American Association Insider: Tuesday June 2 takeaways

Kevin Luckow                                                                                                                                                    (Not a member of IBWAA)

 I have to be honest. I didn't catch many of the finishes tonight. The Carolina vs. Vegas Stanley Cup game was one for the ages. If both teams bring it like they did tonight, it's going to be a fabulous series.

Cleburne 3 Kane County 1

This was one of the games where I DID catch the ending. The Railroaders had a nice three run cushion going into the ninth. Todd Lott homers to make it 3-1. Alex McGarry and Claudio Finol both reach and are in scoring position. A fly ball to shallow center field drops. McGarry decided to make a dash for home and was thrown out. That short circuited the rally. The win give Cleburne two in a row. I've watched baseball too long to know that all it takes is a couple of wins for even a struggling team to find their game again. Look up the 1991 Minnesota Twins. Are the Roaders ready for a run?

Gary SouthShore 6 Sioux City 2

The 2025 Sioux City Explorers did not let teams come into Lewis and Clark Park and take a win very easily. Thus far in 2026 that has not been the case as the Explorers drop to a 3-5 record after losing to the RailCats on Tuesday night. Two RailCats are currently hitting above .235, but they found a way to get eight hits and push across six runs. Deyni Olivero has gone six innings and picked up consecutive wins after a rough start to the season. 

Lake Country 8 Lincoln 1

 Seriously? The DockHounds are on the road again? Do they eventually get to spend the month of July at home? They are not fazed by it as they continue to hold the best record in AAPB after an easy road win at Haymarket Park. Luke Hansel picked up the win allowing a single run in seven innings to win his third game of the young season. And it was just another night with a Ryan Hernandez home run, his eighth. Hernandez now is tied with Jose Sermo for the league lead. Could Hernandez and Sermo pull off a McGwire-Sosa with both breaking the league single season home run record?

Kansas City 1 Fargo-Moorhead 0

Ryan Garcia threw seven shutout innings allowing two hits in shutting down a potent RedHawks lineup. This is a different kind of Monarchs team as pitching is leading the way. If the Monarchs start hitting on a consistent basis, the West Division will be put on notice. As of now, kids have never been safer out on home run hill in right field.

Sioux Falls 9 Winnipeg 8 (6 innings)

On a wet night in Winnipeg, the Canaries outlasted the Goldeyes. Frankly the fact the game went as long as it did, led itself to become a farce. The elements played part in a Goldeyes rally in the sixth inning with the Goldeyes scoring four runs to get within a run. Trevor Achenbach who has now struggled for a season and nearly 20 games got a badly needed two run home run for the Canaries. The big blow with a three run shot by Michael Curialle in the fifth inning that gave the Canaries a commanding lead at the time. Noah Marcelo hit his sixth home run, a two run shot in the third inning for the Goldeyes. The Goldeyes suffered another loss on Tuesday as Landen Bourassa was signed by the Mexican League. His first foray in baseball outside the American Association or the Australian Baseball League.

                                            Photo courtesy of Jennifer Andreachi

Chicago 5 Milwaukee 2

Regi Grace Jr. stepped up for the Dogs tonight giving them seven innings of two run ball to pick up his first win of the season. Throw Jaxx Groshans in the home run chase too as he jaxxed his seventh of the season. Groshans has 14 runs batted in his last seven games. It should be a fun matchup this weekend when the Dogs go to Kamp Oconomowoc and Groshans can battle Ryan Hernandez for the league lead in home runs. 











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