Monarchs Welcome Jacobsak To Pitching Staff

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KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Another high-quality arm is joining the Kansas City Monarchs’ pitching staff.

Sam Jacobsak has signed with Kansas City, the American Association club announced Friday.

A former Philadelphia Phillies prospect, Jacobsak is in his third professional season out of Northeastern University. He most recently took the mound with the Jersey Shore BlueClaws in the High-A South Atlantic League earlier this year.

Originally from Milton, Massachusetts, Jacobsak pitched at Northeastern from 2018 to 2020. He posted a 3.65 ERA in four starts in his final season before the year was canceled due to the pandemic.

With the draft shortened to five rounds that year, Jacobsak signed as an undrafted free agent with the Phillies in 2020.

The right-hander made his pro debut in rookie ball in 2021, earning a promotion to Class A Clearwater that season.

The following season, Jacobsak earned a 3.18 ERA in 12 relief appearances with Clearwater. He was promoted midseason to High-A Jersey Shore.

This year with the BlueClaws, Jacobsak posted a 6.10 ERA in 20 games (three starts). He struck out 8.3 batters per nine innings.

The Monarchs are 36-22 on the season, tied for the best record in the American Association. They face the Cleburne Railroaders Friday at 7:06 p.m. in their first game back from the All-Star break.

Monarchs’ Game With RailCats Rained Out

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KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Sunday’s game between the Kansas City Monarchs and Gary SouthShore RailCats has been canceled due to weather. The game will not be made up.

Fans with tickets can consult the Monarchs’ rainout policy at monarchsbaseball.com/rainoutpolicy for more information.

The Monarchs (36-22) now head into the All-Star break, with six players set to compete at the American Association All-Star Game Tuesday night in Franklin, Wisconsin.

Kansas City’s next game is Friday night on the road against the Cleburne Railroaders at 7:06 p.m.

The Monarchs’ next home game is Tuesday, July 25 at 11 a.m. against the Kane County Cougars.

Monarchs’ Gavin Named To All-Star Team

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KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Another Kansas City Monarchs pitcher is heading to the All-Star Game.

Lockdown reliever Grant Gavin was named an injury replacement to the American Association’s West Division roster, the Monarchs announced Sunday.

Gavin is the sixth Monarch to earn an All-Star nod. Catcher Chris Herrmann and second baseman Justin Wylie will be in the West’s starting lineup. Pitchers Jalen Miller and Trey Jeans were named to the initial staff. Catcher and infielder Gavin Collins won a fan vote for the last spot on the West roster.

Gavin is Kansas City’s primary workhorse reliever, leading the team with 22 appearances. He also paces the Monarchs with an impressive 13.5 strikeouts per nine innings.

Originally from Parkville Missouri, Gavin was a Royals draft pick in 2016 out of the University of Central Missouri. He’s pitched at the Triple-A level with the Royals and Padres organizations.

The American Association’s 2023 All-Star Game is scheduled for Tuesday at 6:35 p.m. from Franklin Field, home of the Milwaukee Milkmen. The league Home Run Derby takes place Monday, with Herrmann expected to compete.

Monarchs Split Twin Bill With RailCats

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KANSAS CITY, Kan. — The Kansas City Monarchs kicked off a stretch of three games in 24 hours with a doubleheader split of the Gary SouthShore RailCats.

Gary SouthShore rallied to win the opener 6-4, scoring six runs in the seventh and final inning to claim the victory.

The Monarchs responded with a 7-2 win in the nightcap, powered by six strong innings from starter Zach Matson and five RBIs from right fielder Micker Adolfo.

The Monarchs lead Fargo-Moorhead by 4.5 games for first place in the American Association heading into a rubber game with Gary SouthShore Sunday at 1 p.m.

Chris Herrmann opened the scoring in the first game with a two-run homer, his 15th of the season and third in two games. He leads the American Association with 59 RBIs.

Odubel Herrera hit an RBI single to score Jacob Robson in the fifth, putting the Monarchs up three. They carried the 4-0 lead into the seventh and final inning.

Gary SouthShore collected three hits and three walks against Monarchs pitchers Patrick Weigel and Grant Gavin, pulling ahead 6-3.

LJ Hatch notched an RBI single in the bottom of the seventh to make it a one-run game, and the Monarchs loaded the bases with two out. But Micker Adolfo flied out to end the game.

Matson retired the first 10 batters he faced in the second game to set the tone. He finished with a season-high eight strikeouts, allowing two runs on five hits without walking a batter over his six frames.

Meanwhile, Adolfo delivered a two-run double off the left field wall in the fifth and a bases-clearing double to left-center in the sixth. It was his first five-RBI game of the season.

UP NEXT

Kansas City faces Gary SouthShore Sunday at 1 p.m. both teams’ final game before the All-Star break. Cody Deason will start for the Monarchs; John Sheaks will get the ball for the RailCats.

Monarchs Bounce Back With Blowout Win

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SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — Chris Herrmann hit two home runs, LJ Hatch notched 3 RBIs, and the Kansas City Monarchs topped the Sioux Falls Canaries 8-1 at Sioux Falls Stadium Thursday.

