Hall, Delano Toss Gems, Explorers Rally in Fargo, Walraven, Maris 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, Robert Pannier recaps the 66 Tuesday games in the American Association on Saturday, as all six games were decided by two runs or fewer, including the Kansas City Monarchs shutting out the Sioux Falls Canaries, the Lake Country DockHounds using an 11-run inning to defeat the Kane County Cougars, and Thomas Walraven homers twice to lead the Gary SouthShore RailCats. This and much more.
Walraven Homers Twice in RailCats Victory
Thomas Walraven homered twice to help lead the Gary SouthShore RailCats to a 10-8 victory over the Cleburne Railroaders. Gary SouthShore put a run on the board in the top of the first, but Chase Simpson drilled his 18th homer of the year in the bottom half of the frame, a two-run shot. The RailCats responded in the top of the second, as Sam Abbott it a three-run homer, his 12th of the year.
The teams exchanged runs, making it 6-4 after six. Gary SouthShore scored two in the top of the seventh as Michael Woodworth drove home a run with a triple and scored on a Victor Nova single. A sacrifice fly by Chuck Taylor cut the Railroaders deficit to three, but the RailCats added two more in the top of the eighth on an error the drove home two. Cleburne rallied in the bottom of the ninth, scoring three runs and had the tying run at the plate, but Yeison Medina was able to get the final out for his first save of the season.
Walraven went 3-4 with three runs scored and two RBI. Abbott was 1-2 with two runs scored, three RBI, and two walks. Taylor had two hits, scored two runs, and drove in two for the Railroaders.
Gary SouthShore RailCats Recap by Ryan Zimmerman
Delano Hurls Saltdogs to Victory in Rain-Shortened Affair
The Lincoln Saltdogs scored two runs in the bottom of the first and then starter Garett Delano did the rest, allowing one run in a five inning rain shortened affair as Lincoln defeated the Milwaukee Milkmen, 2-1. Lincoln took the lead as an error allowed one run to score and Jason Rogers drove home the other with an RBI double.
Delano allowed a single in the first and one in the third as the only hits through the first four innings, but Milwaukee finally got on the board in the top of the fifth when Dylan Kelly led off with his third homerun of the season. The Milkmen then loaded the bases with two down, but Delano got Will Kengor to fly out to in the frame.
After five, the rains came in the game was called. Delano earned his fourth victory of the season, allowing five hits in 5.0 innings. A.J. Schugel pitched very well for Milwaukee, allowing the two runs in 5.0 innings.
Lincoln Saltdogs Recap by Michael Dixon
Explorers Rally in Ninth to Down RedHawks
The Sioux City Explorers scored four runs in the top of the ninth to down the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks, 8-6. Sioux City took a two-run lead in the top of the second as Zack Kone drilled a bases clearing double to give the Explorers a 3-1 lead. Fargo-Moorhead tied the score in the bottom of the third on the first homerun of the day for Peter Maris, a two-run shot.
The Explorers retook the lead in the top of the fifth when Danny Amaral led off with a triple and scored on a base hit by Blake Tiberi. That lead held until the eighth when Sam Dexter hit a two-run single to put the RedHawks on top. Alex DuBord came on in the ninth looking to close out the contest, and was down to his final strike before Danry Vasquez singled to score Amaral to tie the score. Sebastian Zawada followed with a two run double to put Sioux City back on top and Nate Samson closed out the scoring with an RBI single. Maris homered in the bottom of the ninth to pull Fargo-Moorhead within two, but they could get no closer.
Thomas McIlraith came on in the ninth to close out the game for his 13th save of the season. Zawada had three hits, scored two runs, and had two RBI. Kone had two hits and drove in three. Maris finished 4-4 with two runs scored and four RBI.
Sioux City Explorers Recap by Connor Ryan
Hall, Bullpen Blank Canaries
Matt Hall tossed six shutout innings, and the bullpen did the rest as the Kansas City Monarchs shutout the Sioux Falls Canaries, 1-0. Hall allowed just three hits and a walk in six innings, striking out seven. Jordan Martinson came on in the seventh and gave up a pair of two-out hits but was able to get Ozzie Martinez to fly out to end the inning. Jeremy Rhoades then came on to toss a scoreless eighth before Jameson McGrane closed out the game for his 12th save of the season.
