RailCats Grind Out 5-4 Win, Take Six of Seven on Homestand
Published on June 18, 2009 under Northern League (NL)
Gary SouthShore Railcats News Release
GARY, Ind. - The Gary SouthShore RailCats scored two unearned runs - including the go-ahead tally in the seventh - and beat the Kansas City T-Bones 5-4 Thursday night at U. S. Steel Yard, taking three of four in the series from the defending champs and finishing a seven-game homestand 6-1.
After Kansas City's Greg Jacobs tied the game with a two-out RBI single in the seventh, the âCats got a rally started in the bottom of the inning. Eric McNamee and Jay Pecci led off with back-to-back singles, but McNamee was thrown out at home plate one batter later trying to score on a groundout to first. With runners at first and second with one, Jordan Czarniecki hit a sharp grounder that went under the glove of third baseman Brad Correll and into left for an error, allowing Pecci to come home with the go-ahead run.
Edwin Walker slammed the door on the T-Bones in the ninth, finishing a two-inning save with a 1-2-3 final frame that included a game-ending strikeout of Jacobs. The burly Kansas City rightfielder hit a solo home run in the fourth and two-run home run in the fifth along with his single in the seventh, accounting for all four T-Bones runs.
Thursday's game was a sloppy contest, featuring three errors and a combined 13 walks between the two pitching staffs. Kansas City was forced to use six pitchers in the game after starter Chris Rhoads went only the first 4.1 innings, and the RailCats needed two innings of relief each from Walker and Kyle Heyne (1-0) in back of Onan Masaoka. Payton Tweddale (0-3) was charged with the unearned seventh inning run and took the loss.
The âCats got the game's first run in the second when Steve Haake tripled and scored on a Czarniecki sacrifice fly. The RailCats then tied the game with two runs in the fifth, scoring once on an error and again on a bases loaded walk. In the sixth, the RailCats enjoyed a brief lead when Cristian Guerrero doubled and eventually came in to score on a wild pitch.
The RailCats (16-17) swept the Schaumburg Flyers (17-13) to open the seven-game homestand, but the Flyers get a chance at revenge this weekend at Alexian Field, starting Friday at 6:45 when Grant Johnson (2-3, 5.57 ERA) and Ed Almonte (2-2, 3.32) will square off. The game will be broadcast on 89.1 FM, The Lakeshore, and online at www.railcatsbaseball.com.
Notes: The win improved the RailCats to 10-6 at home this season ... the âCats are also now 12-5 this season against Kansas City, Schaumburg and Joliet, but 4-12 against Winnipeg and Fargo-Moorhead ... The T-Bones scored 13 runs in the series, nine on eight home runs ... Guerrero went 1-for-3 in his second game of the season, doubling, walking and striking out twice. Guerrero missed the first 30 games with a hamstring pull ... Walker struck out two during the eighth inning and has struck out 27 this year in only 17.0 innings of relief.
Northern League Stories from June 18, 2009
- Jacobs' Two Homers Not Enough in 5-4 Loss - Kansas City Monarchs
- RailCats Grind Out 5-4 Win, Take Six of Seven on Homestand - Gary SouthShore Railcats
- Flyers Beat JackHammers - Joliet JackHammers
- Patience Keys Flyers Win - Schaumburg Flyers
- RedHawks Game Postponed - Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks
- JackHammers Donate $1,000 tot he Housing Autority of Joliet - Joliet JackHammers
- RailCats Partner With Les Turner ALS Foundation for July 4 Game - Gary SouthShore Railcats
- Flyers and JackHammers split twin-bill - Schaumburg Flyers
- JackHammers Split Doubleheader with Schaumburg - Joliet JackHammers
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