Game Recaps: Thursday 8/13

Clippers beat Indy 7-6
The Clippers beat Indianapolis 7-6 Thursday night at Huntington Park.

Hector Rondon escaped first inning trouble to last a season-long six and two third innings. He allowed four runs, one earned, on seven hits. He struck out seven and walked a batter.

Jason Donald led the Clippers attack with three hits and three runs scored. Wes Hodges had two RBI for Columbus.

Rondon retired the first two batters of the game before two singles and an error loaded the bases. Two more singles brought home three unearned runs and had a struggling Clipper offense in an early hole.

Columbus got a run back in the bottom of the first when Donald singled and scored on a Matt LaPorta double. Donald manufactured another run when he led off the third with a double and scored on a Hodges sac fly.

With Rondon cruising through five innings, the Clippers offense opened things up in the fifth. Donald and Graffanino both singled to start the rally and Hodges brought home Donald again, and then forced an error by the Indians catcher when he tried to steal second. The errant throw allowed Graffanino to score from third. Lou Marson and Stephen Head each followed with a RBI double. Michael Brantley brought home the fifth run of the inning with a two out single.

Rondon started the seventh and quickly recorded the first two outs. After a single, Rich Rundles was brought on to close the inning. Rundles allowed another single and a run-scoring double before getting the final out.

Zach Jackson allowed a solo homer while pitching the eighth and Greg Aquino gave up a run in the ninth, but held on for his twelfth save of the season.

Aeros unable to complete sweep
Eddy Martinez-Esteve delivered the game-winning single in the bottom of the 10th inning and Connecticut clipped Akron 3-2 in front of 2,869 fans at Dodd Stadium Thursday night. The Aeros fell to 73-45 but still took two of three in the series from the Northern Division-leading Defenders (67-50).

Connecticut opened the scoring in this one, jumping on Aeros starter Eric Berger in the bottom of the first inning. Mike McBryde singled on Berger’s second offering of the game, and Brad Boyer then cranked a two-run homer to center field just four pitches later to put the home team ahead 2-0.

That was all the Defenders would get against Berger however, as the left-hander did not allow another hit for the remainder of his six-inning stint. Akron got on the board in the top of the third when Matt McBride delivered a clutch two-out RBI single, and then tied the game in the fifth. A throwing error by Connecticut shortstop Brandon Crawford put Jerad Head aboard to start the inning, and Carlos Rivero followed with a base hit to center. Jared Goedert then put down a perfect sacrifice bunt to advance the runners, and Cristo Arnal tied the game at 2-2 with an RBI groundout to second.

Both clubs missed opportunities to take the lead in the latter stages, as the Aeros stranded runners and first and second in the seventh and Connecticut left runners at second and third to end the eighth. The Defenders threatened again in the bottom of the ninth as Bobby Felmy led off with a pinch-hit single, but reliever Neil Wagner recovered to strike out Jackson Williams looking to push the game into extras.

Akron almost took the lead in the top of the 10th, as Arnal opened the inning with a double down the right field line and moved to third on McBride’s sacrifice. Nick Weglarz then drew a walk to put runners on the corners, and Connecticut opted to intentionally walk Carlos Santana to load the bases and set up a potential force at the plate. Sure enough, the decision paid off when Beau Mills hit a liner to first that Brett Pill handled and fired home for the second out of the inning, and Lonnie Chisenhall then bounced into a fielder’s choice for the final out.

After working out of trouble in the ninth, Wagner was not as fortunate in the 10th. He got McBryde on a fly ball to right field to open the inning, but then walked Boyer and Pill to set the stage for Esteve’s winner.

Defenders reliever Dan Runzler (2-0) earned the win with two shutout innings of relief, while Wagner fell to 0-3 with the loss. Santana paced the Akron offense with two hits and two walks and Rivero finished 2-4, but overall the Aeros went just 1-13 with runners in scoring position.

K-Tribe take series from Lynchburg
The K-Tribe used a trio of big hits to take a 10-8 victory over Lynchburg Thursday night in Virginia. With the win Kinston took the three game series from the Hillcats. Kinston has won nine of their last nine games and three straight series.

Kinston busted out of the gates in the first inning thanks to an RBI single from Ole Sheldon and a three-run home run from Doug Pickens. It was the fourth home run in just 29 games for Pickens, giving Kinston a 4-0 advantage. The K-Tribe would go up 6-0 thanks to a fourth inning, two-run home from Roman Pena. It was the third round tripper of the year for Pena. After Lynchburg cut the lead in half with a three-run bottom of the fifth inning, Kinston came right back with a four-run sixth. Lucas Montero started the scoring in the sixth with an RBI single. The big blow was another big hit; this time a two RBI triple from Tim Fedroff. Fedroff would score on the play, on an errant throw to third. The K-Tribe would then hold on, as Lynchburg scored two runs in the seventh and three in the ninth.

Fedroff was the only K-Triber with multiple hits in the game, going 2-for-4 with two RBI. Fedroff extended his consecutive on base streak to 32 games, tied for the most in the Carolina League this season.

Jonathan Holt (3-5) picked up the win for Kinston, throwing 2 2/3 innings of relief. Ronald Uviedo was saddled with the loss for Lynchburg.

Captains blank Greenjackets
T.J. McFarland threw six scoreless innings and Donnie Webb hit a solo home run in the bottom of the sixth inning to lead the Lake County Captains to 3-0 shutout over the Augusta Greenjackets. This was the Captains eighth shutout this season. The Captains are now 3.5 games out of first place.

The Captains other two runs came in the eighth inning when Mark Thompson scored from third on the end of a bunt play when no one was covering home plate and a second run scored on a RBI single by Chris Nash.

Captains Starter T.J. McFarland (7-4) got the win going six scoreless innings allowing three hits, walking one and striking out two. Francisco Jimenez came on in the seventh inning and went three scoreless innings to pick up his first career save. GreenJackets starter Andrew Reichard (2-4) took the loss working six innings and allowing one run on five hits, walking one and striking out three.

Scrappers fall 2-1
On Thursday night, the Mahoning Valley Scrappers dropped their second game of the six game homestand to the Brooklyn Cyclones 2-1. With the loss the Scrappers are now 34-20, and hold a three game lead over the Williamsport Crosscutters.

Scrappers starter Brett Brach pitched the first 5 1/3 innings, limiting the Cyclones to just four base hits and no runs. Cory Burns entered the game in the eighth with one out and surrendered two runs, one of which was earned. Burns took the loss and dropped to 3-1 on the season.

The Scrappers scored their only run in the bottom of the sixth when Chun Chen doubled, went to third on a Jesus Brito single and scored on a sacrifice fly to left field by Rafael Vera. The Cyclones were able to rally against Scrapper pitching in the top of the eighth, scoring their two runs of the game. Ralph Henriquez singled and scored on Alex Gregory's RBI double, Chen's throwing error then allowed Gregory to score the eventual winning run from second base.

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