Game Recaps: Tuesday 6/9

Yes, there were games on Tuesday night even though the MLB Draft took place!

Clippers outlast Braves in 11 innings

Columbus and Gwinnett went back and forth in the series finale and a passed ball in the eleventh inning was the difference in a Clippers 6-5 victory.

Jo Jo Reyes took the mound for the Braves in a rehab start, but left after four pitches. Reyes re-aggrivated his hamstring on a Michael Brantley bunt. Brantley reached on the play and scored on a Jordan Brown RBI single.

Kenny Ray, in his third start for the Clippers, was not efficient but was effective through the first couple innings. In the third, the Braves scored an unearned run after a single by Wes Timmons, who advanced on an error by Rob Mackowiak and an RBI single by Barbaro Canizares.

One inning later, Ray allowed three runs, capped by an Antonio Perez two-run double. Andy Cannizaro got the Clippers to within a run on a two-run single, making it 4-3 after five innings. The Clippers had scoring chances in the sixth and seventh innings, but could not capitalize on either opportunity.

The Braves added to the Clippers stress level, plating an insurance run in the eighth on a two-base throwing error by Damaso Espino. The errant throw came on a stolen base attempt and gave the Braves a 5-3 game heading into the ninth. Niuman Romero and Brantley loaded the bases for the Clippers in the ninth and Michael Aubrey, who had gone 3-for-16 in the series, drove in both with a single to force extra innings.

The Clippers took advantage of poor defense in the eleventh with Damaso Espino scoring on a passed ball to take the 6-5 lead. Vinnie Chulk closed the door for his fourth save. Masa Kobayashi earned the win by pitching a scoreless tenth inning.

The Clippers will resume action Thursday against the Louisville Bats in a battle for first lace in the West Division. The first pitch is scheduled for 7:05m at Huntington Park.

Drennen Delivers in 4-2 Aeros Victory

John Drennen was the star yet again offensively for the Aeros, socking the go-ahead two-run homer in the bottom of the eighth to propel Akron to a 4-2 triumph over New Hampshire in front of 3,423 fans at Canal Park Tuesday evening. It marked the fourth time in five games that the Aeros have taken the lead for good in either the eighth or ninth inning, improving to 37-20 on the season while New Hampshire dropped to 27-32 overall.

The Fisher Cats got on the board in the top half of the first inning when David Cooper lofted a home run to right field against Aeros starter Josh Tomlin. Akron responded shortly thereafter with a two-run second frame, as Carlos Santana led off the inning with a single, moved to second on a groundout, and scored on a two-base error by New Hampshire third baseman Chris Gutierrez. Drennen then followed with an RBI double down the right field line, scoring Goedert and giving the Aeros the early 2-1 edge.

Akron failed to capitalize on two great chances to break the game open in the middle frames against Fisher Cats starter Luis Perez, coming empty despite loading the bases with one out in the fourth and no outs in the fifth. That kept New Hampshire alive, and the Cats were able to break through in the eighth against a trio of Aeros relievers. Neil Wagner walked Cooper to start the inning and then allowed a single to Adam Calderone to put runners on the corners, and Matt Meyer walked Nick Gorneault on four pitches in a lefty-lefty match-up to load the bases with still no outs. Steven Wright then relieved Meyer and did an admirable job, giving up the tying run on a double play ball but striking out Gutierrez to end the inning and prevent New Hampshire from taking the lead.

The Aeros came right back in the bottom of the eighth, as Godert drew a leadoff walk from Rommie Lewis and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt from Carlos Rivero. Drennen then smacked a liner into the right field bleachers, his third home run of the season, putting the Aeros ahead to stay at 4-2.

Wright (5-0) earned the win while allowing just one of his three inherited runners to score in the eighth, while Lewis (1-3) suffered the loss. Closer Vinnie Pestano worked around a one-out walk in the ninth, earning his third save in as many appearances and his league-leading 15th of the season. Tomlin turned in his team-leading sixth quality start of the season, going six innings and allowing only one run and five hits with four strikeouts but did not earn a decision for the first time since April 29th.

