Game Recaps: Sunday 6/14

Clippers fall to Bats 7-5 in series finale

The Clippers couldn't maintain two leads and lost 7-5 Sunday to the Louisville Bats. The Clippers lost three of four to the Bats and are now two and a half games behind Louisville in the West Division.

Wyatt Toregas, in his first game back after a hand injury, had a two run homer in the third inning. Toregas brought home Andy Marte, who had singled home Matt LaPorta. The Clippers added another run in the third to lead 4-0.

Clippers starter Kenny Ray created some self-inflicted wounds in the fourth. The inning started with a walk and Wes Bankston followed with a two-run blast. After another walk and a single, Louis Bolivar hit into a fielder's choice that scored Darnell McDonald. Danny Richar followed with a single to tie the game at 4-4.

In the bottom of the fourth, Toregas started with a single and scored on a Michael Brantley groundout. The Clippers led 5-4, but managed only two hits the rest of the game.

Ray began the fifth inning by walking two batters. He retired the next two, but a hard Darnell McDonald liner got by Marte and scored both runs.

One inning later, Bolivar singled and stole second. He scored for the second time in the game when Richar singled.

The Bats bullpen shut down the Clippers offense and Josh Roenicke survived a two out double to earn the save.

The Clippers will continue the home stand as they start a four-game series with the Rochester Red Wings. Right-hander Kirk Saarloos (3-7, 5.62) gets the starting nod for Columbus against righty Jason Jones (1-5, 6.98). The first pitch is scheduled for 7:05pm.

Aeros Keep Hot Streak Going, Win 8-0

The Aeros dominated the Portland Sea Dogs for the second day in a row Sunday afternoon, winning by the final score of 8-0 with 4,862 in attendance at Canal Park. Pounding the Sea Dogs pitching staff again, Akron collected nine hits, including a season-high tying five doubles, as they improved to 40-21 with their sixth win in eight contests. Portland dropped back to .500 at 31-31 with the loss.

The blowout began in the bottom of the first, when Sea Dogs starting pitcher Ryne Lawson hit Jerad Head with a pitch before walking Carlos Santana and Beau Mills to load the bases. Matt McBride, who hit his first home run as an Aero yesterday, then blasted a 1-2 pitch on to the boardwalk in left field for the second Akron grand slam of the season and a quick 4-0 lead.

After facing all nine Aeros hitters in the first frame, Lawson walked his fourth batter to lead off the second inning. The speedy Jose Constanza then advanced to third base on a pair of groundouts, and a two-out RBI single from Mills brought him home. Another run came around in the fourth on a pair of doubles from catcher Armando Camacaro and Santana, as the Aeros pounced out to the 6-0 advantage. Akron then capped the scoring with two more in the fifth for the final margin.

Starter Hector Rondon, along with relievers Erik Stiller and Matt Meyer combined to hold the Sea Dogs to only two hits, marking both the second shutout this home stand and the second time the Aeros held their opponents to two hits or less. Rondon delivered four innings of one-hit baseball with three strikeouts, before reaching his pitch limit, and Stiller (4-3) earned his third straight victory with three more innings of one-hit ball, also picking up three strikeouts. The left-handed Meyer then sealed the deal in the eighth and ninth, striking out one while walking a batter as Akron improved to 36-6 when scoring three or more runs this season. Lawson (1-5) took the loss for Portland, allowing all eight runs on eight hits with five walks in five innings.

McBride was the only Aero with a multi-hit performance on the day, while seven players registered exactly one base knock. McBride was the star for the second game in a row, after just returning yesterday from left knee injury that kept him out for a week. He finished 2-4 with a double and the grand slam in the first inning, and has four extra-base hits in his last two games. Camacaro, Santana, Rivero and Head all gathered a double as well, although Head left in the eighth inning after being hit on the wrist with a pitch.

