RailCats Claw Way to Victory, Woodcock Homers Three Times
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 seven great games in the American Association on Wednesday, including the Chicago Dogs and Lake Country DockHounds splitting a double-header, Max Murphy homered in the fourth straight game for the Winnipeg Goldeyes, and the Cleburne Railroaders rally to defeat the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks.
Game Recaps for Wednesday
RailCats Scratch Out Victory
The Gary SouthShore RailCats bullpen tossed five scoreless innings, leading the team to a 2-1 victory over the Milwaukee Milkmen. Five different relievers each tossed a scoreless frame, including Jared Price, who earned the victory. DJ Wilkinson recorded the final three outs for his sixth save of the year. Christian Young took the loss.
Milwaukee took the lead in the top of the third when Cam Balego led off the inning with a home run. It was his eighth homer of the year and second in as many nights. The RailCats tied the score right away as Will Decker singled to knot the game at one. An inning later, Francisco Del Valle drove home the winning run with a sacrifice fly.
Gary SouthShore RailCats Recap by Zach Letson
Miller Tames Cougars
Jalen Miller tossed the third complete game shutout of the 2023 season, allowing three hits as the Kansas City Monarchs crushed the Kane County Cougars, 10-0. Jalen walked five and struck out five to earn his fifth victory of the season.
The Kansas City offense got on track early and often, scoring five runs in three innings against Jack Fox to chase him from the contest. Gavin Collins hit a two-run homer in the second and Chris Herrmann added to a two-run single in the third to make it 5-0 at the end of three. In the fifth, Brian O’Grady added a two-run homer, his first of the year, and Jan Hernandez added a solo shot in the ninth.
O’Grady and Collins each had three RBI for K.C. Hernandez had three hits and Hernandez, Herrmann, and Odubel Herrera each scored twice.
Kansas City Monarchs Recap by Carter Woodiel
Dogs Win Slugfest to Split Double-Header
The Chicago Dogs jumped out to a 10-run lead, then hung on to defeat the Lake Country DockHounds to split their double-header. The DockHounds won the opener 7-3 behind two homers by Nick Banks.
In Game 1, Lake Country took the lead in the bottom of the first when Banks hit a two-run shot. An inning later, the DockHounds added three more runs. The teams exchanged suns in the third with Banks hitting his second home run of the evening. Each team scored a run in the fourth and the Dogs added one more run in the fifth to close out the scoring.
Randall Delgado earned the victory, allowing three runs in six innings. Banks finished 3-4 with three RBI.
In Game 2, the Dogs caught fire early, scoring six in the first and adding four more in the second. Chicago sent 10 men to the plate in the first, needing five hits and two walks to jump in front. In the second, Josh Altmann hit a solo home run and Luke Mangieri hit a three-run shot.
Lake Country did not quit however, as Dustin Woodcock began the comeback charge, hitting a two-run homer in the bottom of the second. Ben Livorsi led off the third with a solo home run, but the DockHounds responded once again, scoring three in the bottom of the third, thanks to a two-run homer by Woodcock, his second of the day. A three-run home run by Cody Bohanek in the top of the fifth made it 15-7, but the DockHounds would not go away. Jaxx Groshans hit a solo home run in the fifth and Woodcock hit his third homer of the game, but the Dogs were finally able to close the door.
Hart Leads Canaries Comeback
Mike Hart homered twice and drove in five to lead the Sioux Falls Canaries to a 10-7 victory over the Sioux City Explores. The two teams combined for six homers in all, with Jabari Henry also going deep for Sioux Falls.
Henry got things going in the first, drilling a three-run home run. Sioux City cut the deficit to one in the second as Miguel Sierra hit his third homer of the year, then took the lead in the third thanks to a two-run shot by Vince Fernandez.
In the fifth, Hart hit a grand slam to put Sioux Falls back on top, but Chase Harris hit a two-run single in the sixth to make it 7-6. Jordan Barth hit a two-run double in the top of the eighth to extend the lead to three, but Wilfredo Gimenez responded with a solo home run in the bottom of the frame. Hart hit his second homer of the game in the top of the ninth.
Ty Culbreth earned the win and Charlie Hasty came on to record his eighth save. Hart and Henry combined for eight RBI. Fernandez reached back four times for the Explorers.
Sioux City Explorers Recap by Austin Thomas
Karaviotis Walk-Off Walk Completes Railroaders Comeback
The Cleburne Railroaders erased a four-run deficit in the eighth, tying the score, then Mark Karaviotis drew a bases loaded walk in the bottom of the ninth to give the Railroaders a 7-6 walk-off victory over the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks.
The RedHawks took the lead with single runs in the first and second, but Cleburne tied the score in the bottom of the third when Zach Nehrir hit a two-run homer, his 10th of the season. The game stayed tied until the seventh, when Fargo-Moorhead put up four and looked like they had put this game away. However, in the bottom of the eighth, Hill Alexander hit a two-run homer, his 12th of the season, and London Green added a two-run double to tie the score. That set up the dramatic ninth where a double, walk, and hit by pitch loaded the bases. Karaviotis then walked on five pitches to give the Railroaders the victory.
Nick Gardewine earned the win. Nehrir went 3-5 with two runs and two RBI. Manuel Boscan had three hits for Fargo-Mooorhead.
Murphy Homers to Lead Goldeyes
Max Murphy homered for the fourth straight game to help lead the Winnipeg Goldeyes to a 10-7 victory over the Lincoln Saltdogs. RJ Martinez earned the victory in relief and Samuel Adames came on to get the final three outs for his fifth save of the year.
Winnipeg took command of this game right away, scoring five in the top of the first. Murphy hit his 14th homer of the year and Tra Holmes added a two-run single. Lincoln got one of those runs back in the bottom of the frame, scoring for the first time after being shutout in the first two contests of this series. Winnipeg extended the lead to 6-1, but the Saltdogs scored a run in the third, fifth, and sixth, and added two in the fourth to make it 8-6. The Goldeyes put this game away with two runs in the eighth to seal the victory.
Murphy, Najee Gaskins, and Javeyan Williams each had two hits for Winnipeg. Will Kengor had four hits, including his fourth homer of the year, and he added three RBI.
Lincoln Saltdogs Recap by Michael Dixon
Three Stars of the Night
No. 3 – Mike Hart (Sioux Falls Canaries) 2-4, 2 R, 5 RBI, 2 HR
No. 2 – Dustin Woodcock (Lake Country DockHounds) 4-7, 5 R, 7 RBI, Double, 3 HR
No. 1 – Jalen Miller (Kansas City Monarchs) 9.o IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 5 BB, 5 K
American Association Daily Notes
Lake Country DockHounds OF Dustin Woodcock became the first player this season to homer three times in the same game… Three players hit two home runs on Wednesday, the first time this season that feat has been accomplished… Kane County Cougars infielder Josh Allen has now reached base in 31 straight games, the longest streak in the league this season.
Transactions
Cleburne: Released OF Delino DeShields
Fargo-Moorhead: Signed LHP Cal Carver
Winnipeg: Signed OF Miles Simington
American Association Stories at Minor League Sports Report
TWITA: Sioux City Explorers RHP Solomon Bates
Cleburne Railroaders OF Hill Alexander Named American Association Player of the Week
Sioux City Explorers RHP Solomon Bates Named American Association Pitcher of the Week
By Robert Pannier
