By DAN VAUGHAN, Jr.
Kansas City Monarchs
KANSAS CITY, Kan.— A week ago the Kansas City Monarchs (54-34) went to Canada and had their way with the Winnipeg Goldeyes (49-39) winning all three games. What a difference a week has made, as after two games of the four game series, the Goldeyes have a 2-0 series lead following a 7-5 win at Legends Field Tuesday night.
The Monarchs Mallex Smith started the game with a walk and stole a pair of bases and would come home on a Darnell Sweeney fielders’ choice to take a 1-0 lead after one. The game stayed that way a matter of minutes as Winnipeg got rolling in the second.
The Goldeyes borrowed a page from the Monarchs play book using the long ball off of Monarchs starter Jordan Martinson. Logan Hill walked and then came home on a two run homer from Kevin Lachance to make it 2-1 Winnipeg. The fish then got another walk from Deon Stafford Jr. followed by a fly out by Reggie Pruitt Jr for out number one. Raul Navarro then stepped to the plate and launched a home run to left to give Winnipeg a 4-1 lead. The Goldeyes added another run on an RBI single from Max Murphy and it was 5-1 in favor of Winnipeg.
The Monarchs would grab a run back in the top of the third on an RBI single from Darnell Sweeney off Goldeyes starter Alex Hart. Winnipeg came right back with an answer in the top of the fourth. Newly signed Monarch Jalen Miller provided Navarro with free transportation to first. A throwing error on a pickoff attempt and a wild pitch moved the runner to third. Max Murphy picked up his second RBI of the game and 82nd on the season on a sacrifice fly scoring Navarro.
On the mound neither starter would figure in the decision. In the pen, Miller would allow just one earned run in 4.2 innings of hitless ball in his Monarchs debut, while R.J. Martinez would allow one earned run in two innings to pick up the relief win.
With the Monarchs trailing 6-2 in the sixth Jacob Robson hit a solo home run to right off Martinez. It was his third game with at least one long ball and his sixth of the season. The Monarchs would load the bases in the seventh, but Zac Ryan struck out Sweeney to end the threat for “kay-see.”
In the top of the ninth the Goldeyes picked up a big insurance run on a double from Max Murphy off Jameson McGrane. David Washington would single to right and move Murphy to third. Jacob Rhinesmith would hit a sac fly to left to score Murphy and the lead was 7-3.
The Monarchs would battle back in the ninth to make it interesting. Pete Kozma singled and Alexis Olmeda doubled off lefty Tasker Strobel. Mallex Smith singled to load the bases for Kansas City. Ryan Grotjohn hit a fielder’s choice to score one run but force out Smith at second. Darnell Sweeney would single in Olmeda for his third RBI of the night to cut the lead to two runs. Once again, the Monarch had a chance with the winning run at the plate but back to back strikeout by Robson and Jan Hernandez would end the night for the Monarchs and give the Goldeyes a 7-5 win. The loss dropped Kansas City five full games behind front running Fargo and five games clear of Winnipeg for second place in the American Association West.
The Monarchs will try to end their three game losing streak Wednesday in Game 3 of the four game series with the Winnipeg Goldeyes at 7 p.m. The game can be heard on the Monarchs Broadcast Network with the pre-game beginning at 6:30 p.m. and the video stream airing on aa baseball.tv.