Category: T-Bones

It was back to the normal routine for the Kansas City T-Bones with the Monday doubleheader behind them Tuesday night in Wichita, Kan.

Unfortunately the team’s losing streak reached two as the Wichita Wingnuts scored two runs in each of the first three innings to take down Kansas City, 7-1.

Starter Gabe Perez was coming in off an impressive 8.1 inning performance against Salina, but the Wingnuts were ready for the right hander. Christian Stringer led off the game with a single and came home on a two-run home run from Brent Clevelen. From there Wichita never looked back the rest of the way.

In the second Perez gave up a single to Brennan Salgado to start the inning and a walk to Wes Phillips. He struck out Leo Vargas then gave up a bases clearing double to Stringer to make it 4-0 Wingnuts after two.

In the home half of the third, TJ Mittelstaedt led off with a single then stole second. Richard Prigatano then singled Mittelstaedt around and it was 5-0 Wichita. Salgado then drove in the final run of the inning on a sacrifice fly to center to give the Wingnuts the 6-0 advantage.

Kansas City had no answer at the plate against Tyler Kane, who went seven innings to get the win for Wichita. The right-hander held Kansas City to six hits on the night. The T-Bones picked up an unearned run in the sixth but that was all the damage Kansas City could muster.

Wichita picked up its final run in the sixth on an RBI single from Martin Medina to close out the scoring against Perez. Perez fell to (7-5), while Kane upped his record to (9-1). It was his third win against Kansas City this season.

The loss cut the T-Bones’ lead in the American Association Wild Card race to 1.5 games over Gary SouthShore, which won its fifth straight to stay hot on the T-Bones trail. Kansas City (47-34) trails Lincoln in the Central Division by three games. Wichita (48-33) still holds a comfortable 11.5 game lead over Cleburne in the South Division of the American Association. The two teams will play game four of their series Wednesday night at 7:05 p.m.

The game can be heard online on the T-Bones Broadcast Network. Tickets for all T-Bones games are available online or by calling 913-328-5618 or visiting in person the Providence Medical Center Box Office.

– Story from T-Bones

Monday night at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium in Wichita the Kansas City T-Bones and Wichita Wingnuts split an American Association doubleheader.

Game 1 – The Kansas City T-Bones won game one 5-2 in extra innings behind some late offense and a solid outing from the entire pitching staff led by Luis Paula, who went six innings giving up just two runs in a no decision.

The T-Bones trailed 1-0 in the bottom of the second when the Wingnuts manufactured a run on a double and two fly balls. Kansas City took the lead in the top of the second off Jesse Pratt, the starter for Wichita.

Chantz Mack singled and Marcus Lemon doubled to put runners at second and third. Kevin Keyes reached on a throwing error by shortstop Leo Vargas to bring Mack home to tie the game. Cedric Hunter then singled to score Lemon and it was 2-1 Kansas City.

Wichita tied the game at three in the home half the fourth on a triple for Brennan Salgado that scored Matt Chavez, who led the inning off with a single. The game remained tied at two the rest of the game and neither team could break through until extra innings. The two games were scheduled to go seven innings so into the eighth the teams played in game one.

Wichita turned the ball over to Brennan Salgado, who came in from left field to pitch. He was able to keep the T-Bones off the board in ninth but was not so fortunate in the 10th. Cedric Hunter doubled to start the inning.

Dexter Kjerstad reached on an error by third baseman TJ Mittelstaedt, scoring Hunter from second. Jordan Edgerton then hit a two-run homer to left center to make it 5-2 Kansas City.

Jeff Walters (2-3) worked a 1-2-3 bottom of the 10th to secure the win for Kansas City, while Salgado (0-1) got the loss for Wichita. Grant Sides also worked two scoreless innings of relief in the win.

Game 2 – The late game went to Wichita in a 13-3 final but the score was not indicative of how close the game really was until Kansas City ran out of arms.

The T-Bones trailed 4-0 after three innings but started to mount a comeback in the fourth.

Kevin Keyes hit his 23rd home run of the year in the top of the fourth to cut the lead to 4-1.

Then Kansas City scored two more in the top of the fifth. Paul Hendrix got his first hit as a T-Bone with one out. Then after Chantz Mack struck out, Marcus Lemon doubled to put runners at second and third. Kevin Keyes then worked a walk from Jordan Cooper, the scheduled starter for Wednesday night for Wichita.

Cedric Hunter then hit hard smash behind the bag at second that ricocheted off short stop Leo Vargas’ glove and shoulder to shallow center. It was ruled an error. Two runs scored on the play and the T-Bones trailed by just one run.

The T-Bones, as Wichita did in game one, then brought in a position player for pitcher. Kyle Petty pitched the bottom of the fifth. The Wingnuts scored five off Petty including a three-run homer by Richard Prigatano to make it 9-3 after five.

In the sixth, Leo Rojas came into the game to pitch and the catcher gave up four runs on four hits including a home run from Matt Chavez, capping a 13-3 night. In desperate need of innings, Jackson Lowery (1-1) was able to pitch four innings in a spot start, but he was charged with the loss, scattering five hits and charged with four earned runs. Seth Harvey (2-4) worked two relief innings to pick up the win for Wichita.

