O’Grady Homers Three Times, Mangieri Leads Dogs Power Surge
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 seven great games in the American Association on Friday, including the Saltdogs winning in 10 innings for the second straight night, Brian O’Grady homers three times for the Kansas City Monarchs, and the Chicago Dogs hit six home runs in their victory over the Sioux Falls Canaries.
Game Recaps for Saturday
Saltdogs Down RailCats in 10
It was like déjà vu all over again for the Lincoln Saltdogs on Saturday, as they defeated the Gary SouthShore RailCats in 10 innings for the second straight night, this time winning 6-5. The victory came a night after the Saltdogs defeated the RailCats in 10, 6-4. Both victories came courtesy of a game-winning homer, with this one coming off the bat of Luke Roskam.
Gary held a one run lead heading into the top of the third, but Lincoln put three on the board to take the lead. That came when Connor Panas drilled his ninth home run of the season, a three-run shot to make it 3-1. The RailCats got one of those runs back in the bottom half of the inning on a single by Jackson Valera and tied the score in the fifth when Daniel Lingua led off with a double and Michael Woodworth followed with a triple. However, Woodworth was stranded, keeping the score tied.
It remained that way through regulation, sending the game to the 10th. That is when Roskam hit a three-run homer to make it 6-3. Gary SouthShore refused to quit, however, as the RailCats scored two to cut the deficit to one. The team had the tying run at third, but Walter Borkovich was able to get the final out to end the game. R.J. Freure earned the victory with two scoreless innings of relief. Francisco Del Valle had three hits for the RailCats.
Lincoln Saltdogs Recap by Michael Dixon
Gary SouthShore RailCats Recap by Zach Letson
Fisk Muzzles Cougars in DockHounds Victory
Connor Fisk allowed one run in seven innings to earn his second victory of the season, as the Lake Country DockHounds defeated the Kane County Cougars, 7-1. Fisk allowed four hits while striking out six.
Lake Country took the lead in the bottom of the third on an RBI single by Blake Tiberi and a run-scoring double by Demetrius Sims. Kane County cut the deficit in half when Jonah Davis led off the top of the fourth with his 11th homer of the year, however, the DockHounds answered right away, as Aaron Simmons drove home a run with a ground out in the bottom of the fourth. In the seventh, Thomas Jones delivered a two run double and Tiberi closed out the scoring when he reached on an error that scored two in the bottom of the eighth.
Marcus Chiu finished with two hits and scored two runs and Simmons scored three runs, walking three times in the contest. Davis was a perfect 4-4 for Kane County.
Dogs Rally Late to Down Canaries
The Chicago Dogs found themselves trailing by two entering the seventh, but scored seven runs over the final three frames to earn an 11-7 victory over the Sioux Falls Canaries. Chicago hit six home runs in the contest, led by Luke Mangieri who had to. Jonathan Cheshire earned the victory, allowing a run in two innings of relief.
Chicago took the lead in the top of the first when Matt Bottcher hit his seventh home run of the season, a solo shot. The Canaries responded in the bottom half of the inning as two runs scored on an error to give the Canaries the advantage. In the third, Nick Heath hit a two-run shot, his second of the year to put the Dogs on top. In the top of the fourth, it was David Maberry hitting his third homer of the year to extend the lead to two, but Sioux Falls tied the score in the bottom half of the frame on an RBI single by Spencer Sarringer and a ground out by Wyatt Ulrich.
In the fifth, Jordan Barth and Jabari Henry led off with back-to-back homers. However, it was almost all Chicago from there. In this seventh, Josh Altmann hit a three-run home run, his 13th of the year, and Mangieri hit a solo shot, his first of the game. The Canaries added a run in the bottom of the seventh, but Mangieri put this game away in the top of the ninth, hitting his 12th home run of the year, a three-run shot.
Mangieri finished 2-5 with two runs scored and four RBI. Maberry had three hits and Altmann, Ryan Lidge, and Bottcher each had two hits for the Dogs. Barth, Henry, and Sarringer each had two hits for Sioux Falls.
Milkmen Edge Goldeyes in 10
Cam Balego drove home the winning run in the top of the 10th inning to give the Milwaukee Milkmen a 2-1 victory over the Winnipeg Goldeyes. This was a great pitching matchup between Frankie Bartow and Luis Ramirez. Both hurlers gave up a single run, with both runs coming in the second.
In the top half of the frame, two errors and a single loaded the bases with no one out. Reggie Pruit then hit into a double-play that scored Aaron Hill to put Milwaukee on top. Winnipeg responded in the bottom of the frame as Javeryan Williams hit a sacrifice fly to tie the score. It stayed tied until the 10th when Tyler Jandron struck out the first two batters he faced, but then walked Bryan Torres. Balego followed with a single to bring home Cam Redding with the game-winner.
Four Milwaukee relievers each tossed a scoreless frame. Peyton Gray earned the victory and Nate Hadley came on in the bottom of the 10th to earn his 12th save of the year. Torres and Roy Morales each had two hits. Jacob Bockelie had three hits for Winnipeg.
