Laredo jumped ahead of Kansas City early in Wednesday’s game, and never trailed, as the Lemurs ended the T-Bones playoff chances with a 5-4 win at CommunityAmerica Ballpark n Kansas City, Kan.
Heading into the game, Kansas City was third in the wild-card standings, 4 1/2 games behind Laredo. The loss puts Kansas City 5 1/2 games back with four remaining.
Laredo took a 2-0 lead in the first inning against Kansas City starter Kris Regas (6-5). The first two batters, Ty Morrison and Abel Nieves, singled and then were knocked in by Kevin Taylor and Travis Denker.
The Lemurs added another run in the fifth before Kansas City’s offense, which had only three hits through five innings, scored in the sixth.
Starlin Rodriguez led off the inning with a double and then went to third on a single by Nate Tenbrink. With runners at the corners, Jake Blackwood singled to center, scoring Rodriguez.
The next batter, Adam Bailey, also singled to center, scoring Tenbrink and making it a 3-2 game. That was all Kansas City scored in the inning, though, as Kyle Robinson grounded into a double play and Vladimir Frias flied out to center, stranding Blackwood at third.
Laredo came right back and scored a run in each of the next two innings, capped by Phil Pohl’s home run with one out in the eighth.
The T-Bones added two runs in the bottom of the eighth on a two-run home run by Robinson that scored Blackwood. Later in the inning, Kansas City had runners at first and second, but Brent Peterson struck out for the third out.
The T-Bones (48-47) and Lemurs (54-42) are scheduled to play the finale of their four-game series, and the last regular-season home game for Kansas City, Thursday night at 7:05.
It will be Fan Appreciation Night, with general admission berm tickets for $2 on the day of the game.
Tickets are available by calling the box office at CommunityAmerica Ballpark at 913-328-5618 or online at tbonesbaseball.com.
– Story from T-Bones