Game Recaps: Friday 8/21

Toledo dumps Clippers 4-1

Toledo dropped the Clippers 4-1 Friday night at Huntington Park. Nate Bump, the starting pitcher for the Mud Hens pitched 7 2/3 innings and picked up the win allowing only one unearned run against the Clippers. Columbus starter Carlos Carrasco pitched 6 2/3 innings, giving up three earned runs dropping to 4-1 since joining the Clippers.

The Mud Hens wasted no time getting on the board as leadoff batter Will Rhymes singled and came around to score on a first inning double by Mike Hessman. The Clippers came right back in the bottom of the first when Mickey Hall was hit by a pitch, Josh Barfield reached on an error and Tony Graffanino singled to load the bases with nobody out. Wes Hodges grounded into a double play, scoring Hall. Toledo re-took the lead in the fourth when Don Kelly walked and scored on Nuiman Romero's second error of the game.

Mike Hessman's sixth inning homer over the left field fence extended the Toledo lead to 3-1. Rich Rundles and Greg Aquino pitched in relief for Columbus. Casey Fein closed the game for his 13th save of the year. The Clippers and Mud Hens conclude the series on Saturday 7:05pm.

Graham Great As Aeros Win 4-1

Connor Graham earned his first win as an Aero in dominant fashion, limiting the Erie SeaWolves to just a solo home run in seven innings of work as Akron claimed a 4-1 victory before 3,574 fans at Jerry Uht Park Friday night. The Aeros upped their record to 77-47 on the year, moving a season-high 30 games over .500 and lowering their magic numbers to 10 over Reading for the Southern Division title and to six and five over Erie and Bowie to clinch a playoff spot, respectively. The SeaWolves dropped to 64-59 with the defeat.

Beau Mills made sure Akron would never trail in the ballgame, cracking a two-run homer to right field with two away in the top of the first. Graham then set the tone on the mound, setting down Erie in 1-2-3 fashion in the bottom of the first en route to recording the first 10 outs of the game in order.

John Drennen provided an insurance run with a solo homer leading off the top of the fifth, and Erie didn’t break through until Michael Bertram hit a solo shot of his own in the bottom of the seventh. Graham felt he had struck out Bertram two pitchers prior to allowing the homer and was visibly aggravated as Bertram rounded the bases, but after a visit to the mound from second baseman Cristo Arnal and catcher Carlos Santana the big right-hander settled down and made a statement. He struck out veteran SeaWolves catcher Max St. Pierre on three straight fastballs, registering 92 mph, 94 mph, and 93 mph in order, and then retired Santo de Leon on a grounder to short to end the inning.

The Aeros got the run right back and finished the scoring in the top of the eighth, as Lonnie Chisenhall opened the inning with a single, moved to second on a groundout, and scored on a clutch two-out RBI double down the left field line from Jose Constanza.

Graham (1-2) allowed just a run on five hits in his seven-inning stint to record the win, walking none while striking out six. Erie starter Jonah Nickerson (8-11) turned in a quality start of his own in the loss, surrendering three runs and five hits in 6.1 innings. He walked five and struck out four. Steven Wright came on in the eighth and gave up just a single over the final two innings for his second save. Mills' home run was his 12th of the year and his sixth against Erie, with four of the homers coming at Jerry Uht Park. Drennen's home run was his fourth of the season, while Constanza and Chisenhall both finished with two hits. Constanza also stole his 36th base of the year, tying him with Miguel Flores for fourth on the single-season franchise list. Constanza now needs five more to tie Eider Torres' team record of 41 bags in 2006.

Game two in this four-game series is set for 7:05 p.m. Saturday, as Akron's Josh Tomlin (12-8, 4.10 ERA) will look for his league-leading 13th win while Thad Weber (6-3, 4.50 ERA) takes the hill for the home side.

K-Tribe Wins at Wilmington 4-1

Ole Sheldon drove in two runs as Kinston beat Wilmington 4-1 Friday night in Delaware. The K-Tribe is now two games up in the Southern Division Wild Card race and 15-4 in the month of August.

Sheldon drove in his first run of the game in the first inning, belting a sacrifice fly to right field, driving in Lucas Montero. Montero led off the game with a double. Richard Martinez would put Kinston up 2-0 in the top of the fourth inning, when his RBI single plated Roman Pena. Kinston would score two more runs in the fifth inning, on an RBI single from Ole Sheldon and a comedy of errors by the Blue Rocks. Wilmington committed four errors by four different position players in that fifth innings as Kinston extended the lead to four. Wilmington finished the game with a season high five miscues. Martinez and Doug Pickens each had two hits for Kinston.

Paolo Espino (6-6) put in another solid performance from the mound, throwing 5 2/3 innings of shutout ball. Espino has given up just one earned run in four starts this month. Espino gave up five hits, struck out seven and walked a season high four in his start. David Roberts was great from the bullpen, giving up just one hit and one run in 2 1/3 innings of work. He walked one and struck out three. Kyle Landis picked up his sixth save of the season, striking out two batters in the ninth inning.

The K-Tribe takes on Wilmington in game two of the three game set tomorrow from Frawley Stadium. Game time set for 6:05 pm, Alexander Perez is the scheduled starter for Kinston.

Thompson Bomb Leads Captains Over the Birds

Mark Thompson drove in four runs and collected his career high tenth home run, as the Lake County Captains defeated the Delmarva Shorebirds on 7-6 Friday. The Captains took two of the three games of the series.

The Shorebirds scored in the first inning for the second game in a row when Ron Welty was hit by a pitch. He stole second and went to third when the Captains second baseman Mark Thompson missed the throw to second. He scored when Delvi Cid overran the ball in center field which made the throw to the plate get there late and the Birds led 1-0. The Captains tied it at 1-1 in the top of the third inning when Thompson scored on a ground out by Nate Recknagel.

The Captains took a 4-1 lead in the top of the fourth inning when Thompson cracked a three run home run. The Shorebirds got a run in the bottom of the fourth inning when a double play ball scored a run to cut the Captains lead to 4-2. The Captains got the run back in the top of the fifth inning as Jeremie Tice single home John Allman and it was 5-2. Delmarva made it 5-4 in the bottom of the fifth inning when Victor Castillo doubled home Greg Miclat and two batters later scored on a throwing error by Captains pitcher Francisco Jimenez.

The Captains tallied twice in the top of the sixth inning when Thompson doubled home Roberto Perez and then scored on a single by Bo Greenwell to extend the lead to 7-4. Welty doubled home two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning and the lead was 7-6.

Captains starter Jason Knapp did not get a decision going four innings and allowing two runs, one earned on one hit, walking three and striking out three. Jimenez (5-0) came on in the fifth inning and went 2.2 innings allowing four runs, three earned, on seven hits while striking out one to pick up the win. Brian Grening relieved Jimenez and threw 1.1 scoreless innings striking out three. Steve Smith pitched a scoreless ninth inning to register his 22nd save of the year. Shorebirds starter Ryan O'Shea (8-6) took the loss working six innings and allowing seven runs, six earned nine hits, walking three and striking out two.

The Captains head to Lakewood to play a three game series against the Lakewood BlueClaws beginning on Saturday at 7:05 PM. The Captains will send LHP Nick Hagadone (0-2, 2.67) to the hill to face LHP Matthew Way (2-1, 2.37).

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