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Padres' rally can't overcome Frew, Monarchs
It's a whole new Monarchs early on in 2038: we're only two and a half weeks into the season, but Kansas City has gotten off to a strong start, tonight defeating the San Diego Padres for their tenth win.

The star of the game was Rhett Frew, the Australian import who has improved every year he's played for manager Josh Garcia. Frew has been more than impressive in the early going this year, winning all four of his starts while striking out more than a third of the batters he's faced with a 60 FIP- and a strong GB% of 54.

The Padres countered Frew tonight with their own ace, Josh Beck, who has been less impressive to start the year: now 35, Beck may be slowing, as his K rate has declined early on while opponents are homering off him more frequently (1.5 per nine innings).

It was the Padres, though, who struck first in this one, manufacturing a run in the first. Frank Hernandez singled, then got to third on a steal attempt and throwing error by Monarchs C Ricky Baca. He came in on a groundout deep into the 5/6 hole by Ian Farmer; had Farmer been a faster runner he might have beaten it out. But instead, it was a run-scoring second out, and Frew struck out Jason Turnquist to end the inning.

From there, Frew cruised through the next two innings, allowing only one hit while striking out four, including striking out the side in the third, giving him six through the first three. He collected two more Ks in the 4th, but allowed a solo homer to Ian Farmer as well.

That made it 2-0 Padres due to Beck's strong first three frames. Beck only struck out one, but induced a series of ground ball outs around three hits to keep the Monarchs scoreless. That ended in the bottom of the fourth, as Mike Boyd singled and scored on a one-out triple into the left-center gap by the speedy Mike Paul. Beck got Baca to pop up, but it was a shallow bloop into exactly the right spot, and fell in just past the glove of 2B Nate McHenry. Paul read it perfectly, and came in before San Diego's fielders could recover, tying up the game.

Frew got through the 5th allowing just a single, eschewing strikeouts for efficiency - he got through the inning on eight pitches, and three harmless fly balls. Then Sam Campbell - who had only seven homers in all of 2037 - hit his third on the young season to put KC on top. They added one more on a sacrifice fly by Baca in the 6th, and Frew took it from there.

The Aussie struck out two around a single to get through the 6th, then hurled a perfect 7th with his 11th K. In the eighth, SS John Gilbert hit a comebacker for the first out, and Frank Hernandez finally went down on strikes after a seven pitch AB. When Victor Castro then walked on five, Garcia called for Jason Coopman to relieve Frew, who walked off to an appreciative crowd. Coopman got an inning-ending grounder on the first pitch.

Coopman came back for the ninth, but wasn't so fortunate there. Jason Turnquist turned a full count into a single to lead off, and though Coopman got Fernandez to strike out looking, Mike Montana doubled sending Turnquist to third. McHenry hit a slow roller toward first, which Sam Campbell handled for the force out, but it moved Montana to third as Tunquiest came in with San Diego's third run. With the bullpen active, and Montana 90 feet away from tying it, Coopman threw to Sean McDaniel. The catcher hit the first pitch hard, on one hop, but Vince Green got a glove on it, and was able to beat the slow-footed McDaniel to first to end it.

A close call, but a Monarchs win, bringing KC to 10-6 on the season, still in first.