Winnipeg Goldeyes Recap by Doug Greenwald
Eighth Inning Rally Leads Monarchs to Victory
The Kansas City Monarchs scored two runs in the top of the eighth to defeat the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks, 10-9. Kansas City looked like they would run away with this game, as they jumped out to a six-run advantage, scoring one in the second on the first home run of the day by Brian O’Grady, then adding five more in the third. Chris Herrmann hit a three-run homer in the third and O’Grady followed with a solo shot. Fargo-Moorhead scored a run in the bottom of the third, but Kansas City put two more up in the fifth as O’Grady hit his third home run of the contest.
Fargo-Moorhead refused to quit, cutting the deficit to four in the bottom of the fifth when Manuel Boscan hit a three-run home run, his fourth of the year. Two innings later, the RedHawks jumped out in front, scoring five runs on five hits as they sent nine men to the plate. Matt Goodheart delivered a two-run single and Evan Alexander followed with a two-run single of his own. Kansas City was suddenly down, but rallied for two in the top of the eighth to take the lead for good. A bases loaded hit by pitch tied the score and Odubel Herrera followed with a sacrifice fly.
Grant Gavin earned his fifth victory of the season and Patrick Weigel came on in the ninth to record his sixth save. Alex DuBord took the loss. Herrmann and Andy Whitefield each finished 2-5 with two runs scored. Boscan had two hits, scored two runs, and drove in three for the RedHawks.
Kansas City Monarchs Recap by Carter Woodiel
Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks Recap by Chad Miller
Pitching Dominates in Explorers Sweep
The Sioux City Explorers received outstanding pitching performances in both parts of the double-header, sweeping the Cleburne Railroaders on Friday. Trenton Toplikar earned the win in the second game, going the distance while allowing just one run in a 4-1 victory.
Sioux City took the lead in this contest in the bottom of the first on back-to-back are singles by Tyler Rando and Wilfredo Gimenez. Cleburne cut the deficit to one on an RBI double by Brian Klein in the third, but the Explorers added single runs in the fourth and sixth innings to put this game away. Matt Lloyd had two hits in the victory.
In the first game, rain forced the game to and after six, but it was enough for the Explorers to earn a 1-0 victory. Four pitchers combined on the shutout for Sioux City, with Brandon Brosher earning the win, tossing 1.1 innings of scoreless relief.
The only run of the game came in the bottom of the first when Rando drove home Lloyd. That spoiled a fantastic outing by Kasey Kalich, who allowed one run in 5.2 innings.
Sioux City Explorers Recap by Austin Thomas
Three Stars of the Night
No. 3 – Trenton Toplikar (Sioux City Explorers) 7.0 IP, CG, 4 H, 0 BB, ER, 5 K
No. 2 – Luke Mangieri (Chicago Dogs) 2-5, 2 R, 2 HR, 4 RBI
No. 1 – Brian O’Grady (Kansas City Monarchs) 3-5, 3 R, 3 HR, 4 RBI
American Association Daily Notes
The Chicago Dogs hit six home runs on Saturday, tied for the most hit by any team in a single game this season… The Lincoln Saltdogs Connor Panas extended his hitting streak to 15 straight games… The Gary SouthShore RailCats dropped to 1-7 in July… The Sioux City Explorers have now won six straight games… The Cleburne Railroaders produced just eight total hits, four in each contest, in their double-header loss to Sioux City.
Transactions
July 8, 2023
Gary SouthShore: Removed LHP Trevor Lubking from the Inactive List and placed him on the Injured List retroactive to May 10
Kane County: Placed LHP Luke Westphal on the Injured List retroactive to July 5; Signed C Dylan Nolan
Lake Country: Placed RHP Austin Faith on the Inactive List retroactive to June 29
July 7, 2023
Chicago: Placed LHP Bryan Warzek on the Injured List retroactive to July 5
Fargo-Moorhead: Released RHP Conor Maguire; Signed RHP Edgar Garcia
Lake Country: Signed RHP Marco Becerril
Milwaukee: Signed OF Michael Crouse
Sioux City: Activated INF Kyle Kasser and C Tyler Rando from the Injured List; Placed LHP Jared Wetherbee on the Inactive List retroactive to July 3; RHP Mitchell Verburg on the Injured List retroactive to July 3
July 6, 2023
Cleburne: Signed INF Blaze Brothers
Gary SouthShore: Released C Paul Mondesi
Lake Country: Released INF Matt Rodriguez
Sioux City: Signed RHP Paul Rector
American Association Stories at Minor League Sports Report
Milwaukee Milkmen Pitching Staff Rises to the Top
Who Got Snubbed from American Association All-Star Game?
2023 American Association All-Star Teams Named – West Division
TWITA: Milwaukee Milkmen RHP Christian Young and Guest Host Anthony Barone
2023 American Association All-Star Teams Named – East Division
Winnipeg Goldeyes LHP Travis Seabrooke Named American Association Pitcher of the Week
Sioux Falls Canaries OF Jordan Barth Named American Association Player of the Week
By Robert Pannier