Herrmann Named Postseason All-Star

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KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Kansas City Monarchs catcher Chris Herrmann has been the league’s top catcher all season long. Now he’s got the award to prove it.

Herrmann has been named to the American Association’s Postseason All-Star team at catcher, the league announced Tuesday.

The MLB veteran led all AAPB catchers in batting average, RBIs, home runs, on-base percentage and slugging percentage.

The Tomball, Texas native tied for the league lead with 88 RBIs on the season. He ranked third in the Association with a .355 average and second with a 1.056 OPS. He also placed second with a .439 on-base percentage, third with a .617 slugging percentage and tied for fifth with 23 home runs.

Herrmann and the Monarchs face the Sioux Falls Canaries in a best-of-three first-round playoff series starting on Wednesday. Their first home game in the series is set for Friday night at 7 p.m.

The Monarchs finished the regular season with a 59-40 record, the best in the American Association for the third straight season.

Herrmann is one of the top contenders for the American Association’s Player of the Year award, which will be announced Thursday.

Monarchs Drop Final Game Of Regular Season

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By Nolan Brooks

KANSAS CITY, Kan. — A three-run homer from the Lake Country DockHounds’ Juan Graterol in the eighth inning helped them secure an 8-3 win over the Kansas City Monarchs at Legends Field Monday afternoon.

The Monarchs finish the regular season 59-40 as the West Division champions and with the best record in the American Association. The Monarchs will compete in a best-of-three series against the Sioux Falls Canaries to begin the playoffs, starting Wednesday night at the Birdcage.

The Monarchs’ first home playoff game is set for Friday night at 7 p.m. from Legends Field.

Monarchs starting pitcher Matt Hartman threw four shutout innings allowing only one hit. He struck out three batters across the four innings of work.

Monarchs outfielder Jan Hernandez hit his 15th homer of the year and second in as many games in a 2-for-4 day at the plate.

DockHounds starter Austin Davis held the Monarchs scoreless for all five innings he threw. He struck out seven batters and allowed only four hits and two walks.

The DockHounds plated five runs in the top of the sixth. Third baseman Jaxx Groshans hit an RBI single to make it 1-0. Marcus Chiu dropped down a two-run single that made it 3-0 Lake Country. Curtis Terry smoked a two-run double and it was 5-0 DockHounds after six.

The Monarchs rallied in the bottom of the seventh. Monarchs catcher Andy Yerzy laced an RBI single to cut the lead to 5-1 DockHounds. Hernandez’s two-run blast brought the Monarchs within two runs. It was 5-3 Lake Country after seven.

Graterol’s eighth-inning three-run blast put the DockHounds up 8-3 for the final score of the game.

Monarchs reliever Trey Cobb got the loss (0-1) and Davis got the win (1-3).

UP NEXT: The Monarchs begin the first round of the American Association West Division playoffs against the Canaries. Game one is scheduled for Wednesday, September 6, at 6:35 p.m. at The Birdcage.

Monarchs’ Offense Stays Hot In Series Win

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By Nolan Brooks

KANSAS CITY, Kan. — A five-home run day for the Kansas City Monarchs (59-39) helped them coast to an 11-4 win over the Lake Country DockHounds at Legends Field Sunday afternoon.

Monarchs shortstop Taylor Snyder went 3-for-4 with six RBIs thanks to a two-homer day.

Monarchs starting pitcher Zach Matson settled in for a quality start. Matson threw seven innings allowing four runs, three earned, on six hits. He struck out eight batters and walked only one.

The DockHounds started the scoring in the top of the first. Thomas Jones crushed a solo shot to make it 1-0. A Marek Chlup walk later set up a two-run homer from Marcus Chiu; it was 3-0 DockHounds.

The Monarchs responded in the bottom of the first. Justin Wylie hit a solo blast for his 17th of the season and second in as many games. Chris Herrmann destroyed a solo homer to make it 3-2 DockHounds.

Brian O’Grady dropped down a single later in the inning to set up Snyder’s two-run blast that made it 4-3 Monarchs. Jacob Robson walked and later scored on an RBI double from Andy Yerzy on a ball that got lost in the sun in left field. It was 5-3 Monarchs after one inning.

Micker Adolfo smoked a solo shot in the bottom of the third. Adolfo now has 14 homers on the season. The Monarchs led 6-3 after three innings.

Snyder’s three-run moonshot in the bottom of the fifth helped the Monarchs pull away. KC led 9-3 after seven innings.

DockHounds designated hitter Curtis Terry dropped down an RBI double to make it 9-4 in the top of the seventh.

An RBI double from Adolfo and an RBI single from Snyder made it 11-4 Monarchs after seven innings.

Trey Jeans entered in the ninth and closed out the game. Matson got the win (6-4) and DockHounds starting pitcher Franklyn Kilome got the loss (1-4)

UP NEXT: The Monarchs conclude the regular season versus the DockHounds. Game four is scheduled for 1 p.m. Monday.

Late-Inning Runs Boost Monarchs To League’s Best Record

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By Nolan Brooks

KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Six runs across the seventh and eighth innings helped the Kansas City Monarchs pull away for an 8-2 win over the Lake Country DockHounds at Legends Field Saturday night.

The win officially clinches the best overall record in the American Association for the Monarchs. This is the third year in a row that the Monarchs have finished with the best overall record which has never been done before in the American Association.

Monarchs starting pitcher Zac Grotz threw six strong innings in his second start with the Monarchs. The right-hander allowed two unearned runs on four hits. He struck out seven batters and only walked one.

