Game Recaps: Tuesday 5/26

Clippers even series against Knights

The Clippers used early offense and solid relief work to beat the Charlotte Knights 7-5 Tuesday. The win snaps a three game losing streak and brings the Clippers back to .500 at 23-23.

Columbus scored a run in the first, three in the second, and another in the third. Michael Brantley scored on an Aubrey fielder's choice in the first. In the second, Andy Marte led off with a single, Barfield reached on an error and Wyatt Toregas singled home Marte. After a walk to Cannizaro, Brantley hit a sacrifice fly to center that scored Barfield, and Tony Graffanino hit a fielder's choice to score Toregas. Jordan Brown continued his hot streak by leading off the third with a single. He would later score on a Barfield double.

John Meloan got the start for the Clippers and pitched three innings, allowing three runs on four hits. Zach Jackson was supposed to start, but was put on hold by the Cleveland Indians. Meloan didn't allow a runner to reach in the first two innings, but struggled in the third. Javier Castillo led off with a single, Donald Lucy and Keith Ginter followed with doubles. A Brent Lillibridge fielder's choice plated the third run.

Rafael Perez pitched two scoreless innings in relief of Meloan to earn his first win of the season. He struck out two and allowed three hits.

The Clippers added two insurance runs in the seventh. Michael Aubrey reached on an error and Chris Gimenez followed with a double. Jordan Brown collected his team-high twenty-fifth RBI on a single. After a strikeout, Barfield got his second RBI of the night, driving home Gimenez.

The Knights made things interesting in the eighth when they scored two runs off reliever Tony Sipp, but couldn't manage anymore as Frank Herrmann closed the door in the ninth for the save.
The Knights and Clippers will continue the series Wednesday night at 6:35pm. RHP Jack Cassel (3-4, 6.65) will get the start for the Clippers and oppose LHP Wes Whisler (5-3, 2.44) of the Knights.

Reading Blanks Aeros, 5-0

The Aeros were shutout for the fifth time this year as the visiting Reading Phillies held Akron to just four hits in a 5-0 victory before 4,692 fans at Canal Park Tuesday night. Reading (24-19) won its fifth straight while holding an opponent scoreless for the second straight game and third time in four contests, closing to within seven games of the Aeros (31-12).

The Phillies struck first in the top of the third against Aeros starter Jeanmar Gomez, as a single by number nine hitter Tuffy Gosewisch started the rally. Gomez then bobbled Quintin Berry’s bunt attempt for an error to put men at first and second, and after a sacrifice advanced both runners, Gosewisch scored on a bang-bang play at the plate on Michael Taylor’s infield chopper. Kevin Mahar then made it 2-0 with an RBI groundout to short.

The scoring continued in the fourth when a leadoff home run by Brian Stavisky (his first of the year) brought in the third run of the night for Reading. Back-to-back doubles by Carlos Leon and Gosewisch later in the inning plated the fourth run, while Mahar’s RBI single in the fifth scored Taylor and provided the final margin of the evening.

Reading starter Vance Worley (4-2) was phenomenal throughout, retiring 13 consecutive Aeros hitters from the first through the fifth innings. He finished the night with a scoreless seven innings of work, while limiting the Aeros to only three hits and one walk and striking out a pair. Gomez (4-1) struggled to repeat his perfection from last Thursday in Trenton, as he went six innings and allowed a season-high eight hits to go along with five runs (four earned), two walks and four strikeouts. His ERA jumped from an otherworldly 0.31 to a still very impressive 1.29 in five starts at the Double-A level. Relievers Erik Stiller and Zach Putnam pitched three shutout innings out of the pen.

Carlos Rivero led Akron with two hits, but the Aeros could muster only four knocks total against Worley and reliever Mike Zagurski. It marked the second time in three games that visiting pitchers have held Akron to exactly four hits, and the Aeros dropped to a meager 3-9 when scoring less than three runs.

This three-game series with Reading continues Wednesday evening at 7:05 p.m. as Akron left-hander and Eastern League ERA-leader Chuck Lofgren (3-1, 1.35 ERA) takes on Phillies starter Michael Stutes (3-1, 3.98 ERA).

Kinston Indians Rained Out for Second Straight Night

Tuesday night’s double header between the Kinston Indians and Potomac Nationals has been rained out. The K-Tribe and P-Nats will try again on Wednesday night at 5:35 pm from Woodbridge, VA.

Captains Win 8-4

Mark Thompson drove home three runs and hit his second home run in as many games as the Lake County Captains defeated the Greensboro Grasshoppers 8-4 on Tuesday.

The Captains took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning when Adam Abraham singled home Delvi Cid off of Grasshoppers starter Kyle Kaminksa. The Captains added four more runs in the bottom of the second inning when after back to back hits, a run scored when Walter Diaz reached on an error. Another run scored on a single by Mark Thompson and Karexon Sanchez capped off the scoring with a two RBI single and t was 5-0.

The lead went to 7-0 when Thompson hit a two run home run in the bottom of the fourth inning. John Allman added a solo home run in the bottom of the fifth inning to make it 8-0. The Hoppers got on the board in the top of the sixth inning on a solo home run by Kevin Mattison and it was 8-1. The Grasshoppers scored another run in the top of the on a home run by Justin Bass to make 8-2. Kyle Skipworth and Bass both homered in the top of the ninth to close out the scoring at 8-4.

Perez (3-2) got the win lasting six innings and allowing one run on four hits, walking one and striking out three. Kaminska (4-3) took the loss allowing seven runs, three earned, on eight hits and struck out one.

Game two of the four game series with the Greensboro Grasshoppers is Wednesday with the Captains sending LHP T.J. McFarland (2-2, 3.76) to the mound against the Grasshoppers RHP Johnny Dorn (6-1, 3.02).

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