Blasters Outhit T-Bones, But Fall on Negro League Night
June 10, 2016 - American Association (AA)
Joplin Blasters News Release
The Joplin Blasters outhit the Kansas City T-Bones on Friday night at CommunityAmerica Ballpark, but came up short in a 4-2 loss in front of over 5,000 fans in Kansas City. The Blasters were wearing special Joplin Night Owls throwback uniforms as part of the T-Bones' Negro League Night promotion, while the T-Bones sported Kansas City Monarchs apparel.
A run in the bottom of the first inning got the scoring underway for the host T-Bones. With one out, Vladimir Frias hit a triple to left center field. He scored when Tyler Massey hit a grounder to second base, which was misplayed.
Kansas City plated three runs in the bottom of the third, supplying the game's decisive runs. Massey led off the inning with a single, and moved to third base on a subsequent single by Jake Blackwood. Steve Swingle drove in Massey on a fielder's choice, beating a throw to first after Blackwood was forced out at second. The next hitter, Brandon Tierney, clubbed his first home run of the season over the wall in left centerfield to give the T-Bones a 4-0 advantage.
After the Tierney home run, Blaster pitching shut down the T-Bone hitters. Over the final 5.1 innings of the game, starter Josh Hodges and reliever Jose Ortega allowed just one hit and three total baserunners. Hodges worked his fourth six-inning start of the season in a losing effort, and Ortega tossed two hitless innings out of the bullpen.
The Blasters got on the board with two runs in the top of the sixth. Geraldo Valentin, Charlie Valerio, and Willie Cabrera each singled to start the inning, with Cabrera's hit driving in Valentin for his 21st RBI of the season. Valerio scored on a double play ball off the bat of Will Soto.
Joplin put runners on second and third in the seventh inning after a Cory Morales double and a walk to Ronnie Richardson. However, the T-Bones were able to induce two strikeouts and a groundout to get out of the inning, and kept the Blasters off the board in the final two innings of the game to pick up the victory.
In his first game of the season with the Blasters, Oscar Mesa went 3-for-3, reaching base in all four of his plate appearances. Morales added a pair of doubles in a 3-for-4 effort.
The four-game series in Kansas City continues on Saturday night, with the Blasters sending former Royals prospect Noel Arguelles to the mound to face the T-Bones at 7:05 p.m. Kansas City will counter with righthander Johnny Shuttlesworth.
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