Game Recaps: Friday 5/1

Columbus Wins, Several Players Called Up To Cleveland Afterward

Columbus pounded Durham 14-1 on Friday night. But the news of the night was the Indians announcing after the game that OF Matt LaPorta, INF Luis Valbuena, and INF Josh Barfield have been called up to Cleveland. OF Trevor Crowe has been optioned to Triple-A Columbus, INF Tony Graffanino designated for assignment, and RHP Joe Smith has been placed on the 15-day disabled list.

As for the game, lefty Davis Huff was back to his 2008 form going six shutout innings and allowing four hits, two walks and had four strikeouts. Right-hander Randy Newsom made his Columbus debut in the 9th innings and allowed a run on two hits in his one inning or work.

Infielder Luis Valbuena split time at third base and shortstop, in a final tune-up for his callup to Cleveland, and went 2-for-4 with a HR and 3 RBI on the night. Matt LaPorta also got his first start at first base to get him ready for the call to Cleveland, and he went hitless in four at bats. Designated hitter Michael Aubrey went 3-for-5 with a double and RBI, left fielder Jordan Brown went 4-for-5 with a double, HR, and 3 RBI, catcher Chris Gimenez went 3-for-5 with a HR and 3 RBI, and third baseman Andy Marte went 2-for-3 with a HR and 4 RBI.

Aeros Rebound, Blast Baysox 8-6 in 10

BOWIE, MD – Nick Weglarz and Jerad Head launched solo home runs in the top of the 10th as Akron bounced back after blowing a five-run lead to clip Bowie 8-6 in 10 innings before 8,778 fans at Prince George’s Stadium Friday night. The Aeros improved to an Eastern League best 17-4 and won their fourth straight game while the Baysox slipped to 9-11 on the year.

Weglarz got Akron on the board first with an RBI double in the second, and after Bowie tied it in the third, the Aeros posted four runs in the fourth. Beau Mills and Carlos Santana both walked on four pitches to open the frame, and after Baysox starter Bobby Livingston recorded the next two outs Damaso Espino ripped a two-run single to left to push Akron back in front at 3-1. Mickey Hall followed with a fly ball to center that Ambiorix Concepcion dropped to put runners at second and third, and Head then delivered another two-run single to make it 5-1.

Hall’s sacrifice fly in the sixth made it 6-1, but the Baysox came roaring back in the bottom of the eighth. Concepcion started a run of five straight hits that led to four runs and cut the Akron lead to a single run, and Bowie then capped the comeback in the ninth off closer Vinnie Pestano. Melvin Dorta started the rally with a two-strike single to center, and after Paco Figueroa popped up Concepcion added a two-strike hit of his own to put runners on the corners. Miguel Abreu then tied the game at 6-6 with an RBI single to right, but Pestano did well to get to the 10th. He walked Jonathan Tucker intentionally to load the bases, and the strategy paid off when Guillermo Rodriguez tapped back to the mound and Pestano took the force at the plate for the second out. Milwaukee native Joe Nowicki then flied to left to end the inning.

It didn’t take long for Akron to retake the lead in the 10th, as Weglarz drilled the third pitch he saw over the wall in left-center to put the Aeros back in front to stay at 7-6. Head then added some insurance with a blast of his own, going deep the opposite way to right field to account for the final margin. Josh Judy worked the bottom of the 10th to earn his first Eastern League save, striking out Figueroa on a nasty slider to end it.

Chuck Lofgren started and battled through five innings for the Aeros, departing after five innings of one-run baseball but ultimately getting a no-decision. He has allowed just two runs and six hits over his last three starts, covering 17.0 innings. Pestano (1-0) got the win but blew his second save of the year, while Ryan Rodriguez (0-2) took the loss for Bowie. Weglarz, who began the season mired in an awful slump, continued to show signs of breaking out as he finished 3-5 with two doubles, a homer, and two RBI. It was his first three-hit game of the season, and he set a new Aeros season-high with eight total bases. Both of his home runs this season have come at Bowie. Head finished 2-4 with a walk and three RBI while hitting his third home run of the year, and Espino’s base hit in the fourth pushed his hitting streak to a season-high five games.

Game two in this three-game series is set for 7:05 p.m. Saturday, as Frank Herrmann (1-1, 3.00 ERA) takes on Sean Gleason (0-1, 11.57 ERA).

Lynchburg Hands Kinston an 8-3 loss

Lynchburg hit three home runs on their way to an 8-3 win against Kinston Friday night at City Stadium in Virginia.

The Hillcats started the hitting in the bottom of the first inning when Pedro Alvarez hit a solo home run off of K-Tribe starter Russell Young. Young was called up from Lake County on April 29th and made his Carolina League debut. Young settled down and did not allow another hit until the fourth inning.

In the top of the fourth inning, Kinston took a brief 3-1 lead behind four straight one out hits from Lonnie Chisenhall, Matt McBride, Matt Brown and Ronald Rivas. The hit by Rivas was good for an RBI, as was the single by Alex Castillo one batter later. Rivas was the only K-Triber with multiple hits on the night going 2-for-4 in the game.

In the bottom of the fourth the Hillcats ripped the lead back with a six hit, two walk, five run inning highlighted by a two-run home run from Kent Sakamoto. Sakamoto would add a solo home run in the eighth inning off of Kinston reliever Kyle Landis for Lynchburg’s third home run of the night. It was the most home runs given up by the K-Tribe pitching staff in a single game this season, as Kinston’s staff came into the game having given up just 13 home runs all season; the lowest mark in the Carolina League. Kinston reliever Kyle Landis, making his first K-Tribe appearance of the season after being called up from Low A Lake County Friday afternoon, gave up just one hit and no runs in three innings of relief work.

The K-Tribe stays on the road for game two against Lynchburg Saturday night in Virginia. Kinston’s Eric Berger will take the hill for the 7:05 pm start.

Captains Intimidate Kannapolis 8-4

The Lake County Captains erupted for a season high eighteen hits on their way to an 8-4 win over the Kannapolis Intimidators on Friday. Every Captain in the line up had at least one hit.

The Captains scored their first run in thirteen innings in the first inning of the game when Walter Diaz doubled and scored on a double by Karexon Sanchez and the Captains had an early 1-0 lead. The lead was upped to 2-0 in the third inning when Abner Abreu singled home Karexon Sanchez. The lead went to 4-0 in the top of the fourth inning when Diaz singled home Adam White and Donnie Webb.

The Intimidators got on the board in the bottom of the fourth inning when Sergio Morales tripled and then scored on a ground out by Jorge Castillo to make it 4-1. The Captains got the run back and then some in the top of the fifth inning when Nate Recknagel tripled and scored on another triple by Abreu. Jeremie Tice doubled allowing Abreu to score and Tice scored on a sacrifice fly by White and the Captains extended their lead to 7-1.

The Intimidators added three runs in the bottom of the fifth inning on a three run home run by Morales and it was 7-4. The Captains added an insurance run in the top of the ninth inning on a sacrifice fly by Tice.

Captain’s starter Paolo Espino got the win (2-1) going five innings and allowing four runs on eight hits and striking out four. David Roberts pitched three perfect relief innings striking out three. Steve Smith pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

Intimidator’s starter Garrett Johnson took the loss (1-3) lasting four innings allowing four runs on ten hits, walking two and striking out five.

Game three of the series is Saturday 7:05 PM with the Captains sending LHP T.J. House (1-1, 1.53) to the mound to oppose RHP Greg Infante (1-0, 0.75).

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