By Brian Bruce

WICHITA, Kan.- After dropping their first five games of the six-game road trip, Kansas City’s Enrique Cruz hit a two-run single in the top of the 12th inning, scoring Devin Goodwin and Brandon Jones, as the T-Bones went on to beat Wichita, 6-3, on Thursday night at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium in Wichita, Kan.

Besides timely hitting, Kansas City was keyed by incredible pitching. A two-out game-tying solo home run by John Rodriguez in the fifth inning was the last base runner that would reach for Wichita as Kansas City pitching retired the final twenty-two Wingnuts that came to the plate. The final three outs came thanks to Mike Mehlich, who notched his fourth save with a perfect 1-2-3 frame bottom of the 12th.

Brian Grening (5-3), who didn’t get the decision, lasted into the ninth. His final line was 8 1/3 innings, allowing three runs on six hits, two walks, and five strikeouts. It’s the fifth time in 11 starts this season that Grening, a converted reliever, has gone at least eight innings.

With two outs, nobody on, and trailing 2-0, the T-Bones rattled off four straight hits. Goodwin tripled, Jones knocked him in with an RBI double, Ray Sadler scored Jones on an RBI triple, and Trevor Coleman drove in Sadler on an RBI single. Kansas City surged in front, 3-2.

The second-place T-Bones (28-26) currently sit six games behind Wichita in the Central Division race. Wichita now comes to Kansas City for two games at CommunityAmerica Ballpark, with the first pitch on Friday night set for 7:05. KC sends right-hander Shaun Garceau (5-1; 1.98 ERA) to the mound for his seventh start of the season. For tickets, call 913-328-5618.