By MATT FULKS, tbonesbaseball.com
The T-Bones fought to overcome a three-run deficit, but in the end were undone on a Jose Jimenez balk in the eighth inning that drove in the Gary SouthShore RailCats’ final run in their 6-5 victory in front of 5,124 at CommunityAmerica Ballpark on Friday night.
Both leadoff hitters scored in the first inning. Gary’s Adam Klein touched home on a passed ball in the top half, while Kansas City’s Kennard Jones crossed the plate on a Justin Bass triple to right field.
The triple was the T-Bones’ first of the season. Brandon Jones drove in Bass later in the inning and put Kansas City up 2-1.
After pitching to the minimum RailCats for three innings, T-Bones starter Lucas Irvine struggled in the fifth and sixth innings as Gary SouthShore sent 13 batters to the plate, scoring four times on seven hits.
“We lost our composure a couple of times,” said T-Bones manager Kenny Hook, “and let them play their style of baseball.”
The T-Bones trailed 5-2 until the sixth inning, when Matt Padgett tied the game on an opposite field three-run home run, his fourth of the year.
Hook was thrown before the eighth inning after arguing balls and strikes with home plate umpire Tim Henderson. An inning later, Henderson tossed pitching coach Andy Shipman after Shipman disputed the Jimenez balk.
The T-Bones take on Gary at 7:05 p.m. on Saturday night in an effort to end a four-game losing streak. Tickets are available by calling the Providence Medical Center Box Office at CommunityAmerica Ballpark at 913-328-5618 or at tbonesbaseball.com.
