06/17/2006 10:07 PM - GARY, Ind. – The T-Bones (11-17) bullpen struggled late in the game once again Saturday, giving up three runs on five consecutive walks, and handing the Gary Southshore Railcats a 8-5 victory at U.S. Steelyard.

Gary (12-16) struck first when Jay Pecci scored on a line drive single to left by Tanner Townsend. Two innings later the T-Bones countered and scored three runs on Charles Peterson’s fifth home run of the season. Brandon Jones contributed to the cause the next inning when he launched a ball out of the entire park, clearing a 100 ft. safety net and hitting a passing car on Connecticut Street in Gary. The blast gave the T-Bones a 4-1 lead.

Things got interesting for Gary in the bottom of the third, as RailCats skipper Greg Tagert was ejected for arguing a play at first base. The absence of a manager in the dugout didn’t phase the RailCats, though. Gary added a home run in the fourth, and scored three unearned runs on T-Bones errors in the sixth to take a 5-4 lead with three innings to play.

Kansas City fought back to tie the game in the seventh when Jesse Acosta scored on a double by Eddie Pearson, his first of the season.

The T-Bones bullpen took over in the sixth inning. James Morrison retired four of the five batters he faced, recording two strikeouts in the process. Morrison pitched 1.1 innings before Ryan Tauscher replaced him in the eighth. Ryan Tauscher and Caleb Balbuena combined for five straight walks and two runs before Logan McElwain was called upon to get his squad out of a jam down 8-5 with the bases loaded in the bottom of the eighth.

It may not have been what McElwain and the T-Bones expected, but the inning came to an abrupt end when the T-Bones pulled off a triple play that started when Greg Jacobs snagged a sacrifice fly in center field. He then threw the ball to cut-off man Brandon Jones. Jones threw to Jesse Acosta at second, who tagged Chris Curry as he was returning to second base for the second out of the inning. Acosta then threw to Charles Peterson, who tagged Eric McNamee as he attempted to return to first base. A run scored on the play, but the T-Bones were out of the inning.

Unfortunately for the T-Bones, the top of their lineup was unproductive against Gary closer Travis Kerber, and the T-Bones fell by the final score of 8-5.

Larry Robles was solid in his 5.2 innings of work, giving up six hits and allowing five runs, only two of which were earned. Robles struckout two and walked three before he was replaced by Morrison in the sixth.

Gary’s Kris Regas recorded his first win of the season, while Caleb Balbuena was saddled with his second loss of the season. The save by Kerber was his fourth of the season.

The clubs will see eachother once more tomorrow afternoon. Kansas City’s Greg Bicknell (1-4, 5.06) will face Railcats hurler Josh Habel(1-4, 8.62) in the final game of the series, which is slated for 2:00pm at US Steelyard in Gary.