07/05/2004 12:46 PM - July 5, 2004

KANSAS CITY – Eddie Pearson homered twice and starting pitcher Jon McDonald kept the RailCats’ batters in-check as the T-Bones (17-25) powered past Gary, 7-2, Monday night at CommunityAmerica Ballpark. It was Pearson’s second multiple-home run game of the season and his 11th multiple-RBI contest of the year.

Pearson hit two-run homers in consecutive at-bats in the fifth and sixth innings to fuel a T-Bones offense that has out-scored the RailCats 27-10 in five games this season. McDonald (4-3) retired the first seven batters of the game and faced just one above the minimum through the first six innings. In all, McDonald struck out five batters and scattered five hits in seven innings of work. Gary starter Dan Soria (2-2) lasted just five innings and was charged with four runs on 11 hits.

Ray Brown started the scoring in the first inning for Kansas City with a double into the corner in left field that brought home Chad Hill and Rick Prieto. Pearson made the score 4-0 in the fifth when he hammered a 1-1 offering by Soria over the fence in right-center field.

Prieto brought Hill home in the following inning with a single down the left-field line that gave the T-Bones a 5-0 lead before Pearson connected with his second homer of the night and his 10th on the season. It was the third time the Northern League’s reigning MVP has driven in four or more runs in 2004.

The RailCats (11-32) finally got on the board in the seventh inning when Matt Howe hit a two-run homer to left field, but that’s as close as they would get. Kansas City relief pitchers John Howerton and Drew Oksen pitched the final three innings of the game.

Game Notes: In two starts against Gary this season, McDonald is 2-0 with an ERA of 2.25… The T-Bones have won all five games against the RailCats this year and lead the all-time series 10-4… Pearson’s bid for a three-home run night fell just short as the designated hitter’s towering drive in his final at-bat landed in the glove of Gary left fielder Juan Tolentino on the warning track… The RailCats have dropped eight consecutive games and are currently last in the South Division. Gary lost 14 consecutive games from May 31 to June 14.

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