Neil Lang was outstanding as well, keeping Kansas City off the scoreboard through the first four innings. In the fifth, David Thompson led off with a walk and moved to second on a base hit by Matt Adams. He then stole third and scored on a Casey Gillaspie fly out. Lang left after six, allowing one run on seven hits.
Willie Abreu had three hits for Kansas City. Thompson had a hit and walked twice in the game.
Kansas City Monarchs Recap by Gabriel Lopez
Kipper Holds Down Goldeyes
Jordan Kipper allowed two runs in 6.0 innings to earn his seventh victory of the season, as the Chicago Dogs defeated the Winnipeg Goldeyes, 3-2. Winnipeg took the lead in the bottom of the second on an RBI single by Reggie Pruitt, but Chicago responded with single runs over each of the next three frames.
In the top of the third, Michael Crouse scored on a Stevie Wilkerson single to tie the score. An inning later, Connor Kopach drilled his eighth homerun of the year to put Chicago on top. David Washington responded in the bottom half of the frame, hitting his 20th homerun of the year to knot the score at two, but the Dogs retook the lead in the top of the fifth when K.C. Hobson stole home on a delayed double steal.
Kipper came out after six, allowing eight hits while striking out three. Ryan Clark then tossed two perfect innings before Brian Schlitter came on in the ninth. He gave up a pair of one out hits, but then struck out Pruitt before getting Justin Thompson to ground out to end the game. Crouse had two hits for Chicago and Washington was 3-3 with two runs and an RBI for the Goldeyes.
Winnipeg Goldeyes Recap by Steve Schuster
11-Run Inning Propels DockHounds
The Lake Country DockHounds scored 11 runs in the top of the sixth inning, then held on for a 13-12 victory over the Kane County Cougars. Lake Country took the lead in the top of the first when Gio Brusa hit a two-run homer, his 15th of the year. Kane County responded with single runs over each of the first three innings. Sherman Johnson homered in the bottom the second to tie the score at two, his seventh of the year. In the third, Dylan Busby drove home Jimmy Kerrigan with an RBI double to make it 3-2.
That lead held until the sixth when the DockHounds sent 15 men to the plate, scoring 11 runs on nine hits. Lamar Briggs hit a two-run homer to put Lake Country on top and T.J. Bennett added a three-run homer to make it 8-3. Gabriel Noriega would at a three-run homer later in the inning and Daniel Martins-Molinari closed out the scoring with a two run double.
The DockHounds looked in complete command of this game, but Kane County began to chip away. Busby homered in the sixth, and the Cougars added five more in the seventh against Lake Country starter Angel Ventura. Galli Cribbs drove home two with a double. In the ninth, B.J. Lopez made this a one run game with his fourth homerun of the season, a three-run blast. Ernie De La Trinidad followed with a single and Cribbs walked to put the tying run at second, but Robert Gonzalez was able to get the final out.
Lake Country had four home runs in the contest. Jordan Schaffer had three hits, scored two runs, and had an RBI for the DockHounds. Bruce also had three hits. Noriega and Bennett each drove in three. Kerrigan and Busby were both 2-4 with a run and two RBI.
Lake Country DockHounds Recap by Sam Matheny
Three Stars of the Night
No. 3 – Thomas Walraven (Gary SouthShore RailCats) 3-4, 3 R, 2 HR, 2 RBI
No. 2 – Matt Hall (Kansas City Monarchs) 6.0 IP, 3 H, BB, 0 ER, 7 K
No. 1 – Peter Maris (Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks) 4-4, 2 R, Double, 2 HR, 4 RBI, BB
American Association Daily Notes
Chicago Dogs OF Michael Crouse extended his hitting streak to 20 straight games. That is the second longest streak in the American Association this season… Chicago Dogs starter Jordan Kipper earned his seventh victory of the year on Tuesday, tying him for the league lead…
Transactions
Fargo-Moorhead: Signed LHP Colin Clark and INF Jordan Garr; Signed OF Alec Olund and RHP Danny Taggart
Gary SouthShore: Released INF Jonathan Engelmann
Kansas City: Activated RHP Cam Hill from the Inactive List; Removed RHP Nick Belzer from the Injured List and placed him on the Inactive List retroactive to July 4
Lake Country: Signed OF Casey Dykstra
Lincoln: Traded INF JR DiSarcina to High Point (Atlantic League) to complete a previous transaction; Placed RHP Carson Lance on the Injured List retroactive to July 18
Milwaukee: Released RHP Bret Helton
Sioux Falls: Released RHP Tony Lanier
By Robert Pannier