Category: T-Bones

Through four innings Saturday night, the Kansas City T-Bones looked to be on their way to back-to-back wins over Lincoln.

A four-run fifth changed the momentum of the game and helped the Saltdogs beat the T-Bones 6-3 and clinch the season series over Kansas City.

The T-Bones faced a tall order against the American Association Pitcher of the Month for July in Derek Gordon, but the club was more than up to the task. Cedric Hunter hit a solo home run to start the game to give the T-Bones a 1-0 lead.

The T-Bones struck again, scoring two more in the third inning off Gordon. Zane Chavez singled to start the inning–part of a three hit night for the Kansas City catcher. Then with one out, Cedric Hunter walked to put runners at first and second. Marcus Lemon drove in a run with an RBI single and Kevin Keyes followed with another RBI single and the score was 3-0.

Gabe Perez gave up a leadoff single in the bottom of the first but then retired the next seven batters until he hit Ivan Marin with a pitch with one out left in the third. Perez was able to work around a one out walk in the inning and then seemed in control of the game after a 1-2-3 shut down fourth inning.

But in the fifth Brent Dean doubled for Lincoln, and Marin singled to left, bringing in Dean, to cut the lead to 3-1.

Perez walked Matty Johnson then gave up a double to Cesar Valera to cut the lead to 3-2 with runners and second and third. Curt Smith drove in a pair with a single, and it was 4-3 in favor of Lincoln. Rich Mascheri relieved Perez and got the final out of the inning.

Gordon had new life and was able to work into the sixth, getting one out after a lead off walk. The Lincoln pen held the game at 4-3, grabbing two big insurance runs in the seventh.

Jackson Lowery, making his second appearance for Kansas City, issued a walk to Cesar Valera to start the inning but struck out Curt Smith who was ejected from the game. The Saltdogs then loaded the bases and got a Randolph Oduber RBI single to score two and make it 6-3.

The T-Bones got a double to begin the top of the ninth, but closer Michael Wagner shut the door retiring the next three batters in order. The win went to Gordon (8-2) while Perez (6-4) suffered the loss. Wagner picked up his 14th save.

The T-Bones fell four games behind Lincoln in the Central Division but still hold a slim one game lead in the wild card race.

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

– Story from T-Bones

The Kansas City T-Bones bounced back from an opening night loss to take game two of the series over the Lincoln Saltdogs in an impressive fashion on 9-2 on Friday night at Haymarket Park in Lincoln, Nebraska.

Scott Carroll was superb for Kansas City, holding Lincoln hitless through the first six innings, and the offense took care of the rest. Kansas City took a 3-0 lead in the second inning. Kyle Petty doubled to start the inning, and Chantz Mack singled to right against Cesilio Pimentel for a 1-0 lead.

Kansas City then loaded the bases with one out and get an RBI from Eddie Newton on a hit by pitch to increase the lead to 2-0. Cedric Hunter added a sacrifice fly to make it a 3-0 T-Bone lead, heading to the bottom of the second.

Carroll issued a two-out walk in the third but then retired the next 10 batters for Kansas City. Meanwhile the offense got going again in the fifth with a sacrifice fly from Kevin Keyes to drive in a run. In the top of the sixth the club blew the game wide open.

Zane Chavez had a fielder’s choice RBI, and Marcus Lemon and Kyle Petty each drove in a pair with bases-clearing doubles off Pimentel for a 9-0 lead.

Matty Johnson broke up the no-hitter in the top of the seventh with a lead-off double. He would score on an RBI single from Curt Smith to make it a 9-1 game. Lincoln would get another run in the eighth inning off Carrol, but he would not give up another run, holding the Saltdogs to four hits with seven strike outs. Carroll improved to (7-3) while Pimentel fell to (6-2). Carroll would give way to Myles Smith, who worked a scoreless ninth for Kanas City.

The T-Bones now are (41-28) and back to a season-high 13 games above .500 while Lincoln is now (44-27). Kansas City trails Lincoln by three games in the Central Division of the American Association and has the third best record in the league.

The 10-game road trip continues for Kansas City with the third game of a four game series at Lincoln on Saturday night. Right-handed pitcher Gabe Perez (6-3, 4.43) will get the ball for Kansas City with right-handed pitcher Derek Gordon (7-2, 2.77) the American Association Pitcher of the Month going for Lincoln.

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

– Story from T-Bones

The Kansas City T-Bones issued a season-high 11 walks and fell behind 7-0 in the first inning on the way to a 14-4 loss to the Lincoln Saltdogs on Thursday night at Haymarket Park in Lincoln, Nebraska.

The T-Bones came into the game trailing Lincoln by three games in the Central Division standings of the American Association, but it was Lincoln that set the tone in the first inning to move back to four games ahead of Kansas City.

T-Bones starter Chris Perry walked the first four batters he faced, allowing the first run of the game to score. Tommy Mendonca hit a sacrifice fly to center to score the second run of the inning.

Rookie Nathanial Maggio then hit a three-run home run to right and it was 5-0 Lincoln. Perry got Randolph Oduber to fly to center for the second out, but then walked Joe Robbins. Brent Dean then drove Robbins in with a two-run homer and it was 7-0 Lincoln.

Kansas City did get a pair of solo home runs in the top of the second from Kyle Petty and Zane Chavez off Lincoln starter Carlos Pimentel to cut the lead to five.

Kansas City did not get any closer as Lincoln got a double from Robbins and a single from Dean to each drive in a run to increase the lead seven once again in the bottom of the third off Perry. Lincoln scored two more on RBI hits from Bradon Jacobs and Matty Johnson to make it 11-2 after three.

The T-Bones brought in rookie reliever Jackson Lowery to get the final out of the third in relief of Perry. Lowery retired all four batters he faced in his first outing with Kansas City. Lowery, who pitched in college at the University of Arkansas, spent the last two years in the Toronto Blue Jays organization.

Luis Paula started the fifth for Kansas City and was able to retire one batter before being charged with three earned runs on four walks, a hit batter and a hit. Kansas City trailed 14-2 until the top of the eighth, when Kyle Petty launched his second homer of the night, a two-run shot to make the score 14-4.

Perry (3-3) was charged with the loss, while Pimentel (7-4) picked up the win. Kansas City (41-27) still leads the wild card race by one game while Lincoln (44-26) has the best record in the American Association and leads the season series 6-4 over Kansas City.

The 10-game road trip continues for Kansas City with the second game of a four game series at Lincoln on Friday night. The game is set for 6:45 and can be heard online on the T-Bones Broadcast Network with the pregame starting at 6:40.

Tickets for home games are available online, by calling 913-328-5618 or by visiting in person the Providence Medical Center Box Office.
– Story from T-Bones