Blasters Comeback Earns Series Split in Kansas City
August 23, 2015 - American Association (AA)
Joplin Blasters News Release
Kansas City, KS-The Blasters scored five unanswered runs over a three-inning span to take the series finale 6-5 over the T-Bones Sunday afternoon at Community America Ballpark.
Joplin (45-41) remains one game back of Laredo for the wild-card lead after the Lemurs won at Wichita Sunday. With the win, the Blasters split the four-game series with Kansas City (43-42). Joplin won the season series 6-to-4.
The T-Bones opened the scoring with a three-run bottom of the first. Starlin Rodriguez led off the inning with a double. Jake Blackwood scored the first run with a sac fly to right. Adam Bailey spanked a solo home run up the right field line onto the berm for a 2-0 lead. Kyle Robinson reached on a two-out error. He later scored on a base hit by Brian Erie and it was 3-0.
Joplin scratched a run across to start the fourth. Matt Padgett reached with a one-out single up the middle. Carlos Ramirez and Jake Taylor coaxed back-to-back walks to load the bases. Steven Tinoco then scored Padgett from third with a sac fly to center. In the bottom of the fourth, Kansas City stretched its lead to 5-1 with two more marks. Robby Kuzdale led off and reached on an error. Sergio Leon followed with a fielder's choice that did not result in an out. After Kuzdale and Leon were moved up with a sac bunt, Nate Tenbrink singled to right for an RBI. Later with the bases loaded, Kyle Robinson walked to bring in the second run.
The Blasters comeback started with a two-spot in the fifth. Oscar Mesa and Maikol Gonzalez both walked. Mitch Glasser was hit by a pitch to load the bases. The first run scored on an Omar Luna fielder's choice with an error on the play as well. Matt Padgett made it 5-3 with a sacrifice fly to right. In the sixth, Steven Tinoco led off with a double. Two more walks loaded the bases and a walk of Glasser cut the deficit to 5-4.
The comeback was completed with a two-run seventh for Joplin. Carlos Ramirez led off with a walk. Jake Taylor singled. Steven Tinoco reached on a fielder's choice attempting to bunt the runners up. Aaron Brill had an infield single to load the bases. A sac fly from Oscar Mesa to left tied the game as Taylor scored from third. On the play, the left fielder's throw home sailed into the T-Bones dugout to allow Tinoco to take home for a 6-5 Blasters lead.
Joplin pitching shut out Kansas City over the final five innings. Carlos Fuentes picked up the win in relief. Fuentes (2-1) worked two-and-a-third scoreless and hitless ball with one strikeout and one walk. Aaron Baker took the loss for the T-Bones in relief. Baker (4-3) worked one-and-two-thirds and gave up two runs (one earned) on two hits with two walks and one strikeout. Winston Abreu earned his 17th save for the Blasters. Kansas City pitching walked 12 in the contest. The T-Bones also committed four errors on the day. Joplin only managed four hits while the T-Bones had seven. Not a single batter for either side collected two hits.
Joplin's final home stand of the season starts Monday and runs from August 24th through August 30th against Lincoln and Grand Prairie. For 2015 ticket information and promotion specials at Joe Becker Stadium, call 417-622-4838 or visit the Blasters website at www.joplinblasters.com.
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