Category: T-Bones

The American Association has announced that Kansas City T-Bones infielder Brett Wiley has been selected as the league’s Postseason All-Star second baseman.

The American Association Postseason All-Star team was picked after a vote by the league’s 12 managers and media — generally the team’s radio broadcaster or media relations contact.

Heading into this weekend’s final home series of the season, Wiley is batting .311 with a team-high 108 hits, 23 doubles (tied for first), three triples (tied for second), five home runs, 43 RBIs and 46 runs scored. Defensively in 91 games, Wiley has a .977 fielding percentage with nine errors in 233 attempts.

“This is well-deserved recognition for one of our hardest-working players, who has taken his game to the next level this season,” said T-Bones manager John Massarelli.

Wiley was selected as the league’s Player of the Week for the week ending July 10 after he went 13 for 23 (.565) with three doubles, one triple, two home runs, 15 RBIs and seven runs in his previous seven games. Additionally, in that stretch, Wiley’s average rose from .286 to .322.

Wiley, who spent the 2015 season at three levels in the St. Louis Cardinals’ system — single-A Palm Beach, double-A Springfield and triple-A Memphis, has 11 games with at least three hits this season.

– Story from Matt Fulks, T-Bones

Fargo-Moorhead scored in each of their final three innings and dropped the T-Bones, 4-3, Thursday afternoon at Newman Outdoor Field, Fargo, N.D., in Kansas City’s final road game of the season.

With the T-Bones holding a 3-1 going into the bottom of the seventh inning, Fargo’s Brian Humphries led off with a triple against T-Bones reliever Johnny Shuttlesworth.

Dustin Geiger tied the game on one swing, sending his 11th home run over the left-field wall, tying the game at 3-3. Shuttlesworth (3-7) got out of the jam by striking out two of the next three batters.

In the eighth inning, with the game tied, back-to-back one-out singles from Ryan Pineda and K.D. Kang put two runners on when Josh Mazzola was hit by a pitch, loading the bases. Humphries grounded out but the run scored and put the RedHawks ahead, 4-3.

Kansas City had a chance in the ninth inning. Dalton Wheat led off the inning with a single. Colton Reavis entered for Fargo-Moorhead and walked Tyler Massey before giving up a single to Vladimir Frias. Reavis then retired the next three T-Bones and stranded the bases loaded.

Kansas City jumped on the RedHawks early. Brett Wiley led off the first with a single against Fargo starter Taylor Stanton (5-5). Tyson Gillies followed with a walk. Consecutive fielder’s choice grounders from Jake Blackwood and Anthony Gallas scored Wiley. Wheat dug in with two outs and lined a double that scored Gallas and gave the T-Bones a 2-0 lead.

The T-Bones added to their lead in the third when Gallas doubled with two outs and was sent home by the next batter, Wheat, putting the T-Bones ahead 3-0 after three innings.

T-Bones starter Josh Tols started hot by striking out six of the first 10 batters he faced. Tols went 5 1/3 innings, striking out seven and allowing just one hit that drove in one run. Kes Carter reached on a fielder’s choice in the sixth before Ryan Pineda drove him home with a double that put the RedHawks on the board, 3-1.

After finishing this season with an 18-32 road record, Kansas City (41-55) returns home to start its final home series with four games against Sioux Falls, starting Friday evening 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 got late heroics in a 2-1 extra-inning pitchers’ duel win over Fargo-Moorhead on Wednesday night at Newman Outdoor Field in Fargo, N.D.

In top of the 11th, with the game tied at 1-1, Brett Wiley led off with a double against RedHawks reliever Will Mathis (2-5). Tyson Gillies laid down a sacrifice bunt that advanced Wiley to third. Two batters later, Dalton Wheat scored the go-ahead run with a single to right field.

Johnny Shuttlesworth started the 11th by allowing a lead-off single to Charlie Valerio. When Valerio found his way to third with two outs Shuttlesworth (2) forced Keury De La Cruz to groundout and end the game with the tying run 90 feet away.

Before their lead in the 11th, it’d been awhile since the T-Bones took their first lead in the second inning. Wheat doubled with one out and scored on back-to-back singles from Vladimir Frias and Ryan Retz, giving the T-Bones a 1-0 lead.

It was a lead Kansas City would hold until Fargo-Moorhead scored its lone run in the bottom of the seventh. Dustin Geiger led off with a double and then, after Brian Humphries moved him to third with a single, Geiger scored on a wild pitch.

Fargo starter Jose Almarante scattered five hits, one walk and one run over 8 innings. He recorded six of Fargo’s nine strikeouts in the game.

Kansas City pitchers forced a combined 13 strikeouts, including eight from starter Josh Hodges. Hodges allowed only five hits and one run in 6 1/3 innings.

Evan DeLuca entered in relief and tossed 1 2/3 innings with one hit no walks and three strikeouts. Mark Haynes continued his tear through the American Association by pitching two scoreless innings in the ninth and 10th.

Haynes (5-2) allowed the bases loaded in the ninth with the game tied at one, but struck out De La Cruz, ending the threat. Josh Mazzola led off the 10th with a walk and eventually found his way to third before Haynes forced Brian Humphries to pop out and keep the T-Bones’ hopes alive.

Kansas City (41-54) concludes the four-game series against Fargo-Moorhead (50-45) on Thursday afternoon at 12:30. All of the action can be heard at TBonesBaseball.com.

– Story from Matt Fulks, T-Bones