Blasters Road Woes Continue in Kansas City
August 21, 2015 - American Association (AA)
Joplin Blasters News Release
Kansas City, KS-The Blasters have lost three straight after dropping a doubleheader Friday night to the T-Bones at Community America Ballpark, losing game one 5-0 and falling in game two 6-4.
Joplin (43-41) now stands two games back of wild-card leading Laredo, while Kansas City (43-40) is a game-and-a-half behind the Lemurs. With the two wins, the T-Bones evened the season series with the Blasters at four victories apiece.
In game one, Jared Messer allowed just one hit and pitched a complete game to lead Kansas City. Messer (3-0) struck out four in his seven innings of work. Jake Blackwood smashed a solo home run in the fourth. Blackwood also sacrificed in a run in the first on a fly out and posted an RBI single in the second. Starlin Rodriguez added three hits and two runs scored. Maikol Gonzalez was the only Joplin batter to register a hit off Messer, and it came in the last inning leading off the seventh. Reyes Dorado took the loss for the Blasters. Dorado (1-3) went just one-and-a-third and gave up four runs (three earned) on eight hits with one strikeout and one walk.
Despite the loss, the Blasters outhit Kansas City in game two 12-to-6. Joplin plated a run in the first with a Jairo Perez RBI single. Maikol Gonzalez led off the game with a double and sccored on the Perez base hit. In the bottom of the first, Robby Kuzdale's sacrifice fly tied it. Kansas City took the lead with a run in the second on Jacob Hayes' solo home run deep to right-center onto the grassy berm. Back-to-back RBI singles in the third from Joplin's Omar Luna and Carlos Ramirez gave the Blasters a 3-2 lead. Kansas City again responded with four runs in the bottom of the inning. Vladamir Frias had a two-run scoring single, and Hayes added a two-run, ground-rule double. Jake Taylor cut the deficit to 6-4 with a solo home run high and deep to left in the sixth. It was Taylor's 13th homer of the season to tie for the team lead.
Aaron Baker picked up the win in relief for the T-Bones. Baker (4-2) worked two innings and gave up one earned run on three hits. Matt Swilley took the loss for Joplin. Swilley (1-2) went just two innings and allowed five earned runs on three hits with two stirkeouts and five walks. Fernando Hernandez earned his 17th save of the season with one hit in one inning of work.
Joplin's road trip continues with game three of four at Kansas City Saturday night at 7:05. The final Blasters home stand of the season 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.
American Association Stories from August 21, 2015
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