Game Recaps: Sunday 8/9

Lake County had a scheduled off day on Sunday.

Bisons bounce Clippers 12-8

The Buffalo Bisons defeated the Clippers 12-8 Sunday at Huntington Park. Clippers starter Chuck Lofgren left the game in the third inning after injuring his pitching hand. Lofgren gave up five runs, four earned, on five hits in two and a third innings.

The Columbus offense was slow to get started, they trailed 12-2 before a producing a four-run seventh inning. Lou Marson and Andy Cannizaro each had three hits to lead the Clippers. Josh Barfield scored three runs, including a solo homer in the seventh. Matt LaPorta launched a two-run shot in the ninth, his 14th of the season. He also singled home Barfield in the fourth. The Clippers left the bases loaded in the fourth and eighth innings.

Lefty Michael Tejera entered after Lofgren's injury. He pitched three and two third innings, allowing seven runs on nine hits. Zach Jackson and Rich Rundles combined to tame the Bisons, holding them scoreless over the last three innings.

The Clippers finished the home stand 1-7 and have reached a season-worst seventeen games below .500. Columbus travels to Indianapolis Monday as Mike Gosling (7-1, 3.77) opposes Indians righty Daniel McCutchen (10-6, 3.80). Game time is set for 7:00pm from Victory Field.

New Britain Takes Series, Beats Aeros 4-1

The visiting New Britain Rock Cats won the rubber match of this three-game set at Canal Park Sunday afternoon, defeating the Aeros by the final count of 4-1 with 4,088 loyal fans in attendance. Recently acquired Connor Graham recorded his first quality start in the purple and black, but the combination of New Britain’s Matt Fox and Anthony Slama controlled the hot Akron bats. The Cats jumped back into the Northern Division playoff race with the victory, improving to 56-58 and just a half-game behind second place while the loss dropped the Aeros to 71-44 on the season.

New Britain got on the board in the very first frame against Graham, as Brandon Roberts began his solid day at the plate with a leadoff walk and moved to second on a groundout by Rene Tosoni. Roberts then scored on a two-out base hit by Erik Lis and Akron missed out on a chance in the bottom half of the inning. Jose Constanza singled but was thrown out going home on Jerad Head’s double and the Aeros would strand two men on in the inning after a hit by pitch to Carlos Santana.

Newcomer Lonnie Chisenhall helped to eliminate the one-run deficit in the second by leading off with a walk, and then scoring on a double by Carlos Rivero. Roberts then threw out Rivero at third base, as the Aeros would not have a runner reach scoring position again until the eighth. New Britain took the lead for good in the second by striking with no outs against Graham. Roberts and classy veteran Mark Grudzielanek both walked while Tosoni flared a single to load the bases. Lis then hit a sacrifice fly to Constanza in center to make it 2-1 and Grudzielanek scored on a groundout to first.

The score would remain at 3-1 until the ninth although Akron finally did threaten in the eighth against Rock Cats reliever Frank Mata who hit Armando Camacaro with by a pitch to lead things off. Constanza then hit into a fielder’s choice while Matt McBride hit a clutch two-out single to put a pair of men on base. Slama came into the game to seal the deal and struck out Santana to end the inning while New Britain shortstop Steve Singleton hit his first Double-A home run in the ninth to provide for the final margin.

Fox (7-8) earned the win to snap a streak of eighth straight Cats losses in his starts, permitting just five hits, a walk and the lone run in seven effective innings. Graham (0-1) calmed down after the first two frames but still allowed five hits and four walks in six innings although he also struck out seven for his first quality start in an Akron uniform. Slama recorded the final four outs with three strikeouts in recording his league-leading 25th save of the season. McBride was the only Aero on the day with a multi-hit game in finishing 2-4 while Rivero continued his recent hot streak in going 1-3 with the lone RBI on his second inning double.

After this long home stand, Akron now hits the road for the start of the annual six-game trip to Connecticut and will take on the first-place Defenders Tuesday night at 6:35 p.m. in Norwich. Consistent Josh Tomlin (10-8, 4.21) will look to become just the second 11-game winner in the Eastern League against Connecticut’s Jesse English (7-6, 3.62 ERA).

Kinston Sweeps Salem, Wins Sixth Straight

The K-Tribe used a five-run fourth inning to beat Salem 6-3 Sunday afternoon at Historic Grainger Stadium. The win is Kinston’s season high sixth straight, as the K-Tribe completed a four game sweep of the Red Sox. The Indians are now just two games out of the final playoff spot in the Carolina League Southern Division.

Trailing 2-0 going into the bottom of the fourth inning, Kinston broke the game open with a five run frame. Lucas Montero led off the bottom of the fourth with a walk. Tim Fedroff singled and Cord Phelps walked to load the bases. After in RBI single by Ole Sheldon, Doug Pickens gave Kinston the lead with a two RBI single of his own. Kinston padded the lead later in the inning on RBI hits from Kyle Haines and Richard Martinez.

Leading 5-3 going into the bottom of the eighth inning, Kinston would add another run on an Adam Davis homerun. It was the third homer of the homestand for Davis and his team leading eighth of the season. Davis finished 2-for-3 on the day. No other K-Triber had multiple hits, as all but one in the lineup reached base safely.

Former Salem Red Sox Bryan Price got the start and the win for Kinston. Price (3-6), in his second start since coming to the Cleveland Indian’s system in the Victor Martinez trade with Boston, pitched six innings, giving up five hits and two earned runs. Price walked two and struck out six. Santo Frias came in from the pen, giving up an earned run on three hits in two innings. Kyle Landis picked up his third save of the season, giving up one hit while striking out two in the ninth.

The six game win streak is the most for Kinston since winning eight straight last August. It is Kinston’s first four game sweep since taking four from Salem last August at Historic Grainger Stadium.

The K-Tribe enjoys a scheduled off day on Monday, then hits the road for a six game stretch, starting Tuesday night in Lynchburg. Game time 7:05 pm on Tuesday, as the Indians send Paolo Espino to the mound.

Posted in: