Category: T-Bones

The Southern Division playoff series swung in favor of the Kansas City T-Bones Friday evening as back-to-back walks helped lead to a 5-2 win over the Sioux City Explorers.

It was a pivotal game three of the best-of-five series as both teams were tied at one game each. The game was in Sioux City.

In the bottom of the second, the Explorers put the first run on the board. With two outs, Jay Baum hit into a fielder’s choice to reach first and keep the inning alive. He went on to steal second while Blake Schmit was at bat, then with two outs Baum scored on a bloop single by Schmit that dropped into right center and put the Explorers up 1-0.

Kansas City’s Ryan Brett answered to tie it in the top of the third. On a 2-0 pitch, Brett crushed a solo home run to deep left to even the game at one each.

It remained tied until the bottom of the fifth when Sioux City’s Luis Durango hit an infield single, then three back-to-back, two-out walks pushed him home for the go-ahead run.

But the top of the seventh is when Kansas City took the lead for good.

Down by one run, Kansas City loaded the bases without the ball ever leaving the infield grass. Brett led off with a single to the shortstop and Mason Davis followed up with a bunt single. Todd Cunningham then bunted and reached base on an error by the second baseman.

With no outs, Sioux City reliever Parker Markel walked Noah Perio Jr. to push in a run, then walked Adrian Nieto to bring home yet another run and make it 4-2 KC.

The T-Bones got an insurance run in the top of the ninth when Perio Jr. reached on an error by the second baseman, moved up on a putout and scored when Alay Lago singled to center.

A three-run lead was more than enough to lock in the win for Kansas City as they won 5-2. The bullpen held the Explorers at two, not giving up any runs in the final four innings of the game.

Reliever Joe Filomeno got the win for the T-Bones and Cody Winiarski earned a save.

Kansas City, which now leads the series 2-1, could clinch the American Association Southern Division title at 7:05 p.m. Saturday in Sioux City.

The game can be heard with broadcaster Dan Vaughan Jr. at http://mixlr.com/t-bones-baseball/.

– Story from T-Bones

With a 4-2 win over the Sioux City Explorers under cloudy skies, the T-Bones won the second game of the Southern Division playoff series on Wednesday at T-Bones Stadium in Kansas City, Kansas.

The only thunder in the night came from the T-Bones’ bats in the second inning. Keith Curcio’s second-inning home run put the T-Bones ahead, and they never trailed the rest of the game.

After Alay Lago walked, Danny Hayes singled, and moved up on a sacrifice. Ryan Brett then singled, scoring Lago and Hayes.

The Explorers came back with one run in the third inning on a Dean Green single that scored Michael Lang.

The T-Bones scored again in the third after an intentional walk backfired on the Explorers. After Todd Cunningham and Noah Perio Jr. walked, the Explorers intentionally walked Curcio, loading the bases for Lago. Lago hit a fielder’s choice, scoring Cunningham and giving the T-Bones a 4-1 lead.

Sioux City tallied another run in the fourth on a single by Lang that scored Dylan Kelly, and it was 4-2.

Right-handed pitcher Barrett Astin started for the T-Bones, stayed in for five innings and got the win. Relievers Marcus Crescentini, Joe Filomeno and Cody Winiarski pitched about an inning each for the T-Bones, with Winiarski credited with a save. Jason Garcia took the loss for the Explorers.

The T-Bones continue the Southern Division playoff series with a game Friday evening at Sioux City.

The game can be heard online on the T-Bones Broadcast Network, http://mixlr.com/t-bones-baseball/.

The Sioux City Explorers won 4-1 over the T-Bones in the first playoff game Tuesday night, largely on the strength of the pitching of James Dykstra, who threw a two-hitter.

The South Division Series playoffs in the American Association are currently at T-Bones Stadium, where the two teams are scheduled to play again at 7:05 p.m. Wednesday in Kansas City, Kansas.

Sioux City jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning on a one out single by Michael Lang and an RBI single from Nate Samson off T-Bones ace Tommy Collier.

A sacrifice fly by Jose Sermo scored Samson from second in deep center field. Todd Cunningham made a fantastic defensive play diving with his back to the infield to make the play off the bat of Sermo, but the throw back to the infield was off line to the cutoff man, helping Samson score.

The T-Bones cut the lead to one in the bottom of the fourth. Cunningham walked, and Noah Perio Jr. followed with a double to put runners at second and third.

Adrian Nieto then made it a 2-1 game on a fielder’s choice RBI to second but that was as close as the T-Bones got. Dykstra retired the next eight in a row to keep the KC bats in the freezer.

Sermo hit a solo home run in the sixth and Blake Schmit added another in the seventh, both off Collier, to close out the Sioux City scoring. In the bottom of the ninth, KC got a two-out hit and walk, but a superb diving play by X’s right fielder Lang ended the ball game with a final 4-1.

Dykstra (1-0) got the win while Collier (0-1) took the loss.

The Kansas City T-Bones did not have much rest before Tuesday night’s game. They were playing Monday afternoon in Gary, Indiana, and returned home in the wee hours of Tuesday morning, around 3 a.m., to open the playoff series with the Sioux City Explorers. The Explorers had a shorter drive from their series in Wichita on Monday, arriving here at 7 p.m. Monday.

The teams will play game two of the best of five game series at 7:05 p.m. Wednesday at T-Bones Stadium. Right-handed pitcher Barrett Astin (10-3, 5.81) will try to even the series for Kansas City, while right-handed pitcher Jason Garcia (3-0, 1.57) will go for a 2-0 stranglehold on the series for Sioux City.

Tickets are $8 tonight for any seat, except the suites. Call 913-328-5618 or visit tbonesbaseball.com for more information.

The game can be heard online on the T-Bones Broadcast Network, http://mixlr.com/t-bones-baseball/.

– Story from T-Bones