SIOUX CITY EXPLORERS PRESS RELEASE
Phone: 817.739.3693
Website: xsbaseball.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 8, 2026
KNOWLES’ GAME‑SAVING GRAB SEALS 4–3 EXPLORERS WIN
MERTENS TOSSES QUALITY START
By: Andrew Della Piana
SIOUX CITY, IOWA – Sioux City (34–39) edged Chicago (21–52) 4–3 on Saturday night, sealing the win on a jaw‑dropping, game‑saving catch from D’Shawn Knowles.
Explorers manager Steve Montgomery let the nerves settle afterwards, “…heart rate is still at 133, we just persevered. We have to bet on ourselves and our guys showed off and it paid off.”
Chicago struck quickly. With two outs in the first, Chance Sisco walked and Tyreque Reed punished the mistake, drilling a two‑run homer to left for a 2–0 lead. The Dogs added another in the second when Derek Maiben doubled into the left‑center gap to score Giovanni DiGiacomo, making it 3–0.
Sioux City finally broke through in the fourth. The first three Explorers to reach all came around to score, starting with Knowles, who ripped a two‑run double to pull Sioux City within one. Dillon Tatum followed with a rocket to left to bring Knowles home and tie the game 3–3.
After a shaky start, Nathan Mertens locked in. He allowed just two baserunners over his final four innings, finishing with a quality start with three earned over six and giving Sioux City the stability it needed to stay tied.
Chicago nearly reclaimed the lead in the seventh when DiGiacomo made a spectacular, backward‑falling catch on the warning track to rob Jackson Van De Brake of extra bases.
Sioux City finally broke through in the eighth. Alberto Osuna drove in Henry George to put the Explorers ahead 4–3, with George making a highlight of his own. An incredible sliding dive at the plate, reaching his right hand around the tag to score the go‑ahead run.
The ninth inning delivered the moment of the night. With two outs and a runner on first, Nick Roselli crushed a ball to right that looked destined to leave the yard. Knowles tracked it, leaped at the wall, and robbed a home run to end the game.
A play that may stand as Sioux City’s defensive moment of the year.
Sioux City goes for the sweep on Sunday at 4:05 p.m., with pregame coverage beginning at 3:35 p.m. on KSCJ 94.9 FM and 1360 AM. Fans can also watch every American Association game this season on the league’s streaming platform at aabaseball.tv. Tickets for all remaining games are available now by calling the Explorers front office at 712-277-WINS or online at xsbaseball.com.
Notes from the Booth with DV:
-Jackson Van De Brake on base streak ended at 33 games.
-The X’s were held without a stolen base for the second straight game for just the second time this season.
-Kelvin Caceras picked up his first save.
-Henry George and D’Shawn Knowles both reached base for the 12th straight game.
–ABOUT THE SIOUX CITY EXPLORERS: The Sioux City Explorers are a proud member of the American Association of Professional Baseball in Sioux City, IA. The Explorers play their home games at Security National Bank Field at Lewis & Clark Park. For more information, please visit xsbaseball.com and follow the team on Twitter at @SiouxCityXs and on Facebook at facebook.com/SiouxCityExplorers.
TUNE INTO ALL THE EXPLORERS ACTION ON KSCJ AND AABASEBALL.TV