After eventful road trip, KC Monarchs are playing host to Sioux Falls in Lawrence
A new major-leaguer has joined the fray in Kansas City right after an exhilarating road trip.
The Kansas City Monarchs baseball team returned to the Sunflower State following a scheduled road swing that featured more than 1,600 miles of travel. Along the way, the Monarchs claimed wins in Wisconsin, Indiana and South Dakota.
A.J. Alexy became the fifth former major-leaguer to play for the Monarchs in 2024. The right-handed pitcher sparkled in his debut, throwing 1 2/3 shutout innings against the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks in Lawrence, Kansas.
“He hadn’t faced hitters in two-and-a-half weeks — that’s impressive,” KC pitching coach Justin Shafer said. “He attacked, 93 to 95 (mph). Without facing hitters, that’s really good.”
The team is playing this week’s home series at Hoglund Ballpark — the Kansas Jayhawks’ home field in Lawrence — after heavy rainfall over the weekend at Legends Field. The Monarchs plan to return to Legends Field on June 25 against the Sioux City Explorers.
Alexy primarily worked as a starting pitcher for the MLB’s Texas Rangers in 2021 and 2022, winning four of his six decisions.
“He made it to the big leagues at a very young age and had a lot of success,” Shafer said. “(Against Fargo-Moorhead) he sat there and attacked, and got ahead in the right spots.”
Seventh-year Monarchs manager Joe Calfapietra has enjoyed some strong starting pitching of late. Shafer, Grant Gavin, Connor Curlis, and Jackson Goddard all recorded some of their best starts during the recent road trek.
Goddard, a former KU Jayhawk, recorded a season-best six innings of one-run ball in a come-from-behind victory against the Sioux Falls Canaries. That win, 6-5 in extra innings, cemented an important series victory.
“He has good stuff,” Shafer said of Goddard. “He hasn’t thrown bad. He gets into good counts … He did a really good job of that last week and got early contact.”
First baseman Frankie Tostado hit the go-ahead two-run homer in that game, one of many clutch hits he’s provided for the Monarchs. Tostado drilled his 10th double of the season on Monday against the RedHawks, tying the American Association league lead.
The former San Francisco Giants and Washington Nationals prospect also ranks in the league’s top 10 in batting average (a team-best .330).
The 6-5 win led the Monarchs to their largest offensive output of the season to close out the trip. KC blasted its way to a 10-run first inning that featured its first grand slam of the year, crushing the Sioux Falls Canaries 17-6. Seven of KC’s 10 runs came with two outs.
Outfielder Ross Adolph hit the grand slam as part of a career day that included a team-high six RBIs. The former Houston Astros prospect leads the Monarchs with seven home runs, two triples and a .545 slugging percentage this season.
The Monarchs are playing host to the Canaries at Hoglund Park in Lawrence through Wednesday in a battle of two of the top three teams in the West Division. Admission is free.