The Aeros now hit the road for a seven-game road trip starting Tuesday with a game at 7:05 p.m. in Manchester, NH against the New Hampshire Fisher Cats. Left-hander Scott Lewis (0-0, 0.00 ERA) is expected to make his first rehab start for Akron this season as he continues his way back up to Cleveland while recovering from strained left forearm, and will match up with New Hampshire southpaw Luis Perez (4-5, 3.52).

Kinston Swept by Lynchburg, lose finale 9-2

The Carolina League leading Lynchburg Hillcats swept Kinston right out of Historic Grainger Stadium this weekend, finishing the series off with a 9-2 victory on Sunday afternoon. The Hillcats outscored the Indians 31-9 during the three game set.

Lynchburg started the game right where it left off after Saturday night’s 16-5 trouncing as Kent Sakamoto hit a three-run home run in the first inning off Kinston starter Paolo Espino (1-2). Espino had his roughest outing of the season, going just four innings while giving up six runs on five hits and three walks.

Kinston added its only two runs of the ballgame in the fourth frame. Cord Phelps led off the inning with a triple and was driven home on an RBI groundout from Lonnie Chisenhall. Nate Recknagel later singled home Ronald Rivas to make the score 6-2 Lynchburg at the time.

But the Hillcats would add one more in the fifth and two more in the sixth to cap off the scoring. The sixth was another disastrous inning for Kinston, as reliever Ryan Miller came in and walked five batters, had a wild pitch, a balk and two runs allowed. Miller also struck out the side in the frame for one of the craziest innings of the season.

Lynchburg pitcher Harrison Bishop (1-2) earned his first win in three innings of relief, allowing no runs and just one hit. If Winston-Salem wins later tonight, the K-Tribe will officially be eliminated from playoff contention for the first half of the season.

Kinston is now a season low 11 games under .500 and finishes off the first season with a seven game road trip starting tomorrow night at Salem. The Indians will send All-Star Eric Berger (4-4, 2.37) to the bump for game one.

BlueClaws Complete Sweep of Captains

The Lake County Captains put up four runs in the bottom of the ninth inning but came up two runs short as the Lakewood BlueClaws defeated the Captains 9-7 on Sunday to complete a sweep of the three game series. The Captains will have to wait until the second half in order to make the play-offs as they were eliminated with the loss.

The Captains got their first lead of the series in the bottom of the third inning when with the bases loaded, Delvi Cid hit into a fielder’s choice and John Allman scored. Adam White then laid down a bunt single that scored Walter Diaz and it was 2-0. White’s bunt was blown foul by third baseman Travis Mattair but was ruled fair because of that. The BlueClaws came right back in the top of the fourth inning when Jeremy Hamilton doubled home a run and Troy Hanzawa followed with a RBI single and tied at 2-2.

The BlueClaws got the lead in the top of the fifth inning when Harold Garcia hit a solo home run and then Steve Susdorf hit a two run shot to make it 5-2. It was 6-2 when Alan Schoenberger grounded out and other run scored in the bottom of the sixth inning. The Captains got the run back in the bottom of the seventh inning when Cid single home Jose Camargo and it was 6-3. It was 7-3 when Garcia singled home Brendan Akashian in the top of the eighth inning. The BlueClaws added two unearned runs in the top of the ninth inning when Akashian singled home two runs.

Captains’ starter Danny Salazar (1-3) took the loss working 5.1 innings and allowing six runs on ten hits, walking one and striking out two. BlueClaws starter Tyler Cloyd (7-3) got the win pitching six innings and allowing two runs on six hits, walking two and striking out five. B.J. Rosenberg came on in the ninth inning with two runs already across and two runners on and was able to pick up his tenth save.

The Captains open a three game series with the Hagerstown Suns on Monday with a doubleheader beginning at 6:00 PM. The Captains will have RHP Alexander Perez (4-2, 3.02) on the mound in game one against the Suns RHP Brad Peacock (1-5, 3.88).

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