Category: T-Bones

The Kansas City T-Bones have acquired Nick Schwaner from Evansville of the Frontier League in exchange for a player to be determined.

Schwaner, 26, who’s a 6-foot and 220-pound first baseman, has split time this year between Southern Maryland of the Atlantic League and Evansville of the Frontier League. In 25 games (14 with Southern Maryland and 11 with Evansville), Schwaner is batting .218 with 19 hits, including two home runs, and 10 RBIs.

Schwaner played collegiately at the University of New Orleans before Tampa Bay selected him in the 30th round of the 2010 MLB June Amateur Draft. He played two seasons in the Tampa Bay organization, reaching single-A Bowling Green in 2011. His best professional season was last year when, playing for Southern Maryland and Evansville, he batted .299 with 118 hits, including 14 home runs, 70 RBIs and 15 stolen bases in 101 games.

Schwaner, who will wear number 28, will be in the starting lineup tonight at first base for Kansas City as the T-Bones begin a four-game series at CommunityAmerica Ballpark in Kansas City, Kan., against the Wichita Wingnuts.

To make room on the roster for Schwaner, the T-Bones placed pitcher Justin d’Alessandro on irrevocable waivers for the purpose of giving him his unconditional release.

– Story from T-Bones

Sioux Falls, S.D. — The T-Bones got ace material from Daniel Barone in a 7-3 victory over Sioux Falls on Friday night.

Barone (2-0) didn’t walk anyone, scattered seven hits and allowed only three runs, including two in the first inning off a two-out two-RBI single from Chris Valencia. Barone then retired 19 out of the next 20 Canaries before leaving with two on and no outs in the eighth inning, as the T-Bones snapped a three-game losing streak.

Kansas City’s Vladimir Frias jump-started the offense with a one-out triple in the second. He scored on a Byron Wiley double, cutting the deficit to 2-1.

The T-Bones took the lead for good in the fourth inning on a two-out RBI single off the bat of Brian Erie that scored Frias and Wiley, who was on first but came around when the ball got past right fielder Steve Tinoco. That gave Kansas City a 3-2 lead. The T-Bones would cash in on additional two-out RBIs from Danny Richar in the fifth and Erie in the eighth.

Kansas City reliever Kris Regas pitched two innings in which he allowed just one hit and struck out four. Regas, Kansas City’s only other pitcher besides Barone, allowed the lone walk for the T-Bones, compared to six free passes allowed Thursday night.

Erie ended the game going 2 for 4 with two RBIs, and Frias went 3 for 5 and scored three times, pushing his season average to .321.

The T-Bones and Canaries continue the four-game series with the third match on Saturday evening at 6:05. The game can be heard on 1660-AM in Kansas City or online at tbonesbaseball.com.

Box score: http://www.pointstreak.com/baseball/boxscoretext.html?gameid=177709

– Story from T-Bones

Sioux Falls, S.D. — The Sioux Falls Canaries have been waiting for their offense to get into a groove. Unfortunately for the T-Bones, the Canaries found that groove with four home runs in a 12-5 win over Kansas City on Thursday night.

Kansas City jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the second inning thanks to a two-run home run by T.J. Mittlestaedt off Sioux Falls starting pitcher Kyle Vasquez (2-1). That was the T-Bones’ only lead. And it was short-lived.

In the bottom of the second, T-Bones starter Matt Smith (0-1) plunked A.J. Kirby-Jones and then delivered back-to-back walks to Chris Valencia and Shelby Ford, which set up a grand slam by Chris Duffy. The Canaries took a 5-2 lead later in the inning on an RBI single by Carlos Mendez.

Smith lasted three innings and allowed seven runs on six hits and three walks. Free passes were once again a major problem to Kansas City’s woes. Kansas City pitching allowed four walks and hit two batters, all of which scored.

The Canaries added three more home runs in four at-bats later in the game when Kirby-Jones homered with two outs in the sixth, and then Ford and Duffy led off the Sioux Falls seventh with back-to-back home runs.

The T-Bones out-hit the Canaries 12-11, as every Kansas City batter reached base except Nick Giarraputo. Byron Wiley went 3 for 4 with a walk and an RBI.

The T-Bones look to even the series Friday night with Daniel Barone (1-0) on the mound. Sioux Falls will counter with Joe Bircher (0-1) for the 7:05 first pitch from Sioux Falls Stadium. The game can be heard on 1660-AM in Kansas City or worldwide at tbonesbaseball.com.
– Story from T-Bones