Month: August 2015

T-Bones outlast Saints

The Kansas City T-Bones, fighting for a postseason berth, beat one of the league’s best teams Thursday night, as they knocked off the St. Paul Saints, 5-4, beginning a four-game series at CommunityAmerica Ballpark in Kansas City, Kan.

In a game that saw five lead changes, the T-Bones sealed the win in the bottom of the eighth against St. Paul’s Dylan Chavez (1-1).

Starlin Rodriguez led off the inning with a double over the head of right fielder Angelo Songco. After Nate Tenbrink put down a perfect sacrifice bunt toward first that advanced Rodriguez to third, Jake Blackwood grounded the ball to center field and gave the T-Bones a 5-4 lead.

The perfect sacrifice was part of a perfect night for Tenbrink, who went two-for-two with two RBIs. Those came in the third inning, when his two-run double brought in Alex Marquez and Rodriguez, and gave the T-Bones a 2-1 lead. Tenbrink is now 12-for-15 with five doubles in his last four games. His average has gone from .301 to .320 since Sunday.

After Kansas City took the lead in the bottom of the eighth, T-Bones closer Fernando Hernandez faced one over the minimum in the ninth as he got his 20th save of the season. Evan DeLuca (1-0), who pitched in the eighth for the T-Bones, got the win.

The teams exchanged leads during three innings, before Kansas City got back-to-back home runs by Adam Bailey and Kyle Robinson in the bottom of the sixth, and went ahead 4-3. The Saints tied the game, though, in the top of the seventh after Ian Gac was hit by a pitch and eventually scored on a double play grounded into by Joey Paciorek.

With the win, the T-Bones remain 2 1/2 games behind Laredo in the wild-card race with 10 games remaining in the regular season. (Joplin is 2 games back.) Laredo comes to Kansas City for four games beginning Monday.

The T-Bones (47-42) and Saints (65-25) are scheduled to continue their four-game series Friday night at 7:05. Tickets are available by calling the box office at CommunityAmerica Ballpark at 913-328-5618.

– Story from T-Bones

Kansas City, Kan., police vehicle involved in fatal accident

A fatal accident involving a Kansas City, Kan., police vehicle was reported at 10:29 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 27, at 7th Street northbound at Freeman Court in Kansas City, Kan. The driver of a Honda involved in the accident admitted to having been drinking, according to a state trooper.

A 1988 Honda Civic driven by a 37-year-old Kansas City, Kan., woman was southbound on 7th Street and the Kansas City, Kan., police vehicle was northbound on 7th Street, according to a Kansas Highway Patrol trooper’s report. The Kansas Highway Patrol investigated the accident.

The Honda Civic made a left turn in front of the police vehicle and was struck in the front passenger side door, according to the trooper’s report.

A passenger in the Honda Civic, Wendell L. Hall, 50, Kansas City, Kan., died. The trooper’s report stated he was not wearing a safety restraint.

The trooper who investigated the accident said that the police vehicle was responding to an emergency, to back up another officer dealing with a combative subject, when the accident occurred. The speed of the police car is under investigation.

The accident did not occur at an intersection; the driver of the Honda was turning into a parking lot of an apartment complex, the trooper said. There were no stop signs or stoplights at the accident scene.

The trooper who was investigating the accident said that there was an open container of alcohol in the Honda and the driver admitted to drinking it. A blood sample has been sent off to a lab, and they are awaiting results, he said.

The driver of the Honda Civic was injured and taken to a hospital, according to the trooper’s report.

The police vehicle, a 2013 Ford Explorer, was driven by a 31-year-old woman police officer. She was injured and taken to a hospital.

Showers possible today

National Weather Service graphic
National Weather Service graphic

Showers and a few thunderstorms will track across the area this morning, with a second round expected late this afternoon into this evening, according to the National Weather Service.

No strong or severe storms are expected with this activity, and the threat for heavy rainfall is low, the weather service said.

Precipitation will come to an end early Saturday morning.

Today’s high is expected to be near 81, with rain in the forecast, mainly after 1 p.m.

Tonight, there is another chance of rain mostly before 4 a.m. The low will be around 66, according to the weather service.

Saturday, the high will be near 81, and Saturday night, the low will be around 65, the weather service said.

On Sunday, expect a high near 86, the weather service said.