SIOUX CITY EXPLORERS PRESS RELEASE
Phone: 817.739.3693
Website: xsbaseball.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 27, 2024
By Dan Vaughan Jr.
LONG BALLS AND LEFTY TAKE DOWN THE X’S
WETHERBEE K’S 10 IN DEFEAT
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – Back-to-back first inning home runs set an early tone as the Sioux Falls Canaries (52-41) shut out the Sioux City Explorers (46-48) Tuesday night at the Birdcage. The Canaries would hit a total of four long balls on the night as lefty Tye Culbreth (12-2) picked up his league leading 12th win, tossing eight shutout innings and holding Sioux City to just two hits.
Jared Wetherbee (6-5) got the start for the Explorers, and with two outs, he surrendered home runs to Hunter Clanin and Josh Rehwaldt to make it 2-0 in favor of the Canaries after one. Wetherbee scattered eight hits, and for the second straight start, he would strike out 10 but go on to give up five earned runs.
In the home half of the fifth, Clanin would single to start the inning off Wetherbee. He would strikeout Rehwaldt looking but give up a two-run home run to Jabari Henry to increase the lead to 4-0. With two outs, Sioux Falls picked up a solo homer off the bat of Trevor Achenbach to push the lead to 5-0.
Culbreth retired the first eight X’s batters before a walk to Jake Green in the top of the third. He would issue a two-out walk to John Nogowski in the fourth but retire the next five and would toss hitless ball until one out in the sixth when Green doubled. Green added another hit in the eighth before Culbreth left after throwing 118 pitches.
Nate Gercken worked two scoreless innings for Sioux City to close out the game. The loss and a rainout for Kansas City keeps the Explorers magic number to clinch a playoff spot at three going into game two of the series tomorrow. Austin Drury (4-5, 5.12) will get the starting assignment for Sioux City, and he will face fellow lefty Neil Lang (6-1, 3.71) for Sioux Falls.
The Explorers and Canaries will play game two of the three-game series Wednesday night, August 28 at Sioux Falls Stadium with a 6:35 p.m. first pitch. Tickets for remaining 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.
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