Five Kansas City T-Bones pitchers combined to shut out the Gary SouthShore RailCats 6-0 in game two of the 2017 exhibition schedule Wednesday night at CommunityAmerica Ballpark in Kansas City, Kansas.
The T-Bones got all the runs they would need in the first inning when Omar Garcia and Marcus Lemon each singled off RailCats starter Tyler Harris. With Kevin Keyes at the plate, both runners were on the move, executing a perfect double steal.
Gary SouthShore Catcher Jaime Del Valle over threw third base, which allowed Garcia to race home, and the score was 1-0. Keyes then hit a deep fly to center to bring home Lemon who moved up to third on the errant throw by Del Valle.
In the third inning, the T-Bones loaded the bases off Harris. Then Joe Jackson delivered a bases-clearing double to left center field, hitting off the warning track and the 411 sign at CommunityAmerican Ballpark. With the T-Bones in business 5-0, it was the pitching staff that shined the entire night.
Kansas City starter Gabe Perez retired all six batters he faced in two innings of work, which included three strike outs. He was followed by lefty Mark McCoy who like wise retired the six men he faced, including a nine pitch fourth inning.
Luis Paula worked a pair of scoreless innings for Kansas City in the fifth and sixth innings and was followed by Myles Smith who allowed an infield single with a four strike outs in his two innings of work. The T-Bones then brought in Aaron Brooks who worked a 1-2-3 ninth to preserve the one hit shutout.
In one of the more interesting quirks of spring training baseball, the two clubs played the bottom of the ninth despite Kansas City leading at the time 5-0.
That decision benefitted the T-Bones as Jordan Edgerton took Laetten Galbraith deep to right field, hitting a solo homerun up on the grassy berm to make it 6-0 and to finish off the RailCats. The T-Bones have allowed just one run so far in the first two spring training games and have not allowed a run in the last 12 innings.
The T-Bones will once again host Gary SouthShore in the third game of the exhibition season Thursday night at 7:05 at CommunityAmercia Ballpark. Tickets are available online or by calling 913-328-5618 or by visiting in person the Providence Medical Center Box Office.
The T-Bones will open the 2017 regular season at home on May 19 against Lincoln.
– Story from T-Bones