Category: T-Bones

Gabe Perez tossed seven solid innings and the Kansas City T-Bones (55-42) used a pair of fifth inning doubles to take game one of their final series of the season 4-1 over the St. Paul Saints (47-50) Friday night at CommunityAmerica Ballpark in Kansas City, Kansas.

The win moved the T-Bones back into a tie with Fargo-Moorhead for the final playoff spot in the American Association with three games to play and sent 5,015 fans home happy.

The Saints had other plans early on by taking a 1-0 lead in the third inning. With one out Tim Colwell worked a walk off Perez then stole second base.

After a fly out to center by Ben Buerkle of St.Paul, Brady Shoemaker also walked to put runners at first and second. Dan Johnson then hit an RBI single to make it 1-0 St. Paul.

Jeff Malm got the start for the Saints and was in command early. He did not allow a hit until the fifth and only one base runner reached in the first four innings on an error.

But in the home half of the fifth Kansas City got it going. Jordan Edgerton singled to start the inning then was forced out at second on a fielder’s choice off the bat of Niko Vasquez. Chantz Mack and Kyle Petty each worked a walk to load the bases.

Zane Chavez launched a double off the wall in left center just missing a home run as the ball bounced off the top of the fence in front of the bull pen. That hit scored two and made it a 2-1 lead for Kansas City.

With Tucker Pennell at the plate Malm uncorked a wild pitch to score Petty from third and it was 3-1 T-Bones. Cedric Hunter, who was named Player of the Month of August earlier in the day, hit the second double of the inning off the left-handed pitcher to score another run to give Kansas City a 4-1 lead.

Gabe Perez (8-6) settled down after he gave up the third inning run and worked seven innings, getting the win. He struck out a personal season-high nine batters, while scattering five hits in the game. Grant Sides worked a 1-2-3 ninth, while Cody Winiarski notched his 20th save. Malm dropped to (1-3) for the Saints.

The win for Kansas City and a loss by Fargo-Moorhead tied the two clubs for the Wild Card spot in the American Association playoffs with three games to play. Lincoln beat Gary giving Kansas City a one-game lead over Gary and securing the Central Division for Lincoln.

The T-Bones and Saints will play game two of their four game series Saturday night at CommunityAmerica Ballpark.

Right-handed pitcher Alex Blackford (1-2, 3.30) will take the hill for the T-Bones to face right-handed pitcher Jason Hoppe (0-3, 6.62) for St. Paul.

Tickets are available online, by calling 913-328-5618 or by visiting in person the Providence Medical Center Box Office.

– Story from T-Bones

The Kansas City T-Bones (54-42) knew that they needed to win to keep pace in the American Association Wild Card race before the game ever began Thursday night.

By the middle of the ball game if it could go wrong it did go wrong for Kansas City in a 9-1 loss to the Sioux City Explores (43-52) at Mercy Field at Lewis and Clark Park in Sioux City, Iowa. The loss dropped the T-Bones a game back in the chase for a playoff spot with four games to play.

It started out on a good foot for Kansas City taking an 1-0 lead on an RBI single from Paul Hendrix in the top of the second. Matt Sergey tossed two scoreless innings but fell and twisted his leg trying to make a play in the home half of the second.

Sergey came back out for the third but appeared to be favoring one leg over the other after the tumble he took in the second.

The X’s took advantage of the situation and scored a pair of unearned runs to take a lead. With one out Tony Campana walked and looked to be forced out at second but T-Bones shortstop Niko Vasquez throw to second went to right field to move Campana to third and with Michael Lang reaching first on the fielder’s choice.

Sergey got Levon Washington to pop out to short after Lang stole second. Tyler Ogle then delivered a two-out single to give Sioux City the lead they would never give up.

Sergey came back out for the fourth and surrendered an RBI single from Joel Davis and a fielder’s choice RBI from Michael Lang to make it 4-1. Sergey (5-4) was charged with the loss, giving up just two earned runs. Myles Smith came in for Kansas City in the fifth and worked a scoreless inning.

