SIOUX CITY EXPLORERS PRESS RELEASE
Phone: 817.739.3693
Website: xsbaseball.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 19, 2024
By Dan Vaughan Jr.
ROLLER COASTER RIDE TO THE WIN COLUMN FOR EXPLORERS
SIOUX CITY PULLS EVEN WITH KANSAS CITY
Sioux City, Iowa – An amusement park with some of the best thrill rides was no match for what went down Monday night at Lewis and Clark Park. D’Shawn Knowles hit a full-count, bases-loaded grand-slam home run in the eighth inning to send the Sioux City Explorers (41-45) to a 16-13 win over the Kansas City Monarchs (41-45).
How up and down was the affair? Sioux City raced to an 8-2 lead through six and had a quality start going for lefty Jaren Jackson into the top of the seventh. In the bottom of the second, Sioux City scored four runs on four hits with the help of one of three errors on the night for Kansas City. Jake Green was the highlight with a bases-clearing double to make it 4-0. Kansas City would get a run back in the top of the third on an RBI single from Lorenzo Cedrola to make it 4-1.
In the bottom of the third, the Explorers were back at it again. Kansas City made another one-out error, setting up an Ozzie Martinez double and a sac bunt from Daniel Lingua to grab two more runs. The X’s then scored another run on a double steal of second by Nick Shumpert and of home for Justin Connell, and it was 7-1. The lead would grow to 8-1 in the fourth when John Nogowski picked up his 62nd RBI of the season on a base hit to left. The Monarchs got a solo homer from Isiah Gilliam off Jackson, and it seemed like the game would settle down with Sioux City leading it 8-2 after six.
Jackson then went out for the seventh and picked up the first out on a shattered bat pop fly to the mound from Herbert Iser. Kansas City then proceeded to score 11 runs on six hits as the Explorers used three pitchers and saw both manager Steve Montgomery and pitching coach Bobby Post get ejected in the melt down inning. The third reliever, Nate Gercken, would be shown the showers as well, getting tossed after the inning was over. Neither Kyle Bloor nor Zach Willeman retired a batter with Willeman walking in two runs and Gercken another as the game looked to get out of hand. Kansas City tied the game at eight on the second bases-loaded walk of the inning from Iser. Ross Adolph and Cedrola looked to put the game on ice with back-to-back hits, driving in two runs each to give KC a 13-8 lead.
The Explorers would get a hit in the bottom of the seventh off reliever Gabriel Ponce but then go quietly into the top of the eighth. Jeremey Goins—who was activated off the injured list before the game and had only pitched 1.2 innings— came in and worked a scoreless eighth. The Explorers then managed to chase Ponce from the game, scoring five runs. In Knowles’ first plate appearance of the eighth inning, he would work a leadoff walk off Ponce. Daniel Montano would strike out, but five straight base hits got the Explorers rolling. Nogowski and Scott Ota both singled off Ponce, joining Knowles on the sacks for loaded bases. Martinez drove in a run with a base hit to center and was followed by another RBI single from Connell to cut the lead to 13-10. Kansas City turned to Jeff Hakanson who was greeted by a two RBI single to right from Lingua, and the game now was 13-12 in favor of the Monarchs. Shumpert would strike out, but the bases would be loaded when Jake Green worked a walk. Knowles, in his second trip to the plate in the inning, took Hakanson to right to give Sioux City the lead at 16-13.
Kyle Marman worked his fourth straight day to close out the game, earning his 18th save. The right-hander had been named Pointstreak Pitcher of the week for the week ending August 18 earlier in the day. The win moved Sioux City into a tie with Kansas City for the fourth playoff spot in the American Association West Division. The Explorers won for the fourth straight game while Kansas City lost their third straight.
The pair will play a doubleheader tomorrow August 20 with two seven-inning games beginning at 5:35 p.m. Ticket packages for the 2024 season are on sale now, including Full and Half-Season Tickets as well as 10, 15 and 25-game Flex Packs. 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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