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Same Issues Plague Sioux City In Series Opener

Sioux City, IA- First inning runs and, not coming up with timely hits to drive in runs. That’s been the recent narrative for the Sioux City Explorers as they have dropped their fourth straight game this time coming at the hands of the hot Kansas City T-Bones, 6-3. 

First inning runs have become an epidemic for the X’s and the issue continued on Sunday night. Opening the series with Kansas City, the T-Bones jumped all over the X’s and once again exploited the weakness. Dylan Tice got things rolling, earning a nine pitch, lead off walk. Mason Davis and Daniel Nava followed with singles to load the bases with no one out. A walk brought home the games first run, a ground out to third made it 2-0 and Danny Mars finished the rally with a base hit to make it 3-0 T-Bones. 

That now makes it six games in a row in which Sioux City has allowed a run in the first inning. Five of those six it has been multiple first inning runs. In 85 games this season the X’s have allowed 84 first inning runs. 

The Explorers would get a run back in the bottom half of the first as Kyle Wren reached on a base hit to lead things off. Drew Stankiewicz advanced him with a single and Nate Samson drove him in with a base hit to left to make it 3-1. But the rally ended after a double play and a strikeout. 

From that point on Jon Perrin (6-1) took over control of the X’s lineup. He tossed seven innings, allowing three runs on just five hits, with six strikeouts and only one single walk. 

Kansas City tacked on another run in the second after Tice doubled and advanced to third on a Mason Davis base hit, and scored from a Will Barker single making it 4-1. 

Pete Tago (3-3) would not allow another run from that point as he took the loss. Tago tossed six innings, allowing four runs on eleven hits with four strikeouts and three walks. 

The X’s would chip away at the T-Bones lead with runs in the sixth and seventh. In the sixth Kyle Wren was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning and manufactured his own run as he stole his league leading 22nd base of the season. And scored on a back to back ground outs, the second coming from Samson who tallied two RBI’s in the game. In the seventh Sioux City loaded the bases with no one out but could only manage to score a run on a Sebastian Zawada sacrifice fly cutting the deficit to just a single run 4-3. 

The other issue that continues to plague the Explorers is driving runs home with runners in scoring position. Sioux City on the night went 1-10 with runners in scoring position. And over the four game losing streak are a combined 5-48 (.104) in those situations. 

The T-Bones tacked on a couple of insurance runs however in the eighth. They loaded the bases with no body out after a strikeout a bases loaded walk and a single from Davis pushed the T-Bones lead back up to three runs, 6-3. 

Henry Owens finished off the game with a six out save, walking three batters but striking out four without allowing any hits or runs. 

With the win the T-Bones have won 12 straight tying the X’s for the longest winning streak in the American Association this season. The win also increases the T-Bones wild card lead over Sioux City to a game and a half.

The X’s look to snap their losing streak on Monday as they send bullpen arm Sam Held out to the mound for his first turn in the Explorers starting rotation. He will be opposed by right hander Christian Binford for the T-Bones with first pitch scheduled for 7:12 pm.