AirHogs bats break out to beat T-Bones

Published on May 20, 2011 under American Association (AA)
Grand Prairie AirHogs News Release


KANSAS CITY, Kan. -- Early on Friday night, it was all or nothing for the Grand Prairie AirHogs and Kansas City T-Bones. Starters Josh Rainwater for the AirHogs and T.J. Large were throwing up strikeouts but the runs were also piling up. Eventually, the AirHogs came out of the scrap on top, as a five-run fourth was the difference in a 9-5 Grand Prairie win at CommunityAmerica Ballpark.

After the pitchers combined for nine strikeouts in the first two innings, the AirHogs (5-3) got on the board in the third thanks to some shaky Kansas City defense. First, Zane Chavez reached second on an error by third baseman Brian Joynt. Guillermo Martinez followed with a grounder Joynt's way, and he knocked the ball down but threw wide of first to put runners at the corners. After a strikeout and a stolen base by Martinez, Danny Figueroa grounded back to the mound for the second out, but leftfielder Dwayne White could not catch Cesar Nicolas' liner - which hit off White's glove - allowing two runs to score.

The T-Bones (3-5) came right back in the bottom of the third, with six straight hitters reaching after the first batter of the frame struck out. Keanon Simon doubled, Jimmy Mojica walked, Rico Washington singled in a run and Ray Sadler hit a three-run homer to give Kansas City a 4-2 lead. Rainwater (2-0) then allowed two more singles but struck out Joynt and Nick Farnsworth to escape further damage.

Grand Prairie came right back in the fourth, as John Alonso singled, David Thomas walked and Tyler Henley reached on an error to load the bases with no one out. Chavez then singled up the middle to bring in two and tie the game, before a foul out and a walk re-loaded the bases with one out. Large then hit Figueroa with a pitch to force in a run and give the AirHogs the lead back, before Nicolas knocked in two more with a single to left.

The lead reached as many as five after a two-run sixth, with RBIs by Figueroa and Nicolas to knock out Large (1-1), but Kansas City pulled one back on a double play in the sixth. Rainwater departed after that, giving up five runs on nine hits in six innings, but he only walked one while striking out nine.

Rico Salmon pitched a scoreless seventh inning, Dustin Cameron did the same in the eighth and Jon Hunton pitched a perfect ninth in a non-save situation to finish off Grand Prairie's fifth win in its last six games.

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American Association Stories from May 20, 2011


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