SIOUX CITY EXPLORERS PRESS RELEASE
Phone: 817.739.3693
Website: xsbaseball.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 30, 2024
By Dan Vaughan Jr.
EXPLORERS CLINCH PLAYOFF SPOT
RAILROADERS COME BACK LATE
SIOUX CITY, Iowa – The Sioux City Explorers (47-50) came into Friday night’s game needing a win or a loss by Kansas City to clinch a playoff spot. Into the sixth inning it looked like the Explorers would pick up the win as they led 6-4, but the Cleburne Railroaders (59-38) spoiled the party with three runs in the eighth and one in the ninth for an 8-6 come-from-behind victory. The results 90 miles up the road would cushion the blow of the loss for Sioux City.
Jaren Jackson drew the starting nod on the field for Sioux City. The lefty would go five innings, giving up just three earned runs in a no decision. Cleburne, who has the league’s best record and had clinched the East Division at Lincoln on Thursday night, jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the third inning. Thomas Dillard drove in the first run on an RBI single and was followed by Brian O’Grady who slammed a double into the right field gap to score two more, making it 3-0.
The X’s would come back to take the lead on a reversed call in the fourth inning off Cleburne starter Jalen Miller. Sioux City would load the bases, and Daniel Montano would hit a towering fly down the right field line that was initially ruled a foul ball. The umpires then got together and overturned the call to give Sioux City the 4-3 lead. It was Montano’s second grand slam of the season.
Sioux City extended their lead in the fifth on an infield single by Daniel Lingua and a throwing error by reliever Beau Burrows to score one run to make it 5-3. Cleburne would get the run right back in the top of the sixth on Jesus Lujano’s RBI single to cut the lead to one run at 5-4. The Explorers would come right back in the bottom of the sixth when John Nogowski added an RBI single to left off Theo McDowell to increase the lead to 6-4.
During the sixth inning, the fans would find out on the radio broadcast that Kansas City had lost, and the celebration began in the stands. The X’s looked to be in good shape with six outs to go, but the league’s leading run-scoring team scored three to take the lead at 7-6. Zach Willeman gave up a double to Carter Aldrete, followed by an infield single by Korey Holland. Willeman struck out Brett Boswell but walked Lujano to load the bases. A wild pitch scored one run, then Blake Grant-Parks tied the game at six with an RBI single to left. Dillard then hit a sac fly to give the Railroaders the lead. Dillard would walk three times in the game and set the American Association single season record for walks with 93.
Cleburne picked up an insurance run in the top of the ninth off Kyle Bloor to make it 8-6. Chris Mueller worked the final two innings to notch his fourth save of the season. The X’s did not have a base runner in the seventh, eighth or ninth inning for the second straight night.
Sioux City will open the playoffs at home Wednesday night, September 4 at 7:05 p.m. at Lewis and Clark Park against a yet-to-be-named opponent. It is the seventh time under Manager Steve Montgomery that the team has made the postseason, and the eighth trip to the playoffs in the American Association.
The Explorers will face the Cleburne Railroaders in game two of a four-game regular-season ending series Saturday night, August 31 at 6:05 p.m. Tickets for remaining games as well as any playoff games are available at the Lewis and Clark box office or online. More information is available by calling 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.