X's Drop Series to Monarchs

May 18, 2025 - American Association (AA)
Sioux City Explorers News Release

Sioux City Explorers pitcher Joey Murray
(Sioux City Explorers, Credit: Tim Tushla)

Joey Murray took the ball for the X's and worked a productive outing. The only run he yielded came with runners on first and second with no outs in the top of the second inning.

Lazaro Armenteros, freshly activated in his first game as a Monarch, smacked a single to center field, bringing home Alvaro Gonzalez. The X's struck right back in the bottom half of the inning when Torin Montgomery crushed his second home run of the year. The two-run blast gave Sioux City a 2-1 lead, which lasted until the fourth inning.

Armenteros was a thorn in the X's side as he started the small rally with a one-out single. Jaylyn Williams advanced him to second base with a single of his own. Armenteros utilized his wheels after his success at the plate, stealing third base and putting Ryan Leitch in a first and third one-out situation. Leitch's situational hitting was on point as fly ball to center turned into a game-tying sacrifice fly. The game was even at two apiece.

The fifth through eighth innings were a blur. Kansas City's pitching staff would retire 11 consecutive Explorers. Conversely, the X's bullpen held it together, stranding three base runners and keeping the Monarchs' lineup off balance, hitting their spots and mixing pitches effectively. Chase Jessee especially put in a brilliant relief performance, tossing two shutout innings, allowing only one hit while striking out two batters.

Jeremy Goins (1-1) tossed a scoreless eighth for Sioux City but ran into trouble in the ninth. Williams singled to lead off the inning, Letich, who worked the count full, crushed a payoff pitch over the left field wall, and Kansas City took the lead 4-2. The Monarchs scored three more times in the inning and put the game out of reach. Abdiel Layer smashed a solo home run in the bottom of the ninth, but the X's couldn't come back. They lost 7-3 and dropped the final game of the series.

Former Major Leaguer Jake Brentz (1-0) tossed a scoreless eighth for Kansas City, becoming the pitcher of record and picking up his first victory of the season.

The Explorers are off Monday but will begin a new series Tuesday night May 20 against the Gary SouthShore Railcats at Lewis and Clark Park. The first pitch is set for 7:05 p.m. with the gates opening at 6:00. The game can be heard on radio at KSCJ 94.9 FM and 1360 AM and the video stream will air on aabaseball.tv. Ticket packages for the 2025 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.

Sioux City Explorers pitcher Joey Murray (Tim Tushla)

American Association Stories from May 18, 2025

• X's Drop Series to Monarchs - Sioux City Explorers
• Leitch's Homer Lifts Monarchs to Series Win - Kansas City Monarchs
• Hart, Rehwaldt Homer in Rubber Match Victory - Sioux Falls Canaries
• Peyton Long Strikes out Nine, 'Cats Hold on 7-5 - Gary SouthShore Railcats
• Bourassa Dominant in Win over Lincoln - Winnipeg Goldeyes
• 'Hounds Take 2 over RedHawks; 3 Straight Series Wins - Lake Country DockHounds
• Cougars Earn First Series Win Behind Strong Pitching - Kane County Cougars

The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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