Game Recaps: Saturday 8/29

Clippers topple Louisville 5-3

The Clippers came out on top of a 5-3 decision over the Louisville Bats Saturday at Slugger Field.

Columbus jumped on young left-hander Travis Wood in the first inning with a pair of runs and scored two more in the third on a Wes Hodges single. Clippers starter Chuck Lofgren, meanwhile, shut out the Bats over the first four innings before yielding a run in the fifth on a sacrifice fly.

Lofgren got into trouble in the sixth, giving up a two-out RBI double to Wes Bankston to make it 4-2. With the tying runs in scoring position, Torey Lovullo called to the bullpen for Frank Herrmann. Herrmann induced a groundout to end the threat.

Michael Brantley padded the lead with a solo blast to lead off the seventh inning.

Herrmann authored 2.1 innings of shutout baseball before handing the ball to Greg Aquino, who struggled, but nailed it down for his 15th save of the season.

Despite losing the game, the Bats clinched the West Division title courtesy of Toleo's loss to Indianapolis.

The final game of the Louisville series takes place at 6:15pm Sunday. Clippers lefty Ryan Edell pitches against Louisville's Ben Jukich.

Aeros Pound Binghamton, 13-3

Seven players had multi-hit games and Akron lowered its magic number to one to clinch the Southern Division regular season title, hammering Binghamton 13-3 before 5,579 fans at Canal Park Saturday night. The Aeros (81-52) were denied a chance to celebrate however, as the club entered play needing a win and a Reading loss to clinch the top seed in the playoffs, and the Phillies were suspended in the bottom of the second inning. Binghamton fell to 50-81.

The Aeros opened the scoring in the bottom of the second with RBI hits from Jerad Head and Carlos Rivero, but the B-Mets answered and eventually tied the game at 3-3 with a pair of runs in the top of the fourth. Akron exploded for four runs in the bottom of the inning however, as two singles and a walk loaded the bases with no outs. Jose Constanza then put the Aeros ahead to stay with an RBI infield single, Josh Rodriguez followed with an RBI knock to center, Carlos Santana added a sacrifice fly and Beau Mills capped the frame with a run-scoring fielder’s choice.

Akron then broke the game wide open with four more runs in the bottom of the sixth, as Mets reliever Jake Ruckle balked in a run and Mills added an RBI single. Head then delivered the big blow, ripping a two-run double inside the third base bag and stretching the advantage to eight runs at 11-3. The Aeros tacked on two more runs in the eighth on an error and a sac fly by Head.

Eric Berger (2-1) struggled with his command but still earned the win, working into the sixth and allowing three runs (two earned) and six hits in 5.2 innings. He walked three and struck out six, and survived despite having the leadoff man reach base in each of the first five innings. Dylan Owen (4-10) suffered the loss for Binghamton, getting knocked around for seven runs and 10 hits in just four innings. Carlton Smith and Brian Grening combined for 3.1 shutout innings out of the Akron bullpen, with Smith turning in his 18th scoreless appearance in his last 23 outings.

Head paced the offense with a 3-4 night, including two doubles, two runs scored, and a season-high four RBI. Rivero and Matt McBride also finished with three hits apiece, while Constanza, Rodriguez, Santana and Mills all had two hits.

Game three in this four-game series is set for 1:35 p.m. Sunday, and Akron can clinch the division title with a win. Left-hander Bobby Livingston (2-4, 5.55 ERA) will get the ball for the Aeros while Binghamton sends Eric Brown (5-14, 6.38 ERA) to the hill.

Nats Epic Comeback Falls Short in Kinston

For the second consecutive night, the P-Nats found themselves in an immense hole in the early innings, reminiscent of the movie Groundhog's Day, but there was nothing funny about this film for the Nationals, falling behind 8-0 after two innings after a 7-0 deficit after the first in game one. But game two had a different feel to it as the P-Nats nearly put together an epic comeback in this contest, pulling within two runs late in the ballgame before Kinston managed to hold on, securing a 10-7 victory.

The K-Tribe took an early lead on one swing of the bat from designated hitter Ole Sheldon who began a big day at the plate with a three-run jack off Potomac starter Trevor Holder (2-2). Roman Pena added another two-run blast in the first to push the Indian lead to 6-0 which they would increase to 8-0 an inning later with a Cord Phelps solo shot in addition to a Ron Rivas RBI single.