Dalton Moats threw five innings of one-run ball for Kansas City to earn the win. Jacob Robson also homered for the Monarchs, driving in two.

Kansas City remains 4.5 games in front of the rest of the American Association West with the win. They salvaged the final game of their four-game series in Sioux Falls. They return home to face Gary SouthShore Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Herrmann’s first home run gave Kansas City a two-run lead in the first. He struck again for a solo shot in the third to put the Monarchs up 4-0. Herrmann now leads the American Association with 57 RBIs.

Moats was cruising early on, retiring the first 11 batters he faced in order. He ran into trouble in the fifth when the Canaries loaded the bases with none out, but escaped allowing just one run.

The lefty from Kansas City, Missouri allowed three hits and one walk over his five frames, striking out three.

Kansas City brought in three more runs in the sixth inning. Robson delivered an RBI single. Hatch followed him up with a two-run double off the left field wall.

Hatch has six RBIs over his last three games.

Robson’s solo home run in the eighth brought the game to its final score. It was the sixth homer of the year for the Monarchs left fielder.

UP NEXT

The Monarchs head home to face the Gary SouthShore RailCats Friday in the first game of a three-game set. First pitch Friday night is scheduled for 7 p.m.

Herrmann Climbs Leaderboard, Monarchs Drop Game To Sioux Falls

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SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — Chris Herrmann drove in his 54th RBI of the season to tie for the league lead, but the Kansas City Monarchs fell to the Sioux Falls Canaries 5-2 at Sioux Falls Stadium Wednesday.

Herrmann knocked a two-out RBI double in the ninth inning to bring the tying run to the plate for Kansas City, but the Monarchs dropped the third game of the four-game series.

The Monarchs’ lead in the American Association West remains at 4.5 games despite the defeat. They’ll look to salvage the final game of the series Thursday.

Brandon Finnegan got the start for Kansas City, throwing seven inning and allowing five runs on seven hits. He walked two and struck out six.

The Canaries took the lead in the second on a three-run home run from Shamoy Christopher. The catcher’s first of the season made it 3-0 in the second.

Sioux Falls added two more in the fifth on a two-run single from Christopher.

Kansas City pushed across a run in the sixth on an LJ Hatch sacrifice fly to score Aaron Whitefield. The Monarchs had other opportunities early on but couldn’t quite capitalize (they left 11 runners on base in the game).

The Monarchs created some drama in the ninth inning. Hatch and Odubel Herrerra hit back-to-back singles. Herrmann’s double made it 5-2 a couple batters later and sent Brian O’Grady to the plate as the tying run.

O’Grady worked a seven-pitch at-bat against Canaries closer Charlie Hasty, but grounded out to second to end the game.

UP NEXT

The Monarchs and Canaries meet for a series finale Thursday. Left-hander Dalton Moats will start for Kansas City against fellow southpaw Neil Lang. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.

Hatch Drives In Two, Monarchs Fall In Sioux Falls

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SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — LJ Hatch had a solid night at the plate in an otherwise difficult game for the Kansas City Monarchs Tuesday night.

The Shawnee native drove in two runs, but the Monarchs lost 13-2 in the second game of a three-game series at Sioux Falls Stadium.

Hatch’s two-run single in the sixth inning brought Kansas City within a run, but the Canaries scored 10 unanswered runs to ice the game.

The Monarchs remain in first place in the American Association West by 4.5 games. They’ll look to bounce back Wednesday night with Brandon Finnegan on the mound. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 p.m. from Sioux Falls.

The Canaries took a 3-0 lead after two on home runs from Darnell Sweeney and Hunter Clanin.

Sioux Falls starter Chris Hardin threw five scoreless innings, stranding a runner in scoring position in three different innings.

Hatch’s single made it 3-2, though he was left on third to end the frame.

Sioux Falls scored three runs in the sixth inning, all charged to starter Cody Deason, who surrendered six runs on six hits in 5.1 innings of work. He walked one and struck out five.

The Canaries added two in the seventh and five in the eighth, all on individual RBI singles.

Sweeney finished the game with three RBIS; Clanin, Jordan Barth and Welington Dotel each had two for the Canaries.

Canaries Sneak By Monarchs Late

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SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — The Kansas City Monarchs lost a tight one Monday night at the Birdcage, falling in walk-off fashion to the Sioux Falls Canaries 3-2.

Jordan Barth hit a walk-off single to clinch the victory for Sioux Falls in the opener of a four-game series.

Jacob Robson homered for Kansas City, but six Canaries pitchers combined to hold the Monarchs to six hits on the game.

Zach Matson threw six innings of one-run baseball for Kansas City, but left with a no-decision.

Sioux Falls got the game’s first run on a bases-loaded walk from Ozzie Martinez, though Matson struck out Darnell Sweeney to prevent further runs.

Kansas City tied the game on Robson’s home run to lead off the third. It was his fifth longball of the season, tying the game at one.

