Monday, September 3, 2012

T-Bones clipped by Sioux City in season finale

By BRIAN BRUCE, tbonesbaseball.com

SIOUX CITY, Iowa - Explorers right-hander Jason Jarvis pitched well, allowing just three runs in six solid innings, leading the Sioux City Explorers to a 4-3 victory in the season finale at Lewis and Clark Park on Monday evening.

The T-Bones jumped on top with two runs on two hits in the top of the fifth, including an RBI triple by Devin Goodwin and an RBI single by Kris Sanchez. But the lead was short-lived.

Sioux City took the lead for good with four runs on six singles in the bottom of the fifth, including four consecutive hits at the start of the inning.

Josh Rainwater (6-11) took the loss, working 4 1/3 and allowing four runs on six hits. Jarvis, despite being thrown out in the seventh for throwing at Trevor Coleman, earned the win and improved to 9-8. Incidentally, Explorers manager Stan Cliburn was thrown out of the game during the situation for arguing the ejection of Jarvis.

Kansas City inched closer with a solo shot off the bat of Brandon Jones (14) to right field in the eighth, but that was as close as they would get.

In the ninth, with Explorers right-hander Jon Plefka on the mound, the T-Bones had the potential tying run at second with two outs when Adam De La Garza ended the game with a  pop out.

Kansas City (51-49) finishes with a .500 or better record for only the fifth time in franchise history, dating back to 1993, when they were known as the Duluth-Superior Dukes.

The T-Bones were second in the American Association in attendance in 2012, averaging 5,212 fans per game at CommunityAmerica Ballpark.