But that was when the P-Nats' bats awoke from their slumber in the form of three booming home runs into the North Carolina night, silencing the raucous crowd at Grainger Stadium.

Two singles and a walk loaded the bases for Brian Peacock in the fourth inning, and the catcher delivered a massive grand slam over the left field wall to cut the K-Tribe lead in half at 8-4. For Peacock, it was his first grand slam since April 13, 2008 which, coincidentally, came at the expense of the Kinston Indians.

After Peacock's long ball, Sheldon once again came through for the K-Tribe, lifting his second home run of the night off reliever Hassan Pena to get one of those runs back to make the lead 9-4. Sheldon finished the game 3-for-4 with two home runs and five RBI.

Looking to continue their comeback, Jesus Valdez extended his career high in home runs with a two-run blast, his seventh of the season, to cut into the deficit, and Peacock took an 0-2 pitch off reliever Dave Roberts deep over the right-center field wall for his second home run of the evening to nearly complete the P-Nat comeback at 9-7.

On the day, Peacock went 2-for-4 with two home runs and five RBI and the catcher now has seven home runs on the season which ties him with Valdez and Tim Pahuta for third on the team.

Both bullpens would quiet down this back-and-forth affair, putting up zeroes the rest of the way with the exception being the K-Tribe scratching out a single run in the bottom of the 8th to push the advantage to 10-7 which is where the score would stay as Kyle Landis slammed the door for his eighth save of the season.

The P-Nats caught a break when the Wilmington Blue Rocks blew a 3-0 lead late in the ballgame to lose to Salem 4-3. The loss keeps the P-Nats three games back of the first-place Blue Rocks with eight games left on the schedule.

These two teams will be back here on Sunday afternoon for a 2 ET start.

Captains and BlueClaws Split DH

The Lake County Captains split a doubleheader with the Lakewood BlueClaws on Saturday. The BlueClaws won game one 3-2 and the Captains won the night cap 10-1. This was the Captains third double header split in the five they have played this year.

In game one, Jeremy Hamilton drove in a run with a ground out in the top of the second inning to give the BlueClaws a 1-0 lead. The Captains took the lead in the bottom of the second inning when Donnie Webb doubled home Chris Nash and then scored on a double by Jeremie Tice and it was 2-1. The BlueClaws regained the lead in the top of the fifth inning on a RBI single from Anthony Gose and a solo home run from Travis d’Arnaud and it was 3-2.

Captains game one starter Danny Salazar (5-7) took the loss pitching five innings and allowing three runs on four hits, walking two and striking out five. BlueClaws starter Matthew Way (3-1) got the win working a complete game and allowing two runs on five hits while striking out five.

The BlueClaws struck early in game two scoring a run in the top of the first inning when a ground out by Travis d’Arnaud scored Harold Garcia and the Claws led 1-0. The Captains rallied right back in the bottom of the inning when Nate Recknagel blasted a three run home run and Bo Greenwell doubled home a run and later scored to give the Captains a 5-1 lead.

It went to 6-1 in the bottom of the second on a RBI single by Recknagel. Greenwell knocked in a run in the bottom of the third inning and the lead was 7-1. Donnie Webb singled home Karexon Sanchez in the bottom of the fourth inning to up the lead to 8-1. Adam Abraham crashed his fifth home run of the year in the bottom of the fifth inning and it was 9-1. Tice tacked on another RBI in the bottom of the sixth inning to make it 10-1.

In game two, the Captains started Trey Haley and he did not get a decision pitching 4.1 innings and allowing one run on five hits, walking one and striking out six. Kaimi Mead (5-3) followed Haley and got the win working 1.2 scoreless innings. BlueClaws starter Rob Roth (4-4) took the loss working only one inning allowing and allowing five runs on four hits while walking two.

The Captains conclude South Atlantic League play at Classic Park against the BlueClaws on Sunday at 1:00 PM. The Captains move to the Midwest League next season. The Captains will send LHP T.J. McFarland (8-4, 3.56) to the hill to face RHP Heitor Correa (7-7, 4.07).

Scrappers Postponed

Saturday's Scrappers vs. Jammers game was postponed due to unplayable field conditions. The game will be made up as a doubleheader on Sunday. Game one will start at 4:30 PM, both games will be 7 innings each.

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