Explorers' starting pitching paving way for early-season success

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (KCAU) – The Sioux City Explorers have tallied 14 wins on the year through 22 games, tied for second-most in the American Association and just one back of league-leader Kansas City.
A key contributor: the team's pitching.
The bullpen has been stellar, but it's the starting pitching for Sioux City that has stood out for the club so far.
Just one season after earning American Association All-Star honors as a reliever, Kyle Marman is tied for the league lead with 40 strikeouts. His 2.43 ERA is just outside the top ten in the AA.
Jared Wetherbee has fanned 32 batters this season, including 17 in his last two starts combined to go with 13 innings, allowing just three runs in a pair of wins.
Austin Drury has tallied seven or more strikeouts in three of his four appearances this season.
Zach Willeman is coming off his first win of the season, following up a 12-strikeout performance at home against Gary SouthShore on May 22nd.
For an Explorers team that leads the American Association with 247 punchouts, the motivation for Sioux City's starters lie within each other.
'We work off each other so well. I think we do a great job of coming together, putting a good scouting report together, and just being able to build off of each other,' Wetherbee said.
'They've started to compete among each other. You hear the chatter among them, amd that's good when you can get the four guys that have really stepped up in the rotation to to keep competing against themselves, not competing against their starter, compete against yourselves,' Explorers manager Steve Montgomery mentioned. 'One guy goes seven, you hear the next guy the next night wanting to go eight,'
Sioux City begins its three-game road series at Sioux Falls tonight at 6:35 p.m.
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