Didder Hits Two Grand Slams in Goldeyes Loss
Photo Credit: Allie Brakel/Kansas City Monarchs
KANSAS CITY, KS – The Kansas City Monarchs (57-40) scored 12 runs over the first three innings and defeated the Winnipeg Goldeyes 16-11 Friday evening at Legends Field.
Kansas City jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning. Right fielder Tyler Gentry led off with a solo home run to centre field before left fielder Grant Richardson singled home third baseman Austin Callahan. Second baseman Sahid Valenzuela added a two-run single to centre, and shortstop José Torres followed with an RBI single to right.
The Monarchs added two more runs in the second. Valenzuela singled home first baseman Luken Baker before centre fielder Hudson Head brought designated hitter Saúl Garza home with a base hit to centre, making it 7-0.
Kansas City scored five times in the third. Richardson doubled home Callahan before Head hit a grand slam to left field that increased the lead to 12-0.
Winnipeg (53-44) got on the board in the top of the fourth when right fielder Max Murphy lifted a sacrifice fly to right that scored shortstop Adam Hall. Baker answered with a two-run home run to centre in the bottom half, giving Kansas City a 14-1 advantage.
Designated hitter Ray-Patrick Didder cut into the deficit in the fifth with a grand slam to left field that scored second baseman Peyton Holt, catcher Kevin García, and third baseman Ramón Bramasco. It was Didder's 21st home run of the season and made the score 14-5.
The Goldeyes added a run in the seventh. Centre fielder Noah Marcelo singled, first baseman Roby Enríquez and Murphy followed with base hits, and left fielder Jiandido Tromp drew a bases-loaded walk that brought Marcelo home to make it 14-6.
Winnipeg pulled to within four runs in the eighth. García singled, Bramasco walked, and Hall singled to load the bases before Didder hit his second grand slam of the game, this one to left field, cutting Kansas City's lead to 14-10. The home run was Didder's 22nd of the season.
The Monarchs restored their six-run advantage in the bottom of the eighth. Torres doubled to centre and later scored on a wild pitch before Gentry hit his second solo home run of the game to make it 16-10.
Winnipeg scored once more in the ninth when Holt walked, García singled, and Bramasco lined a run-scoring single to right that brought Holt home and produced the final margin.
Starting right-hander Luke Boyd (9-7) allowed seven runs on nine hits over 1 1/3 innings. He walked three and struck out two. Arij Fransen surrendered five runs on six hits and two walks over one inning, while Tasker Strobel allowed two runs on three hits over 3 1/3 innings, walking two and striking out four. Eli Saul worked a scoreless inning, allowing one hit, and Quinn Waterhouse gave up two runs on two hits in one inning while striking out one.
Monarchs right-hander Jimmy Endersby (7-4) allowed five runs, four earned, on eight hits over five innings. He walked one and struck out six. Jack Walker allowed one run in 1 2/3 innings, Wyatt Wendell was charged with four runs in one-third of an inning, Jeff Hakanson worked a scoreless inning, and Durbin Feltman allowed one run in the ninth.
Didder went three-for-six with two home runs, two runs scored, and eight runs batted in. Enríquez went four-for-five, García was three-for-four with two runs scored, and Hall and Marcelo recorded two hits apiece.
With the victory, Kansas City clinched first place in the American Association West Division and earned the right to choose its first-round postseason opponent from the third- and fourth-seeded teams.
The four-game series continues Saturday at 6:35 p.m. CDT at Legends Field. Right-hander James Bradwell (0-5, 10.13 ERA) is scheduled to start for Winnipeg, while Kansas City will counter with left-hander Sawyer Allen (4-1, 2.43 ERA).
Fans can join Trevor Curl for all the action live on CJNU 93.7 FM and online at cjnu.ca. The video stream will be available free of charge at AABaseball.TV.
For information about Postseason Tickets & Packages, Skysuites, and Group Packages, please visit Goldeyes.com/Tickets.
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