Three-time champion KC Monarchs advance to American Association’s Miles Wolff Finals

The Kansas City Monarchs are West Division champions and are moving on to the Miles Wolff Cup Finals.

A Monarchs comeback led by walks, wild pitches, balk calls and a Jan Hernandez RBI double led to a 9-6 win over the Sioux City Explorers at Legends Field Thursday night.

The Monarchs — who claimed overall league championships in 2008, 2018 and 2012 — won the best-of-three American Association playoff series two games to one after dropping Game 1 on the road Monday.

“It’s great. The guys, they played so hard,” Monarchs manager Joe Calfapietra said. “There was no give-up in the dugout. This is a great ballclub that we played; we knew we were going to have to play down to the end.”

“I’m so proud of these guys.”

The Monarchs erased a 5-0 deficit on their way to the win Thursday, matching their largest comeback of the season. Calfapietra’s team worked 11 walks with just five hits. Nine of those walks occurred in the fifth inning or later.

KC will next face the Chicago Dogs in the best-of-five Miles Wolff Cup Finals. Game 1 is scheduled for Saturday in Chicago, with Game 2 Sunday (times TBA). The Monarchs will host Game 3 Tuesday night at 7 p.m., as well as Games 4 and 5, if necessary, Wednesday and Thursday at 7 p.m.

The Explorers started the scoring in the first inning. Right fielder Scott Ota laced an RBI single to make it 1-0. They increased their lead in the third, when an error by Monarchs outfielder Jacob Robson made it 2-0. A sacrifice fly from Ota scored another run in the third.

Daniel Lingua hit an infield single in the top of the fourth and it was 4-0 Sioux City. Wilfredo Gimenez crushed a solo shot in the top of the fifth to make it 5-0.

But the Monarchs got on the board in the bottom of the fifth. After loading the bases, Jacob Robson scored on a wild pitch. Shortstop LJ Hatch soon scored, too, via a balk on Explorers reliever Carlos Diaz, and Hernandez’s double made it 5-3 after five.

Explorers first baseman John Nogowski blasted a solo shot to push the Sioux City lead to 6-3 in the top of the seventh, but the Monarchs again battled back. After KC had loaded the bases again in the bottom of the seventh, Hernandez and Micker Adolfo walked in runs to make it 6-5. Taylor Snyder smoked an infield single to tie the game 6-6, Hernandez scored on a wild pitch and it was 7-6 Monarchs after seven.

Hernandez drew another RBI walk in the bottom of the eighth to make it 8-6. Monarchs second baseman Justin Wylie later scored on a wild pitch to account for the final run.

The Monarchs used five pitchers in the game. Miller Hogan started, giving way to former Royals pitcher Brandon Finnegan in the third. Finnegan got through the fifth before handing off to Matt Hartman, who worked the sixth and seventh.

Bubby Rossman tossed a scoreless eighth before Patrick Weigel closed out the ninth, and the game, by retiring all three batters he faced.

Monarchs reliever Matt Hartman got the win and Explorers reliever Sean Rackoski the loss.

Schedule: Miles Wolff Cup Finals

Saturday: Game 1 in Chicago (time TBA)

Sunday: Game 2 in Chicago (time TBA)

Monday: off-day/no game

Tuesday: Game 3 in KC, 7 p.m.

Wednesday: Game 4 in KC (if nec./time TBD)

Thursday: Game 5 in KC (if nec./time TBD)