Game Recaps: Friday 8/7

Bisons edge Clippers 4-3

The Buffalo Bisons homered three times and hung on to defeat the Clippers 4-3 Friday night. Clippers starter Ryan Edell struck out the first three batters of the game, and five of the first seven hitters he faced. Mike Lamb launched a solo homerun in the second inning for the first run of the game.

Lamb collected another hit with a single in the fourth inning. Chip Ambres plated Lamb with a two-run blast that put Buffalo ahead 3-0.

Wes Hodges played a role in all three Clippers runs. He hit a solo home run in the fourth inning, a RBI double in the sixth and scored in the same inning off a Stephen Head single.

Rene Rivera hit a solo shot in the sixth inning, giving Buffalo a 4-1 lead. It would turn out to be the winning run.

Edell was making his first start for Columbus. He pitched six innings, allowing seven hits and four runs. He didn't walk a batter and struck out five. Zach Jackson and Michael Tejera combined to allow two hits over the final three innings.

Columbus and Buffalo will continue the series Saturday at 7:05pm. Right hander Hector Rondon (3-1, 2.79) will start for the Clippers and oppose lefty Adam Pettyjohn (2-7, 4.73).

Rock Cats Outlast Aeros for 9-6 Win

It was an unwelcoming entrance to Double-A for Eric Berger, as the New Britain Rock Cats rocked the new Aeros left-hander for 13 of their 16 hits en route to a 9-6 victory before 6,761 fans at Canal Park Friday night. Akron (70-43) lost for just the second time in 11 games despite getting the potential tying run to the plate in the bottom of the ninth, while the Rock Cats improved to 55-57.

New Britain got to Berger for a run in the first on a two-out RBI double by Luke Hughes, and added three more in the second. Toby Gardenhire and Brian Dinkleman opened the frame with singles, and Steve Singleton scored them both with a two-run triple. Brandon Roberts then followed with an RBI base hit of his own, giving New Britain a 4-0 lead.

The Aeros answered with a run in the bottom of the third but would have argued that they should have scored twice. Carlos Santana was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to make it 4-1, and Beau Mills followed with a fly ball to shallow center field. Akron manager Mike Sarbaugh elected to send speedster Jose Constanza from third base and try to score, and while it looked like Constanza made it in safely umpire Scott Mahoney ruled that he missed home plate and ruled Constanza out, ending the inning on a bizarre double play and leading to Sarbaugh’s ejection.

The Rock Cats got the run back in the top of the fourth to make it 5-1, but Akron rallied with two runs in the bottom half of the inning. Jerad Head reached on an error to start the inning, Jared Goedert doubled him to third two batters later, and Cristo Arnal brought the Aeros to within 5-3 with a two-run single back up the middle.

Four runs in the sixth gave New Britain an insurmountable lead however, as a triple and two singles made it 6-3 before Berger departed with runners at first and second and two away. Carlton Smith then came on in relief and wild pitched the runners to second and third before Carlos Rivero bobbled Hughes’ grounder for an error to score a run and extend the inning. The Rock Cats took advantage of the miscues with back-to-back RBI singles from Erik Lis and Gardenhire to push the margin to 9-3.

Akron made things interesting in the bottom of the seventh, as Cats reliever Carlos Gutierrez allowed two walks and a single to load the bases with no one out. Mills then laced a two-run double to left-center to make it 9-5, but Gutierrez got Head on a shallow fly to center for the key first out. Rivero cut it to three runs with an RBI groundout, but Goedert struck out as the potential tying run to end the inning. Akron mounted one final charge in the ninth as Mills doubled with one out and Head followed with a bloop single, but Rivero flied out and pinch-hitter Nick Weglarz struck out looking to end the contest.

Mullins improved to 8-10 with the victory, earning a quality start while holding Akron to six hits and three runs (one earned) in six innings. Berger (0-1) took the loss in his debut in allowing eight runs (five earned) and 13 hits, the most permitted by an Aeros pitcher this season. Anthony Slama earned his 24th save by getting the final five outs, tying injured Akron closer Vinnie Pestano for the league lead. Mills finished 3-5 with two RBI for his team-leading 34th multi-hit game, but Santana’s 14-game hit streak was snapped.

This three-game weekend set continues Saturday night at 7:05 p.m. at Canal Park for Aeros hacky-sack giveaway night, sponsored by the Akron-Canton Airport. All-Star Jeanmar Gomez (9-3, 3.27 ERA) looks to become the third pitcher in the Eastern League with 10 wins against New Britain’s Deolis Guerra (4-1, 4.80 ERA).

