Monarchs Post 18 Strikeouts To Beat Canaries

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KANSAS CITY, Kan. – Behind their best pitching performance of the year, the Kansas City Monarchs silenced the Sioux Falls Canaries, 2-1, at Legends Field on Saturday night.

Daniel Martinez delivered a joint-season-high nine strikeouts in five scoreless innings before three Monarchs relievers combined to close out the win.

Kansas City (42-32) delivered 18 strikeouts in the victory. It was the second-most strikeouts by the Monarchs in a single game all season

“This was a great team win,” said Steffon Moore, who threw scoreless seventh and eighth innings. “We picked up some momentum, now we’ve got to keep it going.”

Josh Bortka tossed a scoreless sixth to bridge the gap to Moore. Hunter McMahon got the final three outs to earn the save.

Martinez (5-5) was perfect his first time through the lineup card. The former Triple-A arm delivered six strikeouts in the first eight batters faced.

“Daniel was moving really well,” Moore said. “His fastball was playing up; he controlled the zone. He established the zone and that helps us relievers.”

Martinez battled through the lineup a second time. He worked around runners at first and second in the fourth inning, then struck out a pair in the fifth to close his outing.

The bats came alive in the bottom of the fifth. Robbie Glendinning led off the frame with a single and stole second base. Blake Rutherford lobbed a single to right field which right-fielder Josh Rehwaldt bobbled. The error allowed Glendinning to score the game’s opening run.

Moore stepped in to keep Kansas City’s 1-0 lead afloat. The southpaw sailed through a scoreless seventh inning, then struck out the side in the eighth.

“Me and [pitching coach] Matt Hall made an adjustment with my extension, so shoutout to Matt,” Moore said. “My body was moving well from there, I felt good tonight.”

Kansas City plated a crucial insurance run in the seventh inning. John Nogowski sparked the frame with a leadoff double to left-center field. Nogowski finished 2-for-4 with two doubles.

Josh Bissonette drove in KC’s second run. The All-Star shortstop poked an opposite-field single to score Nogowski and make it 2-0.

Sioux Falls (42-31) got on the board in the ninth inning off a Calvin Estrada solo home run.

McMahon buckled down from there, fanning the last three batters in the ninth inning to leave the tying run at second base.

UP NEXT

The Monarchs and Canaries play for all the marbles on Sunday afternoon. Ashton Goudeau starts for Kansas City against Sioux Falls’ Ryan Zimmerman at 1:05 pm.



Goldsberry’s Quality Start Not Enough

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KANSAS CITY, Kan. – Blake Goldsberry hurled a gem in a heartbreaking loss for the Kansas City Monarchs. 

The Monarchs dropped a key opening game against the Sioux Falls Canaries 2-1 at Legends Field. A go-ahead two-out triple by Matt Ruiz in the ninth inning was just enough to will the visitors to victory.

Ruiz flared a fly ball to deep center field, which rolled out of the glove of Kansas City (41-32) center fielder Yoyner Fajardo.

Goldsberry excelled from his opening pitch. The right-hander delivered three no-hit innings to keep the Canaries in check.

Goldsberry delivered seven complete innings and allowed just one run on two hits.

Sioux Falls (42-30) took the lead off a leadoff home run by Jabari Henry in the fourth inning.

The Monarchs rallied in the bottom of the fourth. Jorge Bonifacio and Micah Pries tagged Canaries’ starter Tanner Brown with back-to-back doubles to knot the game at one. Pries extended his on-base streak to 15 games since joining the Monarchs.

Brown put together a quality start of his own. The southpaw delivered six innings with just one earned run and seven strikeouts in a no-decision.

Goldberry retired nine of the last 10 batters he faced to complete seven complete innings. The former Triple-A arm finished with five strikeouts in the no-decision.

Kansas City left runners in scoring position in the sixth and seventh innings. Pries drilled a line drive in the seventh, robbed of a base hit by Mike Hart. Hart dove to his left to knock the ball down and take it to the bag to strand the bases loaded.

Sioux Falls snagged the late lead in the ninth inning. Kansas City brought the go-ahead run to the plate in the ninth inning, but failed to muster up anything more.

UP NEXT

The Monarchs and Canaries continue their three-game series on Disney Night at Legends Field. First pitch Saturday night is scheduled for 6:35 pm.