SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — The Kansas City Monarchs hit five home runs to erase a 7-1 deficit and defeat the Sioux Falls Canaries 11-7 Saturday night from Sioux Falls Stadium.

Trailing by six after five innings, the Monarchs hit one longball in the sixth and left the yard four times in a nine-run seventh. The five round-trippers is the most Kansas City has hit in one game all season.

Moises Gomez hit a solo homer to begin the comeback in the sixth frame.

Hayden Jones, Ross Adolph and Jhailyn Ortiz hit two-run shots in the seventh. Justin O’Conner capped off the rally with a three-run homer of his own later in the inning.

Jones finished the night with three RBIs, including a triple off the center-field wall to bring in the games first run in the second.

Sioux Falls scored the next seven runs of the game, including five in the third off Kansas City starter Duncan Snider. He allowed seven runs on six hits in five innings, walking five and striking out eight.

Sioux Falls starter Ryan Zimmerman left the game after Jones’ home run in the seventh. He was charged with four runs over six-plus innings, allowing five hits and two walks while striking out three.

Monarchs right-hander Junior Cerda tossed scoreless sixth and seventh innings to bridge the game to bridge the gap to Nate Tellier, who got the game’s final six outs without allowing a run.

UP NEXT

Two games remain in the Monarchs’ 2024 season. They face Sioux Falls Sunday at 1 p.m. Hunter McMahon will start for Kansas City against Sioux Falls’ Ty Culbreth. Fans can hear the game on ESPN Kansas City 1510 AM and 94.5 FM and watch on AABaseball.TV.

By Cal Friedman

KANSAS CITY, Kan. – One big inning flipped the script to keep the Kansas City Monarchs’ playoff hopes alive.

The Monarchs overturned a 3-1 Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks lead with eight consecutive hits in the fifth inning. Kansas City scored six unanswered runs to claim a 7-5 win over Fargo-Moorhead on Thursday night. The Monarchs earned a series victory in their regular-season home finale at Legends Field.

Isaiah Gilliam, Moisés Gómez and Jhailyn Ortiz ripped three straight RBI doubles to give the Monarchs a 5-3 lead.

Nine straight Monarchs (44-52) reached in the fifth inning. Justin O’Conner capped the frame with an RBI single to make it 6-3.

Left-hander Matt Hall dominated to open the game. The southpaw struck out seven Fargo-Moorhead (52-44) batters in three innings. 

The former major leaguer struck out the side in the third inning all with offspeed pitches.

“The curveball was going well,” Hall said. “[Catcher Herbert Iser] was doing a great job keeping the rhythm going. Defense was great behind me.”

Hall finished with a season-high 10 strikeouts in 5.1 innings. Thursday night marked Hall’s sixth 10-strikeout performance as a Monarch.

“It’s always great to come home,” Hall said. “The fans were amazing.”

RedHawks outfielder Alec Olund lifted a two-run home run in the seventh inning. The 394-foot blast to left cut the Monarchs’ lead to 7-5.

Backend relievers Nate Tellier and Gabriel Ponce down any chance of a late rally. Tellier recorded 1.2 scoreless innings, Ponce retired the ninth in order to get his second save as a Monarch.

UP NEXT

The Monarchs close their regular season in South Dakota against the Sioux Falls Canaries. The four-game series begins at Sioux Falls Stadium Friday night at 7:05 p.m.

By Cal Friedman

KANSAS CITY, Kan. – Three home runs and a ninth-inning rally weren’t quite enough for the Kansas City Monarchs to earn a series win. 

Kansas City dropped their rubber game with the Winnipeg Goldeyes 6-5 at Legends Field. 

Ross Adolph launched his team-leading 14th home run of the season in the first, and the Monarchs leveled back-to-back home runs in the ninth inning. Adolph finished 2-for-4 with two runs scored.

Adolph’s backside bomb gave the Monarchs a 1-0 lead in the first inning. Kansas City’s outfielder lifted a leadoff home run to left field.

The round-tripper traveled 361 feet over the Home Run Patio wall.

The Goldeyes (51-41) responded with a two-out rally in the fourth inning to take a 4-1 lead. Miles Simimgton trounced a 389-foot triple to right-center field to give Winnipeg a 2-1 lead. 

All-Stars Rob Emery and Dayson Croes plated two more runs in the inning. Croes finished 4-for-4 in the win.

The Monarchs got back on the board in the seventh. Hayden Jones delivered a sacrifice fly to left field to score Moisés Gómez from third base to make it 6-2 Goldeyes.

Kansas City nearly plated another run in the same frame. Bryan Aguilar flared a single down the right field line. Right fielder Max Murphy threw out Justin O’Conner before Jhailyn Ortiz touched home plate.