Monarchs catcher Chris Herrmann made his case for Player of the Year stronger. Herrmann went 4-for-5 with two runs scored.

The Monarchs got on the board first in the bottom of the second inning. Jacob Robson laced an RBI single to make it 1-0 Monarchs. LJ Hatched dropped down an RBI single and it was 2-0 KC after two.

The DockHounds responded in the top of the third. A fielding error on LJ Hatch brought in a run for Lake Country to make it 2-1. The DockHounds tied it when a Herrmann throwing error on a stolen base made it 2-2.

Both teams went quiet until the Monarchs’ rally began in the seventh. The Monarchs loaded the bases to set up a two-run single from Micker Adolfo; it was 4-2 KC. Brian O’Grady smoked an RBI single to put KC up 5-2 after seven.

Justin Wylie crushed a solo shot in the eighth for his 16th homer of the season. A two-run blast from Jan Hernandez put the Monarchs up 8-2 after eight for the final score.

Patrick Weigel entered in the ninth and closed out the game. Monarchs reliever Trey Jeans (6-0) got the win and DockHounds reliever Brady Kais (1-5) got the loss.

UP NEXT: The Monarchs continue a four-game home series versus the DockHounds. Game three is scheduled for 1 p.m. Sunday. Zach Matson will be on the mound for the Monarchs versus Lake Country’s Franklyn Kilome.

Monarchs Reveal Playoff Opponent, Play At Home Friday

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KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Playoff baseball is coming back to Kansas City Friday night.

The Kansas City Monarchs, fresh off their fourth division title in four seasons, have chosen the Sioux Falls Canaries as their first-round opponent in the American Association’s Miles Wolff Cup Playoffs.

Division champions have the right to pick their opponent in the best-of-three first round, known as the West Division Series. The Monarchs will travel to Sioux Falls for Game 1 on Wednesday. They’ll return home for Game 2 Friday at 7 p.m. A potential deciding third game would take place Saturday at 6 p.m., also at Legends Field in Kansas City.

The Monarchs (57-39) hold the best record in the American Association.  The Canaries (50-47) sit in third place in the West Division standings with three games left in the regular season.

Kansas City owns a 7-6 record over Sioux Falls in the regular season. Joe Calfapietra’s team is 6-3 over the Canaries at Legends Field.

The full Wolff Cup Playoffs schedule is below. Game times and matchups for future rounds are still to be determined.

9/6   West Division Series game 1 at Sioux Falls (time TBA)
9/7   Off Day
9/8   West Division Series game 2 vs. Sioux Falls, 7:00 p.m.
9/9   West Division Series game 3 vs. Sioux Falls, 6:00 p.m. (if necessary)
9/10  Travel
9/11  West Division Championship Series game 1
9/12  Off Day
9/13  West Division Championship game 2
9/14  West Division Championship game 3 (if necessary)
9/15  Travel
9/16  Wolff Cup Finals game 1
9/17  Wolff Cup Finals game 2
9/18  Off Day
9/19  Wolff Cup Finals game 3
9/20  Wolff Cup Finals game 4 (if necessary)
9/21  Wolff Cup Finals game 5 (if necessary)

Hogan, Hot Bats Help Monarchs Cruise To Win

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By Nolan Brooks

KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Kansas City starting pitcher Miller Hogan’s best outing of the season and hot bats brought the Monarchs a 12-4 win over the Lake Country DockHounds at Legends Field Friday night.

Hogan threw seven innings allowing only one run and one walk on seven hits. He struck out six batters in his longest outing of the season.

Monarchs infielder LJ Hatch led the way at the plate. He went 3-for-4 with three runs scored and three RBIs including a solo homer in the seventh.

Monarchs catcher Andy Yerzy hit his first homer as a Monarch. Yerzy finished 2-for-4 with two runs scored and two RBIs.

The Monarchs started the scoring in the bottom of the third. Justin Wylie smoked an RBI single to make it 1-0 KC. Jan Hernandez hit his own RBI single that made it 2-0 Monarchs after three.

The DockHounds got on the board in the fourth. Curtis Terry laced an RBI single off the left field wall to cut into the Monarchs’ lead. It was 2-1 KC heading into the bottom of the fourth.

The Monarchs pulled away in the bottom of the fourth. Hatched dropped down a two-run double to make it 4-1. Odubel Herrera crushed a two-run homer to make it 6-1 Monarchs.

Chris Herrmann blasted an RBI double to put KC up 7-1. Brian O’Grady blasted his own two-run homer, his 12th of the season. It was 9-1 Monarchs after four innings. The seven-run fourth matched the most runs Kansas City has scored in an inning this season.

The Monarchs added to their lead in the bottom of the seventh with back-to-back homers. Yerzy’s two-run blast and Hatch’s solo shot made it 12-1 after seven.

A three-run homer from Lake Country right fielder Marek Chlup made it 12-4 Monarchs for the final runs of the game.

Trey Cobb entered in the ninth inning and closed out the game. Hogan got the win (2-3) and DockHounds starting pitcher David Richardson got the loss (2-4).

The Monarchs (57-39) need just one win or one Milwaukee loss to claim the best overall record in the American Association.

UP NEXT: The Monarchs continue a four-game home series versus the DockHounds. Game two is scheduled for 6 p.m. Saturday. Zac Grotz will be on the mound for the Monarchs versus Lake Country’s Juan Hillman.