06/02/2004 3:48 PM - In front of 3,018 at CommunityAmerica Ballpark, the Kansas City T-Bones took a 3-0 lead against St. Paul through four innings. But the T-Bones allowed three runs in the top of the ninth and lost 6-4.

Kansas City started off the scoring in the bottom of the first when Eddie Pearson singled in Rick Prieto, who had walked and stolen second. Prieto, playing his first game in the outfield this season, homered to lead off the third and give the T-Bones a 2-0 lead.

The T-Bones plated another in the fourth when a Hiroshi Fujimoto groundout scored Ray Brown. But St. Paul came back with solo homers to lead off the fifth and sixth, by Kazuhiro Kohno and Nick Gretz respectively.

Those were the only two runs T-Bones starter Jon McDonald would allow in his seven innings of work. Cody Nowlin singled in Jack Jones for an insurance run in the bottom of the seventh to make it 4-2, but the T-Bones bullpen fell on hard times in the final two innings.

St. Paul got within one in the eighth and tied it in the ninth against reliever D.J. Johnson when a Justin Hall double plus an error by T-Bones right fielder Chris LePine allowed pinch-runner Ryan Dorsey to score. Scott Samuels' two-run single then gave the Saints a 6-4 lead. Tim Christman closed the door on the T-Bones in the bottom of the ninth, striking out the side to earn his first save.

Reliever Eddie Aucoin earned his second win of the season for St. Paul (8-4), while Johnson took the loss for the T-Bones (4-9), his first.

Tomorrow night is a 7:05 game, and will be a Falcon Lakes Beverage Koozie giveaway to the first 2,500 fans as well as Mullet Night, presented by Z 95.7. LHP Ralph McCasland (0-1) will oppose RHP Mike Meyer (1-1).