Explosive Offense Leads Blasters to 15-3 Romp
June 12, 2016 - American Association (AA)
Joplin Blasters News Release
The Joplin Blasters put on an offensive clinic in front of their biggest road crowd of the season, rolling to a 15-3 victory over the Kansas City T-Bones at CommunityAmerica Ballpark on Saturday night. Every hitter in the Joplin lineup recorded at least one hit, and eight of the nine batters scored a run. Joplin recorded 18 hits in the victory, the second highest total of the season.
Joplin's offensive explosion began early, taking a 3-0 lead in the first inning. Singles by Mitch Glasser and Geraldo Valentin put two runners on base with two outs. Willie Cabrera got the Blasters on the board, clubbing a three-run homer the opposite way to right field. The three-run shot was Cabrera's third roundtripper of the year, and drove in his 24th run of the campaign.
The Blasters immediately pushed the lead to seven runs in the top of the second inning, doing all of the damage after the first two hitters of the inning were retired. Oscar Mesa singled and Glasser walked, setting Valentin up for a two-run double off the left field wall. After Charlie Valerio was hit by a pitch and Cabrera drew a walk, Will Soto blooped a two-run single into right, giving the Blasters a 7-0 lead in the second inning. The Soto single chased Kansas City starter Johnny Shuttlesworth from the game.
A leadoff walk to Cory Morales brought an eighth Joplin run across the plate in the top of the third. Morales moved up on a single by Zack Burling, and scored on an RBI groundout by Mesa.
Kansas City scored their first run in the bottom of the fourth frame. Nate Tenbrink was hit by a pitch and stole second base to lead off the inning, and eventually scored on a groundout off the bat of Cole Leonida.
The Blasters answered with two more runs in the top of the fifth, increasing the Joplin lead to nine runs. A walk to Ronnie Richardson, a single by Morales, and a fielder's choice from Morales had two runners on base for Glasser, who drove in a pair on a single to right field. Glasser's single, one of three on the game, pushed the Blaster lead to 10-1.
One run crossed the plate for the T-Bones in the bottom of the fifth, as a two-out walk to Tyler Massey turned into a run on an RBI double by Jake Blackwood.
The game would remain 10-2 until the ninth inning, when Blackwood would enter the game as a pitcher. The Blasters would score five runs on five hits in the final frame. Valerio, Cabrera, and Soto each drove in a run in the ninth inning. Cabrera's RBI single gave him 25 runs batted in on the season, which is tied for the best total in the Association.
Kansas City plated a run in the bottom of the ninth on an RBI walk to Starlin Rodriguez, but couldn't score again in front of 6,511 fans at CommunityAmerica Ballpark.
Noel Arguelles earned his first Blaster win, tossing five innings of solid work. The former Royals prospect allowed two runs on three hits, striking out four. Matt Parish and Jake Negrete combined on three scoreless innings, while lefty Ryan Calby finished the game. Shuttlesworth took the loss for the T-Bones.
The series moves into its third game on Sunday afternoon, with two of the Association's top pitchers toeing the rubber. Joplin's Carlos Fuentes faces Kansas City righty Sean Furney, with both pitchers sporting ERAs under 2.00. First pitch from Kansas City is set for 1:05 p.m.
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