That score held until the eighth. Matson allowed six hits and walked two in his six innings of work. He struck out six. The left-hander from Garden City, Missouri has allowed two total runs over his last two starts (12 IP).

Kansas City took the lead in the eighth on an RBI double from Odubel Herrera to score LJ Hatch. It was Herrera’s fourth double in his last two games (he knocked three in Sunday’s win over Fargo-Moorhead).

The Canaries tied the score in the bottom of the eighth on a leadoff home run from Jabari Henry to make it 2-2.

The final blow came in the ninth inning. Shamoy Christopher led off the inning with a single, and was pulled for pinch runner Carson Clowers.

The next batter, Hunter Clanin, laid down a bunt. Monarchs first baseman Brian O’Grady made a high throw to second, putting men on second and third for Sweeney.

Sweeney was intentionally walked to load the bases for Barth, who singled down the left-field line to end the game.

UP NEXT

Kansas City and Sioux Falls meet for the second game of four on Tuesday at 6:35 p.m. Cody Deason will start for the Monarchs against the Canaries’ Chris Hardin.

7-Run 10th Powers Monarchs To Sweep

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FARGO, N.D. — The road to the American Association West Division runs through Kansas City.

The Kansas City Monarchs completed a sweep of the second-place Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks, winning 12-6 in 10 innings.

BOX SCORE

The victory puts Kansas City (34-18) six games clear of Fargo-Moorhead for the division lead just after the halfway point of the season. They’re 6-0 on the season against the team that knocked them out of last year’s playoffs, with all six games coming at Newman Outdoor Field.

The game was tight throughout, with the lead changing hands four times in the seventh inning. The Monarchs scored seven runs in the 10th to pull away.

Monarchs third baseman Peter Maris homered to tie the game in the ninth inning against his former team. He knocked a two-run single to give Kansas City the lead in the 10th.

Gavin Collins went 3-for-5 with five RBIs in the game, including a three-run homer in the 10th to put Kansas City up 12-5.

The seven runs the Monarchs scored in the 10th inning were the most they’ve scored in any inning all season. They’re now 6-1 in extra-inning games.

Justin Wylie stayed hot at the plate for Kansas City, going 3-for-5 with a solo home run and two RBIs. The All-Star second baseman has reached base safely in his last 16 games.

UP NEXT

Kansas City starts a four-game series with the Sioux Falls Canaries starting Monday night. All four games of the set begin at 6:35 p.m. and will be broadcast at AABaseball.tv (Video) and MonarchsBaseball.com/Live (Radio).

O’Grady’s Three Home Runs Lift Monarchs Over RedHawks

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FARGO, N.D. — Brian O’Grady is feeling like himself. That’s bad news for the American Association.

The former big leaguer turned Kansas City Monarchs slugger hit three home runs Saturday night, helping Kansas City to a thrilling 10-9 win over the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks at Newman Outdoor Field.

O’Grady hit solo home runs in the second and fourth innings and added a two-run blast in the fifth.

The former Red, Ray and Padre said a piece of pregame advice in the batting cage from hitting coach Bill Sobbe might have been the key to his performance.

“In the cage today, Sobbe said to me ‘think just up and down with your foot; don’t let it push forward.’ That was the thought,” O’Grady said after the game.

It all came together in O’Grady’s third at-bat, when he sent his fifth homer of the year off RedHawks lefty Cal Carver.

He might have heard that his third homer was out before he saw it.

“I heard the catcher was like, ‘No way,’ or something like that as I hit it, so I was like ‘Oh, I guess I did it,'” O’Grady said with a laugh.

O’Grady now has 14 RBIs in 10 games with Kansas City.

“I know I’m not going to hit three home runs every game, but just to feel better and feel like my old self; it’s all I wanted really, and I’m just really happy and having fun,” O’Grady said.

The Monarchs took an 8-1 lead in the fifth inning behind four home runs. Chris Herrmann hit a three-run round-tripper in the fourth inning in addition to Brady’s three blasts.

It was Herrmann’s 12th homer of the season, bringing his league-best RBI total to 53.

The RedHawks rallied to take the lead late. Manuel Boscan hit a three-run homer to make it 8-4 in the bottom of the fifth.

Fargo-Moorhead added five more runs in the seventh. Matt Goodheart hit a pinch-hit two-run single to put the RedHawks within one, and Evan Alexander delivered a go-ahead two-run single to make it 10-9.

The Monarchs re-took the lead in the eighth. Kansas City loaded the bases against RedHawks reliever Alex DuBord, and LJ Hatch was hit by a pitch to force in the tying run.

“I just think we have a really good team,” O’Grady said. “We gave up the lead, but what did we do? We came right back and took it again.”

Kansas City took the lead for good on a sacrifice fly from Odubel Herrera.

Patrick Weigel worked a scoreless ninth inning to earn his second save in as many nights.

UP NEXT

The Monarchs will go for their second sweep over Fargo-Moorhead this season in the series finale Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. Jalen Miller will start for Kansas City. Tyler Grauer will get the ball for the RedHawks.