SIOUX CITY EXPLORERS PRESS RELEASE
Phone: 817.739.3693
Website: xsbaseball.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 30, 2026
MISSED OPPORTUNITIES COST SIOUX CITY IN 3–2 LOSS
X’S DROP SERIES AT GARY SOUTHSHORE
By: Andrew Della Piana
GARY, IN – Sioux City (29–35) fell 3–2 to Gary SouthShore (26–40) in Thursday’s rubber match, a game defined by missed opportunities as the Explorers stranded runners in every inning except the fifth and ninth.
Sioux City struck first in the opening frame.
Henry George singled with two outs, advanced to second on a balk and to third on a wild pitch, and Braulio Vásquez cashed him in with a single up the middle for a 1–0 lead.
The Explorers threatened again in the fourth, loading the bases with one out, but Dillon Tatum grounded into an inning‑ending double play to halt the rally.
Gary flipped the game in the bottom half.
After Jasseel De La Cruz walked Kevin Watson Jr. with two outs, Nick Podkul followed with a two‑run homer to left, giving the RailCats a 2–1 lead. Making his first start since July 3, De La Cruz delivered four innings with eight strikeouts, allowing only the one mistake on the home run.
Gary added another in the fifth when Marc Flores doubled to left, scoring Elvis Peralta to make it 3–1 in another run allowed with two outs.
Sioux City’s best chance to tie came in the sixth. With runners at second and third, Brodie Kresser struck out on a slider away, leaving both runners stranded.
The Explorers pulled within one in the seventh when Vásquez lined a single to left to score Zac Vooletich, trimming the deficit to 3–2.
Moments later, the stadium experienced a full power outage, delaying the game for roughly 25 minutes.
Gary’s bullpen held firm, and Jacob Coats worked a clean ninth for his 11th save of the season.
Sioux City starts a three‑game series at Fargo-Moorhead on Friday. First pitch is at 7:02 p.m., with pregame coverage beginning at 6:32 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 reached base for the 25 straight game with a double.
-The X’s are 10-13 in July.
– Jasseel De La Cruz struck out eight in four innings.
-Braulio Vasquez had his 14th multi RBI game and is second on the team to Zac Vooletich.
-Sioux City is 1-5 against Gary SouthShore and lost the season series with three to play.
-The X’s had won three straight series against the RailCats but have dropped the last two.
-The entire stadium had a power outage in the top of the seventh. The delay lasted 20 minutes.
–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.
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