Frankie Tostado tagged another RBI in the eighth, cutting the Winnipeg lead to 6-3. The first baseman dribbled a ground-ball single for his team-leading 55th RBI of the year.

Ortiz and O’Conner delivered back-to-back home runs in the ninth on consecutive pitches. Ortiz destroyed a 442-foot home run out of the ballpark to cut the lead to 6-4.

The bomb marked Ortiz’s first with Kansas City (42-51).

O’Conner responded with his third home run of the series on the next pitch. The former first-round draft pick connected for his fourth home run of the season into the Kansas City Kansas Community College bullpen.

Winnipeg closer Joey Steele settled back in to retire the next three batters to seal a Goldeyes win.

UP NEXT

The Monarchs open their final home series of the season on Tuesday against the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks. Padded seats are $10 and regular seats are $5 for Fan Appreciation Week at Legends Field. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 p.m.

By Cal Friedman

KANSAS CITY, Kan. – Duncan Snider sparked the Kansas City Monarchs to a crucial victory.

Snider tied his season-high in strikeouts as the Monarchs beat the Winnipeg Goldeyes, 4-2, at Legends Field. Justin O’Conner launched two home runs to help the Monarchs erase an early deficit.

Kansas City’s starter rolled through the middle innings after a first-inning Dayson Croes home run.

“It was huge to come back here after Sioux City and win the first game,” Snider said. “It’s a good start to this series.”

Snider (3-6) retired eight consecutive batters after the Croes round-tripper.

The right-hander matched his season-best eight strikeouts in five consecutive scoreless innings.

“I was looking to fill up the zone, get themselves out, and win us a game” Snider said. 

Winnipeg pitching had no answer for Kansas City third baseman Justin O’Conner. The third baseman demolished two solo home runs, one in the fourth and another in the sixth. 

The blasts marked O’Conner’s second and third long balls for the club. It was just the second multi-home run by a Monarchs batter this season.

The Monarchs (42-49) plated two more runs in the fifth inning to take their first lead. Frankie Tostado blasted an RBI double to right-center field, Isaiah Gilliam smoked a single to right field to make it 3-1 Kansas City.​

The Monarchs’ bullpen threw three hitless innings to close out the win. Winnipeg (49-42) pulled one run back on an RBI groundout from Max Murphy in the eighth inning.

Kansas City closer Jeff Hakanson (2) struck out the side to close the ninth.

UP NEXT

The Monarchs and Goldeyes continue its three-game series on Saturday night. Saturday is “Disney Night” at Legends Field featuring character appearances, an in-game costume parade, and post-game player autograph signings. First pitch is slated for 6:35 p.m..

SIOUX CITY, Iowa — On a night that belonged to the pitchers, the Sioux City Explorers topped the Kansas City Monarchs in a game filled with playoff implications.

Justin Connell hit a walk-off single with two out in the 10th inning, scoring bonus runner Zac Vooletich for a 1-0 win Wednesday night at Lewis and Clark Park.

With the win, Sioux City (44-45) takes a three-game lead over Kansas City (41-48) for the final playoff spot in the American Association West. 11 games remain in the season for both teams.

The result also clinches the tiebreaker for the Explorers, who lead the season series 7-5 with one game to play.

The teams’ final game of their five-game series is Thursday night at 6:35 p.m. on ESPN Kansas City 94.5 FM and AABaseball.TV.

Julian Garcia delivered another brilliant outing for Kansas City, allowing one hit, an infield single, in six shutout innings. He walked three and struck out seven.

Sioux City starter Jared Wetherbee matched Garcia’s output and then some. The left-hander tossed seven scoreless frames with a season-high 10 strikeouts, allowing just two hits and two walks.

Junior Cerda and Brandon Brosher bridged the gap for the Monarchs and Explorers, respectively. Cerda tossed two perfect innings, striking out four. Brosher delivered a scoreless eighth.

Monarchs outfielder Isiah Gilliam flied out to the warning track to open the ninth inning against Sioux City closer Kyle Marman. The Monarchs did not manage a baserunner in the frame.

Zach Leban countered with a 1-2-3 ninth of his own on the mound for Kansas City, sending the scoreless game to extra innings.

Marman retired the side in order in the top of the 10th, stranding bonus runner Frankie Tostado.

That set the stage for the bottom of the 10th and Connell’s game-winning single.

Wednesday was the Monarchs’ 15th extra-inning game of the season. They are 8-7 in those games.

UP NEXT

Jackson Goddard will start Thursday’s series finale against Sioux City’s Austin Drury.