The Kansas City T-Bones opened their longest road trip of the season with one of their longest games of the season in a 2-1 loss in 14 innings to the Cleburne (Texas) Railroaders.
Gabe Perez tossed a quality start for Kansas City, going 6 2/3 innings with five strike outs in a no-decision. Perez would walk two in the game, the first of which led to the first run of the game for Cleburne.
Mitch Glasser led off the home half of the first inning with a walk and came home on an RBI single by Pichi Balet to make it 1-0. Balet, a recently signed veteran, had been out of professional baseball since 2009 and was playing in his 11th game for Cleburne.
The T-Bones were held to just two hits for 14 innings and were held hitless until two outs in the seventh by Cleburne starter Alberto Rodriguez. Kyle Petty got the only T-Bones’ hit off Rodriguez with a triple in the seventh. The right hander did walk six, but three double play balls kept Kansas City from gaining any offensive footing in the game.
In the top of the ninth, Kansas City managed to scratch out a game-tying run without recording a hit. Marcus Lemon reached base on a bunt that reliever Will Mathis misplayed with a throwing error at first to allow Lemon to reach second. Kevin Keyes reached on a fielder’s choice that Cleburne short stop Alex Polston elected to throw to third to try to retire Lemon on the play, but the throw was late, putting runners at the corners.
After a Tyler Horan strike out, Kyle Petty then hit a hard ball to the six hole that Polston was able to field and throw to second, forcing out Keyes on a play that second baseman Maikol Gonzalez had a hard time fielding cleanly. The umpire ruled he had control of the ball for the second out, but Lemon scored to make the score tied, 1-1.
The T-Bones found themselves in their eleventh extra inning ball game of the season—the most in the American Association. The two clubs were even into the 14th with reliever Cortland Cox working the last five innings for Cleburne, pitching 10 strike outs and giving up just one T-Bones hit.
With rookie Zach Morgenstern on the hill for Kansas City, Blake Grant-Parks led off the bottom of the 14th with a double. After a sacrifice bunt by Alex Polston moved him to third, Mitch Glasser had a base hit to the left side past a drawn-in infield to bring home the winning run after four hours and 24 minutes.
The T-Bones fell to 38-27 with the loss going to Morgenstern (1-1) while Cleburne saw their record go to (29-39). Cox (3-2) picked up the relief win for Cleburne. The 17 strike outs for Cleburne was the most the T-Bones had been struck out at the plate this season while the Kansas City staff notched 16 in a losing effort.
The two teams will meet again Tuesday for game two of the three-game series with game time set for 7:06 pm. The T-Bones will turn to right-handed pitcher Matt Sergey (3-3, 3.54) to get the start while Cleburne will send out right-handed pitcher Dylan Mouzakes (6-5, 4.75).
The game can be heard online on the T-Bones Broadcast Networkwith the pregame starting at 6:40.
Tickets to 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