Category: T-Bones

The Kansas City T-Bones (51-39) got another solid start from Luis Paula and pounded out 12 hits in an 8-0 blanking of the Gary SouthShore RailCats (51-39) Friday night at U.S. Steel Yard in Gary, Indiana.

Paula (6-2) allowed just two hits to the pesky RailCats offense over six shutout innings before his night was done. The former University of North Carolina righty struck out six on the way to the win.

The two teams were scoreless through the first three innings, but in the top of the fourth, Cedric Hunter hit a solo home run to right off Aryton Costa to lead off the inning.

After one out, Kevin Keyes singled and Dexter Kjerstad doubled to put runners at second and third. Niko Vasquez then followed with a bases-clearing double to make it 3-0 Kansas City, chasing Costa from the game. Costa (2-4) was charged with the loss, surrendering five hits and three earned runs.

Kansas City grabbed two more in the top of the sixth off Carlos Pinales. Kevin Keyes worked a leadoff walk, and Dexter Kjerstad then singled to put runners at the corners.

With one out, Chantz Mack doubled to left center to score Keyes, and the score was 4-0. Kyle Petty brought home Kjerstad with a fielder’s choice on a ball that Pinales was able to knock down but could not collect in time to get Kjerstad coming home. He was able to retire Petty for the second out, but the run scored to make it 5-0.

In the top of the ninth, the T-Bones got three more runs when Jordan Edgerton doubled off the left field wall to score two, and Dexter Kjerstad capped off the night with an RBI single.

Rich Mascheri worked around two base hits and a walk in the seventh, holding Gary scoreless, and Grant Sides followed with another scoreless eighth. Jackson Lowery came into the game in the ninth to close out the contest for Kansas City to complete the shut out.

The win pulled Kansas City into a tie for the American Association Wild Card race with Gary SouthShore. Fargo, who also won Friday night, is a half-game behind the pair in the race. Kansas City, with their 51st win, matches the second most wins in a season by a T-Bones club, a record set in 2012.

The two teams will play Saturday night at 6:10 p.m. in Gary with right-hander Matt Sergey (4-3, 3.58), making his return to the rotation after missing his last two turns, and left-handed pitcher Jeff McKenzie (4-3, 4.08), who beat the T-Bones last week in Kansas City going for the RailCats. The game can be heard on the T-Bones Broadcast Network.

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

The Kansas City T-Bones (50-39) used four first-inning runs and a quality start from Alex Blackford to beat the Cleburne Railroaders (41-49) 4-2 Wednesday night at CommunityAmerica Ballpark in Kansas City, Kansas.

The win secured a 2-1 series win, the team’s 18th series win this season.

The T-Bones jumped on Cleburne starter Patrick Mincey in the first with a leadoff walk from Cedric Hunter and a single to right from Marcus Lemon to put runners at the corners. After a strikeout by Kevin Keyes for the first out, Dexter Kjerstad singled to make it 1-0 Kansas City.

Newly signed shortstop Niko Vasquez doubled to bring home Lemon and it was 2-0 T-Bones. Chantz Mack followed with an RBI single that scored two and it was 4-0.

From there Mincey put up zeros across the board and was joined by Blackford, who likewise kept the Railroaders bats cold. Cleburne did not get its first hit until the fourth inning as Blackford worked six, giving up three hits and no runs.

Myles Smith worked a scoreless seventh, but Cleburne was able to score a pair off Jeff Walters in the eighth to cut the lead to 4-2. Cody Winiarski worked a scoreless ninth for his 18th save while the win went to Blackford (1-1) with Mincey (8-8) getting the loss.

With the win the T-Bones stayed a half-game behind Gary SouthShore in the American Association Wild Card race. Kansas City is off Thursday, while Gary is at Lincoln.

Kansas City heads to Gary for an all-important three-game weekend series beginning Friday night in Indiana. The T-Bones will be no worse than one game back with 11 games remaining.

With the win Kansas City hit the 50-win mark, placing the club currently third all-time in franchise history in wins. It is the seventh straight season manager Joe Calfapietra has reached the 50 win total for a season and the first-year manager is two wins shy of 900 for his career.

After the off day Kansas City will travel to Gary, Indiana, to face the RailCats on Friday night. Luis Paula is expected to get the start with Gary SouthShore. The game can be heard on the T-Bones Broadcast Network.

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

– Story from T-Bones

After a heavy dose of rain in the metro area the last 24 hours all it took was “chamber of commerce weather” and the normal Kansas City T-Bones recipe for success to help end a two-game losing streak.

The T-Bones beat the Cleburne Railroaders 9-4 Tuesday night at CommunityAmerica Ballpark in Kansas City, Kansas.

The first part of that recipe was the long ball. Kevin Keyes launched his league-leading 24th home run in the bottom of the first off Dylan Mouzakes, a two-run shot to right, to make it 2-0 Kansas City. Keyes added a pair of RBIs to his team-leading 77 total, good for second in the American Association.

Cleburne got a solo shot of its own in the top of the third from Maikol Gonzalez off Billy Waltrip to cut the lead to 2-1. Cedric Hunter answered on the first pitch of the home half of the third with a solo blast to right, and it was 3-1 Kansas City.

Billy Waltrip continued to struggle for Kansas City in his third start since being acquired from Texas in a trade on Aug. 11. In the fourth he gave up a single to Pichi Balet and a one-out walk to Blake Grant-Parks. Waltrip got the second out on a strikeout of Hunter Courson but Cleburne did not waste the opportunity.

Alex Polston doubled to right to get one run home to cut the lead to 3-2. Jackson Lowery came into the game and issued a pair of wild pitches to tie it up and eventually give Cleburne the 4-3 lead.

The T-Bones then came back and took the lead in the bottom of the inning. Zane Chavez and Jordan Edgerton each got on base with a single, then Chantz Mack tied the game with an RBI single at 4-4. With runners at the corners, Cedric Hunter then hit a sacrifice fly to left to give the T-Bones the lead.

In the fifth Cedric Hunter had a big two-out single to center to score a pair and give Kansas City some breathing room at 8-4. Chantz Mack had a single in the sixth to make it 9-4 in favor of Kansas City but that was as close as the Railroaders would get.

The bullpen, which has been the other big constant this season, retired 10 straight and was in lockdown mode once Kansas City got the lead. The pen allowed just two hits and held the Railroaders in check, getting the win.

Dylan Mouzakes (6-7) was charged with the loss while Jackson Lowery (2-1) got the win for Kansas City.

The win ended a two-game losing streak for Kansas City and kept the team a half-game back in the American Association Wild Card race. Gary still has the lead followed by Kansas City and Fargo-Moorhead.

The two teams play game two of the three game series at 7:05 p.m. Wednesday night at CommunityAmerica Ballpark. Right-handed pitcher Patrick Mincey (8-7, 3.33) will take the mound for Cleburne while right-handed pitcher Alex Blackford (0-1, 4.50) will go for Kansas City.

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