Game Recaps: Wednesday 5/20

The Columbus Clippers had the day off.

Aeros fall

The Aeros had a chance to strike first immediately as Jose Constanza opened the game with a single and went to second on a wild pitch. Beau Mills then drew a walk two batters later and a groundout advanced both men to scoring position, but Jared Goedert struck out to end the inning.

Trenton opened the scoring in the bottom of the frame on a sacrifice fly from Jorge Vazquez, and the Akron offense missed out again in the top of the third. Eight straight balls from Thunder starter Christian Garcia put runners at first and second with no one out, and a sacrifice bunt from Carlos Rivero again moved both men to scoring position. Beau Mills tapped out in front of the plate however, and Garcia then struck out Carlos Santana to escape danger once more.

Vazquez led off the fourth with a solo home run to make it 2-0, and the game turned in the sixth. Steven Wright came out of the bullpen for Akron and allowed a one-out single to Vazquez, but Marcos Vechionacci flied to center on the next pitch for the second out. Edwar Gonzalez then hit a grounder up the middle that went off the glove of second baseman Niuman Romero to extend the inning, and Kevin Smith drilled the next offering over the wall in right-center for a three-run homer to swell the lead to 5-0. Gonzalez’s ball was originally ruled an error on Romero but was then switched to a hit, making all three runs earned against Wright.

Mills got Akron on the board with a solo bomb in the top of the seventh to cut the margin to 5-1, but the Aeros were unable to get the tying run to the plate in the final two innings.

Kanekoa Texeira (4-2) earned the win for Trenton in relief, allowing a run on two hits in 2.2 innings. Hector Rondon (5-2) returned to the starting rotation for Akron and threw the ball well, but still suffered the loss. Rondon surrendered two runs and four hits in five innings, walking one and striking out six. Mills’ home run was his second of the year, but no Aero had more than one hit on the night.

K-Tribe win thriller

The Kinston Indians ended their 8-game losing streak in dramatic fashion, defeating Potomac 3-2 on a walk-off RBI single from Ryan Blair to drive home Lucas Montero in the bottom of the ninth inning.

The Indians grabbed an early 1-0 lead thanks to a National error in the second inning, one of three errors for Potomac in the game. Matt Brown doubled and scored on a Ronald Rivas single and fielding error by right fielder Michael Burgess. The K-Tribe added another run in the fourth inning on Montero’s bases loaded walk, off of Potomac starter Brad Meyers. Meyers came into the game second in the Carolina League with a 1.85 ERA and settled down after that pitching five innings, surrendering two runs, one earned, four walks and one strikeout.

After Potomac tied the score at two in the top of the eighth inning, Kinston waited until the ninth to walk-off with the win. Lucas Montero was hit by a pitch to start the bottom of the ninth inning. Alex Castillo bunted him over to second base, setting the table for Ryan Blair’s game winning, RBI single.

The K-Tribe got a fantastic starting performance from Paolo Espino, who gave up just two hits and no earned runs in six innings. Espino walked three and struck out a season high seven batters. Heath Taylor gave up two runs on two hits in the top of the eighth inning, but Dallas Cawiezell pitched a scoreless ninth to take away his first win of the season. Potomac reliever Martin Beno picked up the loss.

Captains cruise

Mark Thompson blasted a two run home run in the top of the fifth inning and Danny Salazar picked up his first win of the year as the Lake County Captains defeated the Greensboro Grasshoppers 5-1 on Wednesday.

The Grasshoppers took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the third inning when Joel Staples singled home Justin Jacobs. Jacobs had walked to start the inning. In the top of the sixth inning and the score 2-1 after the Thompson homer, Donnie Webb scored from third base when a throw to the plate by pitcher Brad Hand sailed over the catchers head. Another run scored when Abner Abreu singled home Karexon Sanchez and it was 4-1. The lead was raised to 5-1 in the top of the eighth inning when Abreu drove home Sanchez again.

Salazar (1-1) got the win lasting five innings and allowing one run on two hits, walking one and striking out two. David Roberts followed Salazar and pitched three scoreless innings of relief allowing hits and striking out two and Steve Smith pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

The Grasshoppers' Brad Hand (2-4) threw six innings and allowed four runs, two earned, on six hits, walking none and striking out four.

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