (Sioux Falls Canaries) 3-4, R, 5 RBI, HR, Double
No. 1 – Ryan Zimmerman (Milwaukee Milkmen) 7.0 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 11 K
American Association Daily Notes
Both the Sioux City Explorers and the Sioux Falls Canaries clinched playoff berths. Sioux City is making their first trip to the playoffs since 2022. For the Canaries it is their first appearance since 2020… The Winnipeg Goldeyes were eliminated from playoff contention.
Transactions
Milwaukee: Activated RHP Francys Peguero from the Inactive List
Sioux City: Placed RHP Heitor Tokar on the Injured List retroactive to August 23; Activated RHP Trenton Toplikar from the Inactive List
American Association Articles on Minor League Sports Report
Sioux Falls Canaries RHP Seth Miller American Association Pitcher of the Week
Sioux Falls Canaries 1B Mike Hart Named American Association Player of the Week
By Robert Pannier
