Trent Lare (2-2) gave the Kansas City T-Bones (33-35) seven scoreless innings on Monday night and the bullpen held on for a 4-3 victory over the St. Paul Saints (39-29) in the first game of a three-game set in St. Paul, MN.
 
Lare, who took the mound for his first start since being acquired in a trade with the Wichita Wingnuts on June 5, baffled the Saints over his seven innings of work. The left-hander struck out three of the first four batters he faced before surrendering an infield single to Richard Mercado in the second. He allowed just three more hits in the outing while the Saints failed to push a runner past first base in the first seven innings of the contest. Lare struck out eight batters overall without surrendering a walk in the victory.

Kansas City used an RBI double by Jeff Hulett to take a 1-0 lead against Alberto Rolon (6-3) in the second inning. The T-Bones added two additional runs in the fourth, scoring the first on an RBI double by Ray Sadler. Sadler later came home on a safety squeeze from Hulett to make the score 3-0.

Rolon suffered the loss after allowing three runs on five hits in seven innings for St. Paul.

T.J. Large took over for Lare in the eighth and surrendered a walk and a double while also hitting a batter as the Saints loaded the bases with two out. A groundout by Justin Snyder ended the threat. Kansas City then added a crucial insurance run in the top of the ninth on an RBI double by Gerardo Caceres to gain a 4-0 advantage.

Large remained in the game to start the bottom of the ninth and walked the first batter before a groundout and flyout put a runner on first with two outs. After consecutive RBI doubles pulled St. Paul within two, Andy Shipman took over and surrendered an RBI double to Jonathan Van Every to bring the score to 4-3. Steve Mays then popped out to Shipman to end the contest with the tying run at second.

Shipman picked up his 11th save of the season for Kansas City. Sadler’s RBI double in the fourth pushed his season total to a league-leading 77.

Reid Santos (7-4, 5.04) takes the mound for Kansas City on Tuesday night against a pitcher yet to be named for the Saints. First pitch is set for 7:05. To catch all the action while the team is on the road listen live on KUDL Radio Bach 1660 AM or online at www.tbonesbaseball.com.