Clippers top Herd 10-4
The Clippers jumped on the Bisons early and often Friday night at Coca-Cola Field on their way to a 10-4 victory over the Herd.
Columbus scored single runs in each of the first three innings before platting six more runs in the fourth, highlighted by a three-run home run by Chris Gimenez, to put the game out of reach early.
In building their lead, the Clippers combined the big fly with some small ball. Columbus got the lead off batter to second base with no outs in three of the first four innings and each time was able to advance the runner to third on a groundout to second base. The following batter was able to bring the run home each time, twice on singles by Josh Barfield and Wilson Valdez.
The only time in that span they didn't get the lead off batter aboard, Travis Hafner, on a major league rehab assignment from the Cleveland Indians, hit a solo home run to center in the third inning.
Meanwhile, Clippers starter Jack Cassel held the Bisons in check in his six and a third innings of work. The veteran right-hander gave up three runs on four hits while striking out three to earn the win.
The Bisons mounted a rally in the bottom of the seventh. Fernando Martinez singled with the bases loaded platting two runners and Cory Sullivan scored on a wild pitch that cut the Clipper lead to 9-4.
Bisons' reliever Tim McNab was effective in relief, needing only 32 pitches to get through three and a third scoreless innings.
The two teams square-off again on Saturday at 1:05 p.m. for game three of the four game set. The Bisons will send Dillon Gee (1-3, 3.65) to the bump against Clippers' starter Jeremy Sowers (2-1, 2.03).
Aeros lose in heart breaker
It was a pitcher’s duel throughout but the visiting Erie SeaWolves came out on top with a 1-0 victory in front of 8,331 fans at Canal Park on Friday night. Left-handers Chuck Lofgren of Akron and Jon Kibler of Erie battled to the bitter end, but the Aeros were unable to manufacture any runs before the second-largest home crowd of the season. The Aeros fell to 29-10 on the season but retained a 5.5-game lead over the second place SeaWolves, who improved to 24-16 with the win. The only run on the night came in the top of the second inning for Erie, as all of the damage came with two outs already on the board. Andy Dirks grounded a ball to first, but Lofgren dropped the throw from Beau Mills while covering first base as the error extended the inning. Dirks then proceeded to steal second, and a throwing error by catcher Carlos Santana moved him over to third. Shawn Roof then plated Dirks with a bunt single down the third base line, giving Erie the 1-0 advantage. Akron hit into a pair of double plays on the night, Kibler picked Cristo Arnal off second base in the third, and the team as a whole went 0-6 with runners in scoring position. The Aeros squandered good opportunities in the late going as Matt McBride socked a one-out double in the seventh and Arnal opened the eighth with a two-bagger of his own, but both men were left stranded at third. It was the fourth time this season that Akron has not scored a single run and they fell to 3-7 in games when they score less than three runs total (they are 26-3 otherwise). Kibler (2-3) was phenomenal for Erie, shutting out the Aeros over 8.2 innings while allowing seven hits and two walks while striking out six. The 2008 Minor League Pitcher of the Year in the Detroit Tigers organization was an out shy of his third complete game this season before Brett Jensen replaced him and notched the final out for his sixth save. Lofgren (3-1) finished with his team-leading fifth quality start of the season, delivering six innings while permitting just the one unearned run in the second. He allowed only four hits and one walk, and struck out a season-high eight batters. He lowered his ERA to 1.35 on the year, the second-lowest mark in the Eastern League. On the offensive side of things, Jose Constanza and Arnal both had two hits on the night, while Santana finished 1-3 with a walk. Constanza extended his hitting streak to five games, while Arnal picked up his second two-hit performance in just two games with Akron. Arnal was received from Class AAA Columbus on Thursday and is batting .423 (11-26) in his last eight games played between Columbus, Akron and Class A Kinston. Kinston swept in double header
Frederick struck early scoring 4 runs off Kinston starter Jonathan Holt (1-2) in the first inning and adding another in the second.
Kinston started to rally in the third inning without recording a hit. After 2 walks and an error, Chris Salberg balked home Johnny Drennen. Matt Brown then hit an RBI groundout that scored Cord Phelps.
The K-Tribe added two more in the fourth inning on a Richard Martinez RBI double and a Lonnie Chisenhall RBI single.
The 1-run lead for the Keys held up, however, as the Keys’ Jake Stevens (2-0) earned the win after 3 1/3 innings of nearly perfect relief, allowing no runs, no hits and walking just 1 to go along with 5 strikeouts.
The Indians’ spot starter Holt lost his second game of the season, going 4 innings, allowing 5 runs, 3 earned, 9 hits, 2 walks and 2 strikeouts.
The K-Tribe is now 5-12 in 1-run games, and 7 of the Indians’ last 9 losses have been by the slimmest of margins.
Lonnie Chisenhall hit his team-leading 8th homerun of the season and Lucas Montero went deep the first time this year, but Kinston lost 9-4 to Frederick in game 1 of a doubleheader at Harry Grove Stadium.
The game was a continuation of a suspended affair from last Sunday in Kinston that was stopped after half an inning because of rain.
The suspended game picked up in the bottom of the first inning with the Keys leading 2-0 and the Indians with runners on first and second and nobody out. Chisenhall promptly singled through the right side to drive home Johnny Drennen for Kinston’s first run of the game.
The K-Tribe would add two more runs in the third inning on Chisenhall’s 2-run homer and Montero’s long-ball.
That’s all the runs the Indians would manage though as Frederick’s Zachary Britton settled down after that, picking up his second win of the season after 5 innings, 3 earned runs, 5 hits, 3 walks and 4 strikeouts. Frederick reliever Andy Barb earned the 4-inning save, finishing the last 4 innings for the Keys with no runs, 1 hit, 3 walks and 5 strikeouts.
Kinston’s Joey Mahalic, making his K-Tribe debut, left after just 3 and 2/3 innings of work, surrendering 8 runs, all earned, walking 8 batters and giving up 7 hits.
Captains fall in ninth
Calvin Anderson doubled home Greg Picart in the top of the ninth inning to break a 5-5 tie and the West Virginia Power hung on to beat the Lake County Captains 6-5 on Friday. The Captains had tied it up at 5-5 in the bottom of the seventh inning on a two run home run by Karexon Sanchez, his seventh homer of the year.
The Captains scored a run in the bottom of the second inning off of Power starter Gabriel Alvarado when Michael Valadez singled home John Allman and the Captains led 1-0. The Captains added two more runs in the bottom of the fourth inning when Valadez drove home Abner Abreu and Mark Thompson knocked in Jeremie Tice and it was 3-0.
The Power got to Captains starter T.J. McFarland in the top of the fifth inning when Robbie Grossman singled home a run to make it 3-1. This was the first run that McFarland had given up in his last 19.1 innings of work. The Power erupted for four runs in the top of the sixth inning against Captains reliever Santo Frias highlighted by a two run single by Grossman and the Power took a 5-3 lead.
McFarland did not get a decision going 4.2 innings and allowing the one run on five hits, walking three and striking out five. Eddie Burns (0-1) gave up the run in the ninth inning to suffer his first career loss.
Alvarado also did not get a decision. Ryan Kelly (1-1) got the win despite allowing the game to be tied on the Sanchez home run. Eddie Pena pitched a scoreless ninth inning to register his sixth save of the year.
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