Early Dominance Unravels in Loss to Milkmen

Published on May 25, 2026 under American Association (AA)
Sioux City Explorers News Release

Alberto Osuna of the Sioux City Explorers rounds the bases
(Sioux City Explorers)

What began with dominance from Zach Willeman quickly turned into a night of missed chances and too many big innings allowed.

Willeman was untouchable early, retiring the first six Milkmen hitters, five of them on strikeouts.

But the third inning flipped the game.

Yordys Valdés opened the frame with a double, and the inning snowballed from there. Alec Olund punched an 0-2 RBI single to make it 1-0, Andy Blake followed with a two - run triple, and Wendell Marrero added another two - out RBI to cap a four - run inning after Willeman had looked completely in control.

Sioux City tried to spark a response in the fourth when Alberto Osuna launched a solo homer to center. That was his second in as many days to cut the deficit to 4-1.

The Explorers climbed even closer in the fifth.

Zac Vooletich hammered a two - run double off the top of the left - field fence, just inches from a game - tying homer, to make it 4-3.

Sioux City couldn't get the shutdown inning it needed in the sixth, and Milwaukee answered with four more runs. Blake led off the inning with a solo homer, Valdés added an RBI triple, and two more scored with two outs as the Milkmen stretched the lead to 8-3.

The X's had chances to claw back, putting two runners on in both the sixth and seventh innings, but each rally ended with a strikeout. Milwaukee kept piling on, adding two more in the eighth on an RBI double from Chase Waddell and a sacrifice fly from Michael Hallquist to make it 10-3.

Blake capped his monster night in the ninth with a towering moonshot to left for his second homer and fourth RBI to push the lead to 11-3 and seal the Milkmen's win.

Sioux City continues its four - game series against Milwaukee on Tuesday. First pitch for game two is scheduled for 6:35 p.m., with pregame coverage beginning at 6:05 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.

Notes from the Booth with DV:

-The X's dropped to a game below .500 for the third time this season.

-Sioux City has dropped two in a row.

-Elliot Good had a two-hit night.

-Alberto Osuna hit a home run for his second straight game.

Alberto Osuna of the Sioux City Explorers rounds the bases

American Association Stories from May 25, 2026

• Early Dominance Unravels in Loss to Milkmen - Sioux City Explorers
• Opening Homestand Continues - Sioux City Explorers
• What's on Deck: Memorial Day Meetup with KC - Lincoln Saltdogs
• Dogs Suffer Sweep to Sioux Falls - Chicago Dogs

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