Indians Roll Over Red Sox For Fourth Straight Win

Ole Sheldon hit his eight home run of the season as Kinston scored nine unanswered runs to beat Salem 9-1 in game two of a four game series from Historic Grainger Stadium.

Kinston trailed 1-0 heading into the bottom of the third inning when Tim Fedroff (2-for-5) singled in Adam Davis and Alex Castillo to give the Indians a 2-1 lead.

The K-Tribe would add four more in the sixth inning started by a Lonnie Chisenhall (1-for-3) RBI double to drive in Fedroff. It was Chisenhall’s Carolina Leading 79th RBI this season. The next batter was Sheldon who lined his eighth home run over the left center field wall to break the game open and give Kinston the 5-1 lead. They would add another in the frame on a Davis (1-for-3) RBI single to knock in Cord Phelps.

Kinston’s final scoring frame came in the eighth when the Indians batted around, scoring three runs on three hits and three walks. After the bases were loaded with nobody out, Ronald Rivas hit a sacrifice fly to right field to score Chisenhall. Then with two away, Doug Pickens (1-for-4) hit a bloop two RBI single to score Sheldon and Phelps and make the game 9-1 K-Tribe.

Kinston got a solid start from Mike McGuire, who worked four and 1/3 innings, allowing one run on five hits, two walks and a season high six strikeouts. Bryce Stowell (3-5) came in for relief and didn’t give up a hit in three and 2/3 innings, walking two and striking out three.

The win made it four straight for Kinston, tying a season-high. The last time the Indians won four in a row was May 7-9th.

The Indians will try to make it five in a row tomorrow night with Scott Barnes taking the mound for game three. Game time set for 7 pm.

Captains De-Claw Lakewood

The Lake County Captains used two big offensive innings and another night of clutch relief pitching to hand the Lakewood BlueClaws a 8-4 loss on Friday. Every batter in the Captains line up reached base at least once. Captains’ relievers have inherited fourteen runners on base in the series including three bases loaded situations and have not allowed a run to score.

The Captains scored four times in the top of the second inning on a two RBI double by John Allman that scored Karexon Sanchez and Donnie Webb. Bo Greenwell added a two run double as well knocking in Allman and Michael Valdez and the Captains led 4-0. The BlueClaws scored twice in the bottom of the fourth inning when Anthony Gose scored on a throwing error and Korby Mintken scored on a double play ball and the Captains lead was cut it half. It was 4-3 when another Captains error allowed Travis Mattair to score a run in the bottom of the fifth inning.

The Captains extended the lead in the top of the seventh inning as Nate Recknagel tripled home Jeremie Tice and then score on a single by Sanchez. Dan DeGeorge singled home Sanchez and it was 7-3. The Claws put up a run in the bottom of the seventh inning when Mintken was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to make it 7-4. Recknagel scored on a wild pitch in the top of the ninth inning and the Captains led 8-4.

Captains’ T.J. McFarland did not get a decision going 4 innings and allowing three runs on five hits, walking two and striking out two. Francisco Jimenez relieved McFarland with the bases loaded and no outs in the bottom of the fifth inning and did not allow a run striking out the side. Jimenez (3-0) worked 2.1 innings and allowed one run on two hits, walking one and striking out six. Matt Langwell threw 1.2 scoreless innings and Steve Smith pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

BlueClaws starter Justin De Fratus (5-5) took the loss working six innings and allowing four runs on eight while striking out seven.

The Captains and Lakewood wrap up the five game series on Saturday at 7:05 PM. The Captains will send LHP T.J. House (3-8, 3.01) to the mound to face the BlueClaws RHP Jesus Sanchez (8-5, 3.45).

Lake Monsters Stop Scrappers Winning Streak 6-2

On Friday night the Scrappers seven game winning streak came to an end falling to the Vermont Lake Monsters 6-2. With the loss, the Scrappers are 31-18 and still lead the Pinckney Division by three games over the Williamsport Crosscutters.

Mahoning Valley Scored their two runs in the top of the 5th when Casey Frawley double home Ben Carlson, who singled to start the inning. On a ground out, Frawley moved to third and then scored on Dwight Childs RBI single to left field. The Lake Monsters responded with four runs in the bottom of the 5th and added single runs in the 7th and 8th to defeat the Scrappers 6-2.

Scrappers starter Brett Brach worked the first five innings and surrendered four runs, three of them were earned. Brach walked three and struck out three and dropped to 2-2 on the season with the loss. Jose Urena pitched the final three innings and gave up two runs, one of them was earned.

The Scrappers road trip continues in Vermont against the Lake Monsters on Saturday night. Preston Guilmet is scheduled to make the start for the Scrappers he is 4-2 with a 3.02 ERA.

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