Category: T-Bones

Laredo pitcher Barret Loux threw 7 shutout innings, as the Lemurs beat the Kansas City T-Bones 3-0 Wednesday night at Uni-Trade Stadium in Laredo, Texas.

T-Bones pitcher Jared Messer surrendered a solo home run to Cesar Valera, his fourth, in the first inning. Messer followed that with five scoreless innings. The seventh was a different story. Zane Chavez and J.D. Pulfer led off with back-to-back doubles. After Abel Nieves struck out, Jesus Posso doubled to centerfield and scored Chavez and Pulfer, giving the Lemurs a 3-0 lead after seven.

Loux scattered six hits over 7 innings, with two of those hits coming off the bat of Brian Erie. Loux (3-1) also struck out six hitters tonight while walking two. Luis Pollorena got the final six outs for his first save.

Kansas City’s biggest opportunity came in the fifth inning after back-to-back one-out singles by Vladimir Frias and Erie put two on for Sergio Leon. He sent a shot to Alvaro Rondon, who threw out Frias at home. After Tyson Gillies walked, Brett Wiley stepped in and flew out to left field, as the T-Bones stranded the bases loaded.

Messer (3-1) picked up his first loss of the season, as he went 6 1/3 innings, giving up seven hits, walking two and allowing three runs.

Kansas City (23-29) concludes this four-game series against Laredo (31-22) Thursday night at 7:05. All of the action can be heard online at TBonesBaseball.com.

– Story from Matt Fulks, T-Bones

The Laredo Lemurs got a bases loaded sacrifice fly by Alvaro Rondon in the bottom of the ninth, beating Kansas City, 2-1, Monday night at Uni-Trade Stadium in Laredo, Texas.

With the game tied at one in the bottom of the ninth, Kansas City brought in pitcher Aaron Baker, who immediately surrendered a single to Denis Phipps. After Jesus Posso sacrificed Phipps to second, Baker (1-2) allowed a hit to J.D. Pulfer and then loaded the bases by walking Zane Chavez. Rondon launched a fly ball to centerfield that scored Phipps.

Kansas City got a strong performance from starter Mike Kickham, who gave up one run in 7 innings and held the Lemurs to four hits. Evan DeLuca kept things rolling in his 1 inning of relief, allowing one baserunner on a walk, but striking out two.

Kickham’s only hiccup came in the sixth inning. Back-to-back singles from Leandro Castro and Abel Nieves put runners on the corners before Cesar Valera dropped a perfect squeeze bunt down the first-base line that scored Castro and gave Laredo a 1-0 lead.

The T-Bones tied it in the top of the eighth. In Jose Nivar’s third inning of relief, Starlin Rodriguez led off the inning by reaching on an error by center fielder Drew Martinez. Brett Wiley who was selected as the league’s Player of the Week earlier in the day, brought Rodriguez home with an RBI single, his third hit of the night. After Jake Blackwood struck out, Anthony Gallas and Tyler Massey each singled, loading the bases. Nivar worked around that, however, by striking out Vladimir Frias and getting Dalton Wheat to ground out. The T-Bones stranded nine runners in the game, with six of those nine in scoring position.

Kamakani Usui (2-2) pitched a perfect ninth, with two strikeouts, picking up the win for the Lemurs.

Josh Hodges will make his first start for Kansas City (22-28) against Laredo (30-21) Tuesday night at 7:05. All action can be heard online at TBonesBaseball.com.

– Story from Matt Fulks, T-Bones

The T-Bones didn’t have an answer for Sioux City starting pitcher Cody Forsythe as Kansas City dropped the series finale, 4-1, to the Explorers in front of 6,179 at CommunityAmerica Ballpark on Saturday night.

Both teams remained scoreless until the top of the third, when Sioux City got the first run of the night. Derrick Robinson led off the inning against starter Josh Tols (4-3) with a single to left. Matty Johnson followed with a home run down the left field line that was ruled foul initially, but then changed to fair by home plate umpire Mike Jarboe, giving Sioux City a 2-0 lead.

The Explorers added to their lead in the sixth. Kansas City reliever John Kovalik allowed a lead-off single to Tim Colwell and then walked Matt Koch. After a sacrifice bunt by Brendan Slattery and a walk to Derrick Robinson, Brett Zawacki relieved Kovalik and gave up a sacrifice fly to Johnson that gave Sioux City a 3-0 lead.

That’s all Forsythe needed. Forsythe faced one over the minimum through five innings and only three over the minimum through seven, before giving up a run in the eighth. Vladimir Frias got his first hit of the series as he singled to left, and advanced two bases on a wild pitch by Forsythe. Two outs later, Starlin Rodriguez tripled to the center field wall, scoring Frias and bringing the score to 4-1.

Forsythe (4-3) gave up four hits and walked three, with six strikeouts, in 8 innings. Connor Overton pitched a perfect ninth, recording his sixth save of the season.

Although they didn’t complete the sweep, the T-Bones have now four straight series.

Kansas City (22-27) is off Sunday before heading out for a 10-game, three-city roadtrip. The T-Bones will open with four games at Laredo, starting Monday night at 7:05. All of the action can be heard online at TBonesBaseball.com.

Story from Matt Fulks, T-Bones