Drennen finished the game with three hits, a hit by pitch and three RBI as he now has 16 RBI in his nine games since coming back up from Class A Kinston June 1st. In those nine contests, the native of San Diego is batting .353 (12-34) to go along with eight extra-base hits and a phenomenal .735 slugging percentage. Cristo Arnal and Santana each registered two-hit games for the Aeros, and the club has now won four out of five games for the first time since May 17th through 21st (capped by Jeanmar Gomez’s perfect game at Trenton).

Game two of this three-game set takes place Wednesday evening at Canal Park as Akron sends Hector Rondon (6-4, 3.31 ERA) to the mound as he looks to become just the second pitcher in the Eastern League with seven wins.

Davis the Hero as Kinston Snaps Skid

Kinston’s Adam Davis hit a home run to lead off the top of the tenth inning, giving the K-Tribe a 3-2 win over Myrtle Beach Tuesday night in South Carolina. It was the first home run of the season for Davis who went 2-for-4 on the night.

Kinston took an early 1-0 lead when a Matt Brown sacrifice fly scored Tim Fedroff in the top of the first inning. Kinston would take a 2-0 lead when Fedroff hit a solo home run in the third inning. It was Fedroff’s second home run of the season, his first coming in his first at bat of the year.

The Pelicans would tie the game in the fifth inning thanks to a two-run home run by Michael Fisher. It was one of the only mistakes that Kinston starter Paolo Espino would commit. Espino gave up five hits in 6 1/3 innings, striking out seven and picking up the no decision.

Kinston relievers Chen-Chang Lee and Garrison Campfield worked in and out of trouble late in the game, combining to give up just two total hits and not allowing a run in 3 2/3 innings. Myrtle Beach had their leadoff man on in the seventh, eighth and ninth inning but could not score. The Pelicans had the bases loaded in the bottom of the tenth, before Campfield got a strikeout to win the game. It was Campfield’s first win of the season.

The win was Kinston’s first extra inning win of the year and snapped a six game losing streak. The K-Tribe will take on Myrtle Beach in game two of the three game set Wednesday night at 7:05 pm in South Carolina. Eric Berger takes the mound for the K-Tribe.

Captains Fall 6-4 to Shorebirds

The Lake County Captains saw two leads vanish as the Delmarva Shorebirds came from behind to beat the Captains 6-4 on Tuesday. The Shorebirds have taken the first two games of the series and are now only 1.5 games out of first place.

The Captains got to the Shorebirds starter Cole McCurry in the bottom of the first inning when Delvi Cid started the inning with a bunt single. He went to third on a single by Walter Diaz. Cid scored on a ground out by Karexon Sanchez. Adam Abraham followed with a two run home run and it was 3-0. The Shorebirds came back and tied it at 3-3 in the top of the fourth inning against Captains starter Alexander Perez when Joe Mahoney singled home a run. Tyler Kolodny grounded out to knock in another run and Mahoney scored on a passed ball.

The Captains took the lead in the bottom of the fourth inning when Chris Nash hit a sacrifice fly that scored Abraham and it was 4-3. The Birds tied it up in the top of the seventh inning when LJ. Hoes homered off of Santo Frias to make it 4-4.

The Shorebirds scored two more runs in the top of the eighth inning when Elvin Polanco singled home a run and another scored on a Frias wild pitch and Delmarva led 6-4.

Alexander Perez did not get a decision working six innings and allowed three runs on two hits walking two and striking out three. Frias (2-1) took the loss allowing three runs in two innings of work. McCurry did not get a decision either, hurling five innings and allowed four runs on five hits, walking one and striking out six. T.R. Keating (1-1) picked up the win throwing three scoreless, hitless innings and striking out six. Brandon Cooney pitched a scoreless ninth inning to record his ninth save.

The Captains and Shorebirds play a special 11:00 AM game on Wednesday with the Captains LHP T.J. McFarland (2-2, 4.27) taking the mound against the Shorebirds RHP Ryan O'Shea (4-2, 3.10).

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