Kansas City did have chances with a leadoff double to start the game for Cedric Hunter and had the bases loaded with two outs and were only able to get one run in the second. Trailing 7-1, they had the bases loaded in the seventh with one out and could not close the gap.

Sioux City scored three more runs in the sixth off Rich Mascheri and another pair off Billy Waltrip in the eighth to make the score 9-1. The T-Bones could never solve true rookie Justin Vernia (3-2) who allowed just one run over seven innings with two walks and three strike outs. The right hander retired 10 straight T-Bones at one point in the game.

The loss was costly in the T-Bones quest for their first playoff appearance as members of the American Association.

Kansas City trails Fargo-Moorhead, who beat Lincoln earlier Thursday by a game, while Gary pulled even with the T-Bones with their extra inning win over Sioux Falls putting the RailCats essentially ahead of Kansas City due to the head-to-head tie breaker.

Lincoln still maintains a magic number of one over Kansas City and Gary for the Central Division and a 3.5 game lead with four to play.

The T-Bones return home for their final home stand Friday night to open a four-game series with the St. Paul Saints.

Tickets are available online, by calling 913-328-5618 or by visiting in person the Providence Medical Center Box Office.

– Story from T-Bones

Luis Paula tossed a quality start and Marcus Lemon and Cedric Hunter had four hits each as the Kansas City T-Bones (54-40) beat the Sioux City Explorers (42-52) Wednesday night at Mercy Field at Lewis and Clark Park.

Kansas City took the lead 1-0 off left Hobbs Johnson in the top of the first with an RBI single from Marcus Lemon to score Cedric Hunter, who led off the game with a double. The X’s would come back to take the lead in the second with an RBI single from Dre Gleason and a sacrifice fly from Eudor Garcia to take a 2-1 lead off T-Bones starter Luis Paula.

Paula would then shut down the X’s, tossing four scoreless innings keeping the game 2-1 until the T-Bones offense could get untracked. They would do just that in the top of the fifth inning.

Zane Chavez, Tucker Pennell and Cedric Hunter each reached on base hits to load the bases. Marcus Lemon then singled to left to tie the game at two.

Kevin Keyes then stepped up to the plate and hit a deep fly to center field that Sioux City center fielder Tony Campana apparently lost in the lights.

The ball landed behind him to the left about 10 yards from wall. That scored three runs and gave the T-Bones a 5-2 lead with Keyes racing to third with a bases clearing triple.

In the top of the sixth Chantz Mack led off the inning with a solo homer to right off Johnson to make it 6-2 Kansas City.

With two out Tucker Pennell reached on a single and the red-hot Cedric Hunter would double him around for a 7-2 lead. Marcus Lemon then followed with an RBI single to up the score to 8-2.

Jackson Lowery worked two scoreless innings while Grant Side closed out the ninth for Kansas City.

Paula (7-2) held Sioux City to just four hits in getting the win, while the loss went to Johnson (3-9). It was the fourth start for Paula, who has worked 24 innings as a starter with a 3-0 record and a 1.88 ERA.

With the win Kansas City stayed tied with Fargo-Moorhead, who beat Lincoln Wednesday, in the race for the American Association Wild Card playoff spot with five games left to play.

Gary also won over Sioux Falls putting the RailCats one game behind the leaders. Lincoln still maintains a magic number of two over Kansas City for the Central Division and a 3.5 game lead over the T-Bones.

The T-Bones play their last regular season road game Thursday night in Iowa at 7:05 p.m. The game can be heard on the T-Bones Broadcast Network.

Kansas City will start right-hander Matt Sergey (5-3, 3.23) while Sioux City will counter with right-handed pitcher Justin Vernia (2-2, 7.30).

The T-Bones return home for their final home stand Friday night to open a four-game series with the St. Paul Saints.

Tickets for home games are available online, by calling 913-328-5618, or by visiting in person the Providence Medical Center Box Office.

– Story from T-Bones