Monday night at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium in Wichita the Kansas City T-Bones and Wichita Wingnuts split an American Association doubleheader.
Game 1 – The Kansas City T-Bones won game one 5-2 in extra innings behind some late offense and a solid outing from the entire pitching staff led by Luis Paula, who went six innings giving up just two runs in a no decision.
The T-Bones trailed 1-0 in the bottom of the second when the Wingnuts manufactured a run on a double and two fly balls. Kansas City took the lead in the top of the second off Jesse Pratt, the starter for Wichita.
Chantz Mack singled and Marcus Lemon doubled to put runners at second and third. Kevin Keyes reached on a throwing error by shortstop Leo Vargas to bring Mack home to tie the game. Cedric Hunter then singled to score Lemon and it was 2-1 Kansas City.
Wichita tied the game at three in the home half the fourth on a triple for Brennan Salgado that scored Matt Chavez, who led the inning off with a single. The game remained tied at two the rest of the game and neither team could break through until extra innings. The two games were scheduled to go seven innings so into the eighth the teams played in game one.
Wichita turned the ball over to Brennan Salgado, who came in from left field to pitch. He was able to keep the T-Bones off the board in ninth but was not so fortunate in the 10th. Cedric Hunter doubled to start the inning.
Dexter Kjerstad reached on an error by third baseman TJ Mittelstaedt, scoring Hunter from second. Jordan Edgerton then hit a two-run homer to left center to make it 5-2 Kansas City.
Jeff Walters (2-3) worked a 1-2-3 bottom of the 10th to secure the win for Kansas City, while Salgado (0-1) got the loss for Wichita. Grant Sides also worked two scoreless innings of relief in the win.
Game 2 – The late game went to Wichita in a 13-3 final but the score was not indicative of how close the game really was until Kansas City ran out of arms.
The T-Bones trailed 4-0 after three innings but started to mount a comeback in the fourth.
Kevin Keyes hit his 23rd home run of the year in the top of the fourth to cut the lead to 4-1.
Then Kansas City scored two more in the top of the fifth. Paul Hendrix got his first hit as a T-Bone with one out. Then after Chantz Mack struck out, Marcus Lemon doubled to put runners at second and third. Kevin Keyes then worked a walk from Jordan Cooper, the scheduled starter for Wednesday night for Wichita.
Cedric Hunter then hit hard smash behind the bag at second that ricocheted off short stop Leo Vargas’ glove and shoulder to shallow center. It was ruled an error. Two runs scored on the play and the T-Bones trailed by just one run.
The T-Bones, as Wichita did in game one, then brought in a position player for pitcher. Kyle Petty pitched the bottom of the fifth. The Wingnuts scored five off Petty including a three-run homer by Richard Prigatano to make it 9-3 after five.
In the sixth, Leo Rojas came into the game to pitch and the catcher gave up four runs on four hits including a home run from Matt Chavez, capping a 13-3 night. In desperate need of innings, Jackson Lowery (1-1) was able to pitch four innings in a spot start, but he was charged with the loss, scattering five hits and charged with four earned runs. Seth Harvey (2-4) worked two relief innings to pick up the win for Wichita.
After the night was through, Kansas City (47-33) led the wild card race over Gary by 2.5 and trailed Lincoln in the Central Division by three games. Wichita (47-33) still holds a comfortable 11.5 game lead over Cleburne in the South Division of the American Association.
The two teams will play game three of their series at 7:05 p.m. Tuesday in Wichita. Right-handed pitcher Gabe Perez (7-4, 4.39) will pitch for Kansas City, while right-handed pitcher Tyler Kane (8-1, 3.72) will get the start for Wichita.
The game can be heard online on the T-Bones Broadcast Network. Tickets for all T-Bones games are available online or by calling 913-328-5618 or visiting in person the Providence Medical Center Box Office.
– Story from T-Bones