FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: (August 18, 2017)
Contact: Jared Shlensky
[email protected]

Box Score

KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A season-high four home runs and six innings of one-run ball from Jeff McKenzie led the Gary SouthShore RailCats to an 8-1 win over the Kansas City T-Bones on Friday night. Friday’s win was Gary’s seventh in their last eight and put the RailCats in sole possession of first place in the Wild Card.

Cameron Newell gave Gary (47-36) a 1-0 lead with the first of the RailCats’ four home runs on the night in the top of the first. Newell’s two-out solo home blast was his second professional home run and the first of his career away from U.S. Steel Yard.

The RaiCats added two more runs in the second to go up by three. A fielding error by T-Bones third baseman Jordan Edgerton brought home Jose Gonzalez before a sacrifice fly from Alex Crosby scored Ryan Fitzgerald for the final run of the inning.

Kris Goodman made it 4-0 with a solo home run in the third before Chase Harris made it 5-0 with a two-out solo home run in the top of the fourth. The home run for Harris was fourth of the season and his second in as many nights.

Kansas City (47-37) got their only of the night in bottom of the fourth on Kyle Petty’s solo home run off the top of the Gary bullpen, trimming the RailCats lead to 5-1. The home run was Petty’s ninth of the season and his 35th RBI of the year.

Gary scored the final three runs of the game in seventh, increasing the RailCats lead to 8-1. Crosby led off the inning with an opposite field shot down the left field line before Gonzalez delivered a two-out, two-run single, scoring both Colin Willis and Goodman.

McKenzie (3-3) recorded his second straight win and quality start in Friday’s series opener. Of the 18 outs McKenzie recorded, 13 were flyouts, three were groundouts and the other two were strikeouts.

Alex Blackford (0-1) was charged with the loss in his American Association debut. The right-hander allowed five runs (three earned) on seven hits, a walk and five strikeouts over six innings.

Gary continues their three-game series vs. Kansas City on Saturday night at 7:05 p.m. Alex Gunn (7-4, 3.66) make his league-high-tying 21st start of the year for the RailCats while the T-Bones counter with right-hander Luis Paula (4-2, 3.55) in the middle game of the series.

Gary returns home to U.S. Steel Yard on Friday, August 25th, for a three-game series vs. Kansas City at 7:10 p.m. Friday’s game is Stand Up to Cancer Night, features a Hat Giveaway and is another Fireworks Friday. The first 1,000 fans receive a hat, courtesy of Methodist Hospitals, while Fireworks and Stand Up to Cancer Night are presented by Fifth Third Bank.

Jared Shlensky and Austin Anderson bring you all 100 RailCats games this season on WEFM (95.9 FM) and online at railcatsbaseball.com. Fans can purchase tickets for RailCats home games by calling (219) 882-BALL or online at railcatsbaseball.com. The RailCats box office is open Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.