Close games have largely been unkind to the Sioux City Explorers this season.
On Tuesday night, the Explorers lost yet another close game, as Sioux City was defeated at home at Lewis and Clark Park by Sioux Falls, 5-4.
It was the ninth two-run loss of the campaign for Sioux City (11-12). And it dropped the X’s below .500 for the first time following an 8-1 start to the 2023 season.
The win moved the Canaries to 11-13 on the season.
Sioux City starting pitcher Austin Drury and Sioux Falls' Akeem Bostick were both perfect though the first inning, and the sides remained scoreless through the first three innings of play.
Vince Fernandez led off the fourth inning with a solo home run to give Sioux City the lead.
The X's then loaded the bases but couldn't drive any more runs across.
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The Canaries scored twice in the fifth following a controversial call with the pitch clock. That led to Sioux City pitching coach Bobby Post getting ejected.
Christian Johnson relieved Bostick in the fifth for the Canaries and allowed Fernandez to advance to third following a walk, but he didn’t allow a run.
Drury didn't allow anything in the sixth before the X’s put up two runs in the bottom when Chase Harris tallied an RBI base hit that scored Jake Ortega. Jake Sanford followed that up with an RBI to bring Harris home.
The Canaries soared into the lead with a home run from Darnell Sweeney off Carlos Diaz (0-2) in the seventh inning.
X’s head coach Steve Montgomery was also booted afer balk call on Explorer's reliever Nate Gercken.
The X’s couldn’t get the offense going against Sioux Falls reliever Brady Stover (1-0), who got the win.
Kent Hasler relieved Diaz and struck out six and allowed one run.
In the bottom of the ninth, the X's Daniel Perez knocked in an RBI single off Sioux Falls closer Charlie Hasty, but it wasn't enough for Sioux City.