Kansas City Battles To Their Fourth-Straight Series Win

Kansas City, KS — The Monarchs put up six runs in the opening frame to grab an 8-4 win and another series victory at Legends Field.

The bats were flowing early from Kansas City when Marcus Smith led off with a double followed by walks from Grant Richardson and Saul Garza. Smith got the first run started on a balk from Explorers pitcher, Reed Butz. Alvaro Gonzalez returned to the lineup and did not disappoint. On the first pitch he saw, the Venezuelan smoked a three-run bomb to left field for his second homer this season, both at Legends Field. The line kept moving when Sahid Valenzuela and Brady Lindsly both registered singles while Josh Bissonette walked. Just like that, it was the bottom of the order and Hudson Head connected on a pitch into right field to bring in two runners. The Monarchs ballooned into a six-run advantage and never looked back.

Lindsly had a terrific day at the plate, totaling two hits. He mentions, “(It) was left on left. Really trying to keep my front side in there which I haven’t been doing a good job of lately. To be honest I got lucky that a couple fell, I didn’t hit them all that well, but I will take it.”

Dakota Hudson looked like his major league self once again. He threw in six innings, giving up no runs, and threw eight K’s. It was business as usual from the Tennessee native.

Sioux City had been shutout for 15 straight innings before making their mark in the seventh frame.Jackson Van De Brake and Elliot Good walked and then just two batters later, that allowed Austin Davis to groundout into an RBI. Henry George continued the rotation on a single into right field while Good scored. Shortly after that, Braulio Vasquez recorded his second knock of the afternoon on an RBI single to the opposite field. The Explorers put up three tallies to cut the deficit to 6-3.

This cut it to a two-run game in the top of the eighth when Zac Vooletich scored via error from the catcher Lindsly. The Monarchs were losing the momentum and needed to take it back. After Grant Richardson walked, Garza stepped and did what he knew best. He cracked a ball into left center field to send in Richardson. Garza finished an outstanding day going 4-5 at the dish with an RBI. He says, “I felt really good at the plate today. (The) offense did a great job putting up a six spot in the first inning. Obviously we feel really comfortable with Dakota (Hudson) on the mound, coming out on short rest and doing what he did. (Again), we feel really comfortable with him on the bump and the offense did a great job.”

Garza scored the final Monarchs run from a wild pitch to seal off a wild series at Legends Field. There were two rain delays, a bench-clearing altercation, but the Monarchs prevailed once again to earn their ninth win this season.

They will have an off day tomorrow and then get ready to welcome in the Fargo-Moorhead Redhawks. Its a 6:35 scheduled first pitch at Legends Field on Tuesday night.