Game Recaps: Friday 4/17

Clippers Rally Late, Lose 5-3

Columbus staked Toledo to a 3-0 early, a lead which held up until the 7th inning when Columbus put one on the board on an Andy Marte RBI triple.

After allowing a run in the bottom of the 7th inning, Columbus came right back with two runs in the 8th thanks to two Michael Brantley steals which setup a Matt LaPorta RBI single. Michael Aubrey followed with an RBI double which plated Luis Valbuena. With one out and the bases loaded, the Clippers were unable to plate the tying or go ahead runs as Stephen Head struck out swinging and then Aubrey was picked off third to end the rally.

Right-hander Kirk Saarloos got the start for the Clippers and gave a quality start going 6 innings and allowed 3 runs on 5 hits, 3 walks and had 7 strikeouts. Righty John Meloan relieved and gave up his first run of the season going 1.1 innings and allowed 1 run on 3 hits. He did not walk or strikeout a batter.

Laporta finished the night 1-for-4 with an RBI and Marte went 1-for-3 with a 3B and RBI. The star of the night was Aubrey who went 4-for-4 with a 2B and RBI, and on the season is now hitting a blistering .531 (17-for-32) with 1 HR, 8 RBI and a 1.324 OPS in 9 games.

Tomlin Terrific as Aeros Win 3-1

BOWIE, MD – Josh Tomlin turned in his first quality start of the year and the Aeros supported him with just enough offense in a 3-1 triumph over Bowie before 1,391 fans at Prince George’s Stadium Friday night. Akron improved to 6-2 and remained in first place by a half-game over Erie, while the Baysox (5-4) saw their winning streak end at five games.

Bowie got on the board first as Dave Krynzel singled with one away in the bottom of the second, stole second base, and scored on Melvin Dorta’s RBI base hit with two away. The Aeros responded in the fourth however in fortuitous fashion, finally breaking through against Sox starter Brandon Erbe. The right-hander had retired the first 11 hitters and was working on a perfect dozen when Beau Mills hit a routine roller up the first base line, but Bowie’s Brandon Snyder had the ball go off his glove for a two-out error that kept the inning alive for Carlos Santana. Sure enough, Santana took advantage of the opportunity by lofting a two-run homer down the right field line, putting the Aeros in front at 2-1.

Akron got a key insurance run in the top of the eighth, as Jose Constanza was hit by a pitch with two gone to keep the inning alive. He then stole second base and came home on Carlos Rivero’s RBI single to left to make it 3-1. The Aeros had a chance to break the game open in the ninth as they loaded the bases with two away, but Chad Thall struck out Mickey Hall in a lefty-lefty matchup to keep it a two-run deficit.

The Baysox then made Akron sweat out the final three outs, as closer Vinnie Pestano got a fly ball and a strikeout before running into trouble. Guillermo Rodriguez laced an opposite field double into the right field corner to extend the game, and a passed ball and a walk put the tying run on base and brought Dave Krynzel to the plate as the potential winning run. Pestano recovered however, getting Krynzel to line softly into a fielder’s choice to end the game and preserve the win.

Tomlin (1-1) earned his first win by delivering six quality innings, allowing just a run on four hits. He walked one and struck out one. Erbe (0-2) deserved a better fate than the loss, giving up just Santana’s home run over six frames of his own. Both runs were unearned, and he struck out eight. Wisconsin native Scott Roehl earned his first hold with scoreless innings in the seventh and eighth, and Pestano notched his fourth save in as many chances. He leads the Eastern League in saves, while Santana leads the league with 12 RBI.

Game three in this four-game series is set for 7:05 p.m. Saturday, with Steven Wright (1-0, 3.60 ERA) taking the hill for Akron and southpaw Bobby Livingston (1-0, 3.00 ERA) countering for Bowie.

K-Tribe Downs Dash 4-2

K-Tribe starter Zach Putnam shut down Winston-Salem early as the Indians held on late to beat the Dash 4-2 Friday night at Historic Grainger Stadium. Putnam (2-0) retired the first eleven batters he faced, going six strong innings, giving up two earned runs while striking out a career high eight.

The K-Tribe would give Putnam all the run support he needed when they batted around in the third inning. Roman Pena started off the frame with a single. Pena stole second base and was driven home on an RBI single by Alex Castillo. Castillo would make it home on an RBI triple by Cristo Arnal. Lonnie Chisenhall would drive home the third run of the inning with an RBI single with two out. The K-Tribe would add their final run of the game on an RBI single by Lucas Montero in the seventh inning. Montero, Pena, Arnal and Matt McBride would each have two hits for the K-Tribe. Kinston belted out ten hits on the night.

The Indians bullpen did the rest, with Matt Meyer, Jonathan Holt and Josh Judy combining for three shutout innings. Judy picked up his second save of the season. Dash starter Levi Maxwell took the loss for Winston-Salem.

The K-Tribe returns to Historic Grainger Stadium Saturday night for game two of the three game series against Winston-Salem. Game time 7pm, Ryan Morris will take the hill for Kinston.

Captains Win 3rd Straight

Chris Nash scored on a wild pitch to break a 3-3 tie and Walter Diaz drove home Michael Valadez and for the second night in a row the Captains scored runs in their final at bat and go on to beat the Delmarva Shorebirds 5-3. The Captains have won three in a row.

The Shorebirds took the lead with an unearned run in the bottom of the second inning off of Captains starter Paolo Espino when L.J. Hoes hit an infield single that scored Joe Mahoney and it was 1-0. The Captains got to Delmarva starter Ryan O’Shea in the top of the fourth inning when Ryan Blair doubled and then scored on a single by Nate Recknagel to tie the game at 1-1.

The Shorebirds took the lead back in the bottom of the fourth inning when they loaded the bases against Espino. David Roberts relieved Espino and gave up a two RBI single to Brendan Monaghan and it was 3-1. The Captains tied it up at 3-3 in the top of the sixth when Recknagel drove home Mark Thompson and Chris Nash added a sacrifice fly that scored Jeremie Tice.

Espino allowed three runs, two earned with four strikeouts in 3.1 inning of work. Roberts went 3.2 scoreless innings allowing two hits and striking out three. Kyle Landis pitched the last two innings to up his record to 2-0.

O’Shea pitched six scoreless innings allowing four hits, walking none and striking out seven. Colin Allen took the loss allowing both runs in the ninth inning.

The Captains and Shorebirds play game three of the four game series on Saturday at 7:05 PM with the Captains sending LHP T.J. McFarland (0-1, 24.00) to the mound against the Shorebirds LHP Nate Nery (0-0, 1.50).

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