SIOUX CITY, Iowa—The Sioux City Explorers (50-27) blanked the Milwaukee Milkmen (30-46) in a 9-0 victory, becoming the first team in the league to reach the 50-win mark. With Austin Drury (6-2) dealing from the mound and D’Shawn Knowles delivering at the plate, the X’s continued to assert their dominance atop the West Division.
The left-handers Drury and Juan Diaz (4-4) were electric over the first three innings. Neither surrendered a run, and Drury would face the minimum through the first four frames.
The Explorers broke a franchise record of 200 stolen bases as Henry George swiped bag number 201 in the fourth inning. From that point on, the night turned into the D’Shawn Knowles show.
The Bahamian outfielder served a 1-1 pitch into left field, sending George home and breaking the scoreless tie. He scored again later on a grounder to first base.
Knowles found himself at the dish once again in the bottom of the fifth inning with two on and two away. The switch-hitter batting right-handed came through once more, driving the 0-1 offering off the wall in right-center field, knocking in his second and third runs of the game. Josh Day stepped up, blistering one down the third base line into the corner for another run-scoring double, extending the X’s lead to 5-0.
Drury continued to mow down the Milkmen as his offense provided even more support. In the sixth, the X’s scored two without Knowles’s help. Nathan Rose scored on a wild pitch, and Zac Vooletich drove in Michael Quiñones on an RBI single.
Knowles, feeling left out, knocked in his fourth run on his fourth hit of the evening, plating George on another RBI single. The Explorers never took their feet off the gas, adding another run in the bottom of the eighth inning and stretching their advantage to 9-0.
Drury emerged from the dugout for the final frame and finished off Milwaukee the same way he started the night: retiring the side without issue and notching his second complete game shutout of the 2025 campaign. On a record-breaking night, the Sioux City Explorers picked up their 50th win of the season, solidifying their status as the first team to reach 30, 40 and now 50 victories while further expanding their lead in the West Division.
The Explorers conclude this three-series against the Milwaukee Milkmen on Thursday. First pitch is set for 7:05 pm. Ticket packages for the 2025 season are on sale now, including Full and Half-Season Tickets as well as 10-, 15-, and 25-game Flex Packs. For more information, please call the Explorers front office at 712-277-WINS. Stay tuned to the Explorers’ social media channels and the club’s website, xsbaseball.com, for all our news and updates.
