Game Recaps: Wednesday 6/3

Lake County's game was suspended in the fouth inning due to rain.

Clippers down Charlotte

On an evening where four players in the Clippers line up combined of eight of their nine hits on the evening, it would be enough to beat Charolette 6-4.

Michael Brantley, Tony Graffanino, Matt LaPorta, and Andy Marte each had two hits on the night. The other hit came off the bat of Wyatt Toregas, who hit a two run homer.

Starter Ken Ray (1-1 9.00) went five innings, allowing nine hits and three runs. Vinnie Chulk pitched a perfect ninth to earn his second save of the season.

Aeros shut down in loss

Kyle Drabek blanked Akron for seven innings in his Double-A debut and three-run rallies in the fifth and eighth propelled Reading to a 6-1 win before 3,233 fans at FirstEnergy Stadium Wednesday night. The Phillies improved to 29-22 with the win, while the Aeros fell for the ninth time in 13 games and dropped to 33-18.

Drabek and fellow Texan Josh Tomlin engaged in an excellent pitcher’s duel through the first four innings, with Drabek allowing just a single and two walks and Tomlin retiring the first 11 batters he faced. The Aeros threatened in the fifth on John Drennen’s one-out double, but he never made it off second base and the Phillies then took control in the bottom of the frame.

Tomlin retired the first two hitters quickly, but veteran Paul Bako lined a base hit to right to extend the inning. Kevin Mahar followed with a single to center, and Ozzie Chavez got Reading on the board with an RBI single of his own to make it 1-0. Quintin Berry then lofted the next pitch into the right field corner to score both runners and push the margin to 3-0.

Akron got a single and a walk in the sixth off Drabek but couldn’t capitalize, and the Phillies iced the game in the eighth. Two singles and a walk loaded the bases with no outs against reliever Neil Wagner, and a sacrifice fly and a broken-bat two-run single doubled the advantage to 6-0. The Aeros avoided the shutout in the ninth when Beau Mills led off with a double and scored when Berry dropped Nick Weglarz’s fly ball in shallow center field with two away.

Drabek (1-0) was impressive in earning the win, allowing just three hits and three walks while striking out four. He has now worked 16.1 consecutive scoreless innings including his last two appearances with Class A Clearwater. Tomlin (5-4) turned in his fifth quality start (tied with Chuck Lofgren for the team-lead) but still suffered his third straight loss. He held Reading to three runs and five hits in six innings, walking none and striking out seven. Angel Castro recorded the final six outs for his first save.

Mills paced the Aeros offensively, reaching base all four times with three hits and a walk while also scoring Akron’s only run. Carlos Santana drew two walks and Drennen had the only other hit.

K-Tribe fall

With the game tied at two in the top of the fourth inning, Robinson hit a solo home run over the scoreboard in right-center field. It was his seventh home run of the season. Wilmington would add some insurance with another solo shot in the sixth inning, this one by Jeff Bianchi.

After Wilmington scored two runs on three hits in the top of the first inning, Kinston got to work in the second. Four straight one-out hits tied the score at two as Richard Martinez and Nate Recknagel drove in Ronald Rivas and Adam Davis. Wilmington starter Everett Teaford would settle down after that, not giving another hit through his final four innings of work. Teaford (6-1) got the win, striking out seven and walking three.

Starter Paolo Espino (1-2) picked up the loss for Kinston, giving up six hits and all four earned runs. He struck out seven and walked none. Kyle Landis was great from the K-Tribe bullpen, giving up just one hit in two innings. Garrison Campfield pitched a perfect ninth inning for Kinston. K-Tribe pitchers combined for no walks on the afternoon while striking out nine.

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