Category: T-Bones

Casey Barnes and Derek Gordon were solid in their Kansas City starting debuts, leading the T-Bones to a doubleheader sweep of Sioux Falls, 4-2 and 10-0, in front of 5,964 Saturday at CommunityAmerica Ballpark in Kansas City, Kan.

In the nightcap, Jeff Lusardi got things going in the second inning for Kansas City, collecting his first RBI as a member of the T-Bones with a single that scored Vladimir Frias, who was hit by a pitch earlier in the inning. Robby Kuzdale then roped a two-out home run over the centerfield wall that scored Lusardi and gave Kansas City a 3-0 lead.

Kansas City was back at it in the third, opening the inning with four consecutive hits, including RBI singles by Byron Wiley and Jonny Kaplan, that gave the T-Bones a 5-0 advantage. Brian Erie added an RBI single before Kuzdale muscled an RBI ground-rule double to right field, scoring Kaplan. The next batter, T.J. Mittelstaedt, then laced a two-run ground-rule double and extended the Kansas City lead to 9-0. The inning finally ended after 10 batters had stepped to the plate.

Gordon (1-0), who pitched an inning in relief Thursday at Winnipeg, threw a complete-game, four-hit shutout in the seven-inning game for his first win as a professional. Kye Winter (1-1) took the loss.

Kansas City took an early lead in the first game as well, this time off of Sioux Falls starter Joe Bircher (2-5), and would never look back. Wiley led off the second inning with a single before Frias launched a two-run home run over the left-field wall. Erie and Kuzdale both reached base later in the inning and scored on a hit by Mittelstaedt, helping Kansas City extend its lead to 4-0.

Making his Kansas City debut, Barnes (1-0) picked up the win. Kris Regas tallied his 11th save.

With the doubleheader sweep, the T-Bones move to 24-25 on the season. They conclude a four-game series with Sioux Falls Sunday at 5:05 p.m. Tickets are available by calling the Providence Medical Center Box Office at CommunityAmerica Ballpark at 913-328-5618.

Box score for game 2: http://www.pointstreak.com/baseball/boxscore.html?gameid=177925​

– Story from T-Bones

The T-Bones scored four runs in the second inning, which proved to be enough as Kansas City took the first game of a doubleheader Saturday over Sioux Falls, 4-2, at CommunityAmerica Ballpark in Kansas City, Kan.

Kansas City took an early lead off Sioux Falls starter Joe Bircher (2-5) and would never look back. Byron Wiley led off the second inning with a single before Vladimir Frias launched a two-run home run over the left-field wall. Brian Erie and Robby Kuzdale both reached base later in the inning and scored on a hit by T.J. Mittelstaedt, helping Kansas City extend its lead to 4-0.

Sioux Falls’ Carlos Mendez hit a solo homer in the fourth that cut the Kansas City advantage to 4-1, but that would be it for the Canaries off Kansas City starter Casey Barnes, who was making his debut for the club. The right-handed Barnes (1-0) scattered six hits with three strikeouts over 5 innings on his way to his first win of the season. Kris Regas tossed a perfect seventh inning for his 11th save of the season.

Box score, game 1: http://www.pointstreak.com/baseball/boxscoretext.html?gameid=224405
– Story from T-Bones

The T-Bones stranded 13 runners Friday night, falling 2-1 to Sioux Falls on the fourth of July series opener in front of 8,117 fans at CommunityAmerica Ballpark.

Offensively Kansas City was anything but stagnant, recording nine hits in the loss. It was the lack of timely hits and extra-base hits (two) that resulted in the T-Bones leaving 13 batters stranded. The T-Bones threatened in nearly every inning including loading the bases in the ninth with one out before Nick Schwaner grounded into a game-ending double play.

The Canaries needed just enough offense to take game one. That offense came first in the top of the third. With an 0-1 count, Canaries shortstop Stephen Branca launched a leadoff solo home run over the left-field wall giving Sioux Falls a 1-0 lead.

Sioux Falls tacked on another run in the fourth inning. Both Carlos Mendez and Chris Valencia hit back-to-back doubles, starting things off in the inning, driving in one run.

Both starters went deep into the game, giving their bullpens much needed rest. Kansas City starter Daniel Barone (5-2) received the loss after getting shook up in the third and fourth. Barone went 7 innings, striking out six allowing two runs off eight hits.

Sioux Falls starter Kyle Vazquez (4-3) picked up the win after shutting down the Kansas City offense. He tossed 6 scoreless innings, allowing only seven hits, and striking out a pair of batters.

Alan DeRatt notched his 10th save of the year despite giving up the lone T-Bones run in the ninth when David Espinosa singled past short, bringing home T.J. Mittelstaedt.

The T-Bones (22-25) and Canaries (20-27) continue their four-game series with a doubleheader starting Saturday at 5:05 p.m. Tickets are available by calling the Providence Medical Center Box Office at CommunityAmerica Ballpark at 913-328-5618.

Box score: http://www.pointstreak.com/baseball/boxscoretext.html?gameid=177919
– Story from T-Bones