Category: T-Bones

For the first time in T-Bones history, five position players pitched for Kansas City as the club fell to Sioux Falls, 5-1, Sunday night at CommunityAmerica Ballpark in Kansas City, Kan.

The T-Bones were in a predicament when the wife of Kansas City’s original starter, Jordan Cooper, went into labor early Sunday morning for the birth of the couple’s first child.

Without a starter available, the T-Bones turned to their bullpen to start the game, beginning with David Holman, who pitched 3 innings out of the bullpen Friday night. Sioux Falls took advantage in the first inning, as J.C. Linares blooped an infield single that scored Darwin Perez. The Canaries wouldn’t surrender the lead.

Holman (4-5) allowed only two hits, but he lasted only 2 innings, giving way to Evan DeLuca, who pitched 2 innings Saturday night. DeLuca faced the minimum in the third Sunday before Johnny Shuttlesworth faced seven batters, striking out three, in the fourth and fifth innings.

With Sioux Falls holding on to a 1-0 lead, the T-Bones then turned to an array of position players to take the mound, starting with left fielder Tyson Gillies in the sixth.

Gillies showed a knee-buckling curveball in facing the minimum and getting two strikeouts. Rookie right fielder Dalton Wheat came in for the seventh, and recorded three consecutive outs as well.

Three T-Bones position players pitched in the top of the eighth. Tyler Massey came in from centerfield and pitched to three batters. The first batter he faced, however, Aaron Owen, launched a home run to left, giving the Canaries a 2-0 lead.

With one out and one on base, Jake Blackwood made his second pitching appearance of the season, giving up a single to Jake Taylor and intentionally walking Linares, which loaded the bases.

After the walk, shortstop Vladimir Frias came in to finish the inning. Blake Schmit popped out for the second out of the inning, before Frias walked Cameron Monger, scoring Perez and giving Sioux Falls a 3-0 lead.

Kansas City used its closer, Mark Haynes, in the ninth inning. Haynes walked Owen before giving up a home run to Ethan Chapman, which brought the score to 5-0.

In all, nine players took the mound for Kansas City — four pitchers and five position players.

Offensively, the T-Bones couldn’t find an answer for Sioux Falls starter Kris Regas (5-7) until the ninth inning. Regas, a former T-Bones all-star, threw a complete game, and had a shutout through 8 1/3, before giving up a home run to Starlin Rodriguez. Regas gave up six hits and one walk, and struck out seven.

The T-Bones (41-58) will conclude its 2016 season against Sioux Falls (40-59) on Monday afternoon at 1:05. Tickets are available by calling the Providence Medical Center Box Office at CommunityAmerica Ballpark at 913-328-5618.

– Story by Matt Fulks, T-Bones

A big third inning helped Sioux Falls take a 7-3 win over Kansas City on Saturday night in front of 5,031 at CommunityAmerica Ballpark in Kansas City, Kan.

After each team scored a run in the first inning, Sioux Falls sent nine to the plate in the top of the third against T-Bones starter Mike Kickham.

After Ethan Chapman and Darwin Perez led off the inning with back-to-back singles, Kickham struck out Jake Taylor. J.C. Linares then grounded out but scored Chapman and advanced Perez to third. A wild pitch brought Perez home extending the Canaries’ lead to 3-1. Sioux Falls did not stop there. Kickham issued back-to-back walks to Blake Schmit and Cameron Monger, before Patrick Fiala smashed a three-run home run, his third of the year, giving Sioux Falls a 6-1 lead.

Sioux Falls starter Ray Hanson, who hadn’t won a game in 2016, had plenty of runs with which to work. Hanson did not allow a walk and he struck out seven in 7 innings. From the final out in the second inning until the first out in the seventh, Hanson (1-7), who allowed only four hits in the game, retired 14 straight.

After Sioux Falls added a run in the top of the seventh, Ryan Retz cut the lead to 7-2 in the eighth with his second home run of the season and the T-Bones’ first since August 28. Retz also hit Kansas City’s last home run on the 28th at Gary.

In the ninth, Anthony Gallas belted a one-out triple to straight away center. Tyson Gillies scored Gallas when he reached on an error by Canaries first baseman Taylor, cutting it to a 7-3 Sioux Falls lead.

Sioux Falls took an early 1-0 lead when Chapman led off the game with a single and eventually scored from third on a double steal. The T-Bones answered in the bottom of the first when Dalton Wheat led off with a single and stole second before Jake Blackwood singled for the 1-1 tie.

In spite of the rough first and third innings, Kickham (3-5) retired 10 of the last 11 batters he faced. He allowed seven hits and six runs (all earned), while walking three and striking out six in 6 innings.

Kansas City (41-57), which has lost three straight overall and six consecutive at home, continues the four-game series against Sioux Falls (39-59) Sunday night at 7:05. Tickets are available by calling the Providence Medical Center Box Office at CommunityAmerica Ballpark at 913-328-5618.

– Story from Matt Fulks, T-Bones

Kansas City rallied late but ended up losing to Sioux Falls, 4-2, Friday night at CommunityAmerica Ballpark in Kansas City, Kan.

Although he’d given up a base hit in the second, Kansas City starter Jared Messer faced the minimum through the first 3 2/3 innings. Jake Taylor ended that streak and scored the first run of the game with his 13th home run of the season with two outs in the fourth. That put the Canaries ahead 1-0.

After Messer sent the Canaries down in order in the fifth, he allowed a lead-off walk to Ethan Chapman in the sixth. Chapman swiped second and was sent to third when Taylor singled. J.C. Linares singled, scoring Chapman, giving the Canaries a 2-0 lead. Messer (5-4) then walked Blake Schmit, loading the bases, before Cameron Monger sent a sacrifice fly to deep right that scored Taylor.

Sioux Falls starter Joe Bircher held the T-Bones in check. Bircher (6-6) tossed 7 scoreless innings, scattering six hits and no walks. He also tossed eight strikeouts, including four straight. Kansas City had runners in scoring position in three consecutive innings — third, fourth and fifth — but was unable to score.

In the third, Tyler Massey grounded into an inning-ending double play. In the fourth, Starlin Rodriguez reached third after leading off the inning with a single but was ultimately stranded 90 feet away. In the fifth, Nolan Johnson doubled with two outs. He was sent home on a single by Massey, but Canaries right fielder Aaron Owen sent a dart home that beat Johnson to the plate.

Kansas City finally got on the board in the bottom of the eighth. Trailing 4-0 with Massey, who reached on a fielder’s choice, at third base, Jake Blackwood picked up the RBI when he grounded an infield single behind second base.

In the bottom of the ninth, Sioux Falls reliever Madison Boer walked two T-Bones, bringing the tying run in the form of Massey to the plate with two outs. Boer (7) allowed a run when Massey singled to right and brought in one of those walks, Vladimir Frias, cutting the Canaries’ lead in half. But Boer ended the game by striking out Rodriguez. That gave Sioux Falls pitchers 12 strikeouts in the game.

Kansas City (41-56) continues this four-game season finale against Sioux Falls (38-59) Saturday night at 7:05. Tickets are available by calling the Providence Medical Center Box Office at CommunityAmerica Ballpark at 913-328-5618.

– Story from Matt Fulks, T-Bones