After the night was through, Kansas City (47-33) led the wild card race over Gary by 2.5 and trailed Lincoln in the Central Division by three games. Wichita (47-33) still holds a comfortable 11.5 game lead over Cleburne in the South Division of the American Association.

The two teams will play game three of their series at 7:05 p.m. Tuesday in Wichita. Right-handed pitcher Gabe Perez (7-4, 4.39) will pitch for Kansas City, while right-handed pitcher Tyler Kane (8-1, 3.72) will get the start for Wichita.

The game can be heard online on the T-Bones Broadcast Network. Tickets for all T-Bones games are available online or by calling 913-328-5618 or visiting in person the Providence Medical Center Box Office.

– Story from T-Bones

The Kansas City T-Bones fell 11-6 in the series finale to the Salina Stockade on Sunday afternoon at CommunityAmerica Ballpark in Kansas City, Kansas.

The Stockade notched 15 hits in the victory. In the final matchup between in-state rivals, Salina and Kansas City, the Stockade attempted to take an early lead in the first inning.

First baseman Kewby Meyer’s putout brought in the first run to give Salina a 1-0 lead. The T-Bones responded, however, with three runs in the second inning.

Left fielder Dexter Kjerstad launched a triple to deep center field to score center fielder Cedric Hunter and right fielder Kyle Petty to take a 2-0 lead. Kjerstad made it home to end the inning at 3-1 thanks to a putout by shortstop Jerome Pena.

An error by newly signed left-handed pitcher, Billy Waltrip (1-5, 3.86) in the third, allowed the Stockade to tie the game up at three runs apiece.

Center fielder Roche Woodard scored off the error and third baseman Jordan Caillouet stole second and then advanced to third off a wild pitch. Caillouet then scored off left fielder Jonathan Moroney’s RBI single to left field for the tie.

The Stockade took over the lead with a second RBI single to left field, scoring Moroney for a 4-3 lead in the top of the third.

Kansas City tied it in the bottom of the third, after second baseman Marcus Lemon tripled to right field. First baseman Kevin Keyes advanced Lemon home with a putout to end the third inning.

A big fifth inning from the Stockade put the T-Bones down five runs. Baker’s double to left field took back Salina’s lead, scoring the first two runs of a five-run inning. Once the bats got hot for the Stockade, they couldn’t stop. Shortstop, Logan Trowbridge, singled to first base to advance the runners and put the Stockade up 7-4. An RBI double by second baseman Fernando Garza put the lead to five in the fifth.

Salina all but secured the victory in the top of the ninth with two more runs, extending their lead to 11-4. Garza singled to right field to score the first run followed by a Woodard putout to score Baker.

The T-Bones narrowed the deficit to four in the ninth with a two-run home run from Pena, and an RBI single from Lemon, but ultimately the Stockade’s hot-hitting afternoon would be too much for Kansas City to overcome, as they fell 11-7 on Sunday afternoon.

Billy Waltrip (1-5) picked up the loss for the T-Bones while Brian Smith (3-10) notched the win for Salina.

On Saturday night, the T-Bones won 5-4 to take the series over the Salina Stockade at CommunityAmerica Ballpark in front of a crowd of 6,853.

The Stockade struck first in the third matchup between Salina and Kansas City. First baseman Kewby Meyer scored catcher Cody Coffman in the second inning to give the Stockade the early lead. An error by third baseman Jordan Edgerton allowed Salina to extend their lead to 2-0, before the T-Bones responded scoring three runs in the bottom of the second.

Catcher Zane Chavez singled to bring in Edgerton and narrow their lead to 2-1. Right-handed pitcher Jordan Cummings (1-4, 7.52) walked right fielder Chantz Mack, advancing all runners around the diamond to even the score at 2-2. Kansas City took over the lead with second baseman Marcus Lemon’s putout to bring in the final run of the inning.

Coffman took back the Stockade’s lead in the fifth inning with an RBI double, putting Salina up 4-3.

The T-Bones went scoreless in the sixth, but a solo home run from Mack in the seventh tied the game at four going into the final two innings.

Even after Salina pitcher Tyler Herr (1-1, 3.00) walked three players, the T-Bones couldn’t produce a base hit to win the game in nine innings. The game remained tied at four going into the 11th.

A double down the right field line from Mack and incredible speed from shortstop Jerome Pena gave the T-Bones the 5-4 walk-off victory.

Right-handed pitcher Cody Winiarski (4-1, 1.96) picked up the win for the T-Bones with left-handed pitcher Connor Bach (1-6, 7.25) taking the loss.

The T-Bones will begin a four game road trip in Wichita against the Wingnuts at 7:05 p.m. Monday at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium in Wichita. Kansas City returns home for a six-game homestand against the Gary SouthShore RailCats and the Cleburne Railroaders at 7:05 p.m. Friday, Aug. 18, at CommunityAmerica Ballpark.

Tickets are available online, by calling 913-328-5618 or by visiting in person the Providence Medical Center Box Office.