LINCOLN, Nebraska – Sunday afternoon the Kansas City T-Bones (41-30) were six outs away from securing a big series split on the current 10-game road trip. Lincoln had other ideas as the first place Saltdogs (46-25) scored two runs in the eighth to steal a 4-3 win over Kansas City at Haymarket Park. 

Jeff Walters entered the game in the bottom of the eighth on a hot streak, having not allowed an earned run since he returned from the inactive list on July 13, a span of 10 appearances and 9 2/3 innings pitched.  Walters retired the first batter he faced but then gave up singles to Nathanial Maggio and Brandon Jacobs to set Lincoln up for the comeback.

A wild pitch moved the runners up to second and third, forcing the T-Bones to walk pinch hitter Tommy Mendonca on a 3-0 count. Randolph Oduber then delivered the go-ahead RBI single to score two and give Lincoln the 4-3 lead.

The T-Bones would rally in the ninth getting a leadoff walk from Leo Rojas off of closer Michael Wagner. With two outs, Chantz Mack would single to put runners at first and second, but Mack was picked off first base on a pitch that bounced in to Marcus Lemon by catcher Dashenko Ricardo of Lincoln for the final out of the game.

Most of the afternoon the T-Bones had the upper hand. Lincoln scored a pair of runs, one of them unearned, off Matt Sergey with a pair of errors by Kansas City, but the right hander buckled down and tossed six strong innings, getting a quality start with five strike outs.

Kansas City erased the 2-0 lead in the fifth off Shairon Martis the starter for Lincoln. Jordan Edgerton singled with one out and then moved to third on a single from Chantz Mack. A sacrifice fly scored Edgerton from third to cut the lead to 2-1.

The T-Bones then got back-to-back singles from Kevin Keyes and Cedric Hunter to take the lead at 3-2 after five. Meanwhile Sergey retired the last seven he faced, giving way to Grant Sides, who worked a 1-2-3 seventh. Jeff Walters (1-3) was charged with the loss while JR Bunda (7-0) got the relief win, and Wagner notched his league-leading 15th save.

The T-Bones fell five games behind the Saltdogs for the division lead but still hold a share of the lead in the wild card race in the American Association. The T-Bones are now 3-4 on the 10-game road trip, moving on to Fargo Monday night.  

The game is set for 7:02 pm and can be heard online on the T-Bones Broadcast Network with the pregame starting at 6:45 pm. For additional information or interview requests, members of the media may contact the T-Bones Media Relations Department at 913-328-5639. Tickets are available online, by calling (913) 328-5618 or by visiting in person the Providence Medical Center Box Office.

Box Score

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