Game Recaps: Tuesday 8/11

Clippers score early in 4-2 win

The Clippers evened the series at Indianapolis with a 4-2 win Tuesday night.
Michael Brantley reached on an error to start the game and scored on a Jesus Merchan triple. Tony Graffanino plated Merchan with a sacrifice fly for a quick 2-0 lead. After a fly out, Wes Hodges doubled and scored on a Lou Marson single. Marson crossed the plate one batter later on Stephen Head's double into the right field corner to cap off a four-run outburst.

On the mound, Carlos Carrasco authored his finest outing of the season. He allowed only one base runner through the first five innings and held Indianapolis scoreless until the sixth. The Indians got a single, wild pitch and a ground rule double for the only scar on the tremendous outing. Carrasco tied a season-high with 10 strikeouts over a season-long eight innings pitched. He gave up only four hits and issued no walks.

Phil Dumatrait, after the rough first inning, settled in to throw five more innings. He allowing just two hits and one walk over that time, but the offense could not pick him up as he suffered the loss in his second rehab start with the Indians. Former Cleveland Indians pitcher Jason Davis tossed the final three frames giving up three singles, but also inducing two double plays.

Greg Aquino entered the game in the ninth for Columbus and despite a rough outing, got his eleventh save of the season. He allowed one run on two hits, but struck out Neil Walker to preserve the win. In the win, Lou Marson had three hits to raise his batting average to .378 with Columbus.

The finale of the Indianapolis portion of the seven-game series will start at 1:00pm with lefty Ryan Edell facing Virgil Vasquez.

Aeros Hold Off Defenders in Series Opener

Josh Tomlin turned in his team-leading 13th quality start and the Aeros broke the game open with five runs between the fifth and sixth innings to claim a 6-4 triumph over Connecticut before 2,410 fans at Dodd Stadium Tuesday night. Akron improved to 72-44 with the win, moving back to a season-high 28 games over the .500 mark. The Defenders dropped to 66-49, and to just 26-25 at home.

The Aeros opened the scoring in the top of the second, as Carlos Santana drove an 0-2 pitch off his shoe-tops and into right-center field for a leadoff triple. Carlos Rivero would bring him home three batters later with an RBI infield single, before Connecticut answered in the bottom of the fourth. Eddy Martinez-Esteve doubled with two gone and Brandon Crawford followed with an RBI two-bagger on Tomlin’s next pitch to tie it at 1-1.

Akron took the lead for good in the top of the fifth however, striking for three runs despite only one base hit. Two walks and a fielding error by Defenders starter Jesse English loaded the bases with one away, and Santana then ripped a two-run double into the left field corner to put the Aeros ahead at 3-1. Matt McBride then tacked on his 51st RBI of the season with a sacrifice fly to center field on the next pitch, scoring Nick Weglarz and making it 4-1.

The Defenders got two of the runs right back in the bottom of the inning on run-scoring groundouts by Brock Bond and Brad Boyer, but Akron added two key insurance runs in the top of the sixth. Walks to Rivero and Jared Goedert opened the inning, and Cristo Arnal advanced both runners with a sacrifice bunt. Jose Constanza then bounced a two-run single past Boyer at third base and down the left field line, double the margin to 6-3.

Mike Mooney tripled and scored on a sacrifice fly to open the bottom of the seventh and bring Connecticut within two runs, but that was as close as the home side would get. The Defenders did get the potential tying run to the plate in both the eighth and ninth innings against Akron reliever Carlton Smith, but the right-hander kept Connecticut at bay in both frames. Brett Pill reached on an infield single with one down in the eighth but was erased as Smith induced a 6-4-3 double play to end the inning, and Crawford was then stranded at third base after opening the bottom of the ninth with a double.

Tomlin (11-8) became just the second 11-game winner in the Eastern League with his seventh quality start in his last nine outings, holding the Defenders to four runs (three earned) and six hits in seven innings. He walked one and struck out five, brining him to an even 100 Ks on the year. English (7-7) took the loss, surrendering five runs (three earned) and five hits in five innings. He walked five and struck out only one. Smith recorded the final six outs for his third save of the season.

Santana paced the offense with a three-hit night, driving in two runs and finishing a home run shy of hitting for the cycle. Rivero went 2-3, while Constanza picked up two RBI and also stole his 32nd base.

Game two in this three-game series is set for 6:35 p.m. Wednesday, as left-hander Scott Barnes (0-0, 2.13 ERA in three starts for Class A Kinston) will make his Akron debut opposite Connecticut’s Daryl Maday (5-3, 3.44 ERA).

Kinston Wins Seventh Straight Game

Alex Castillo and Roman Pena each came up with clutch two-out hits, as Kinston beat Lynchburg 5-2 Tuesday night in Virginia. With the win the K-Tribe extended their season high win streak to seven games.

The K-Tribe broke open a scoreless tie in the sixth with another big inning. Cord Phelps started the frame with a walk, followed by an Ole Sheldon single. After Doug Pickens bounced into a fielder’s choice, Adam Davis walked to load the bases. Ronald Rivas would follow with a strike out, leaving the two-out drama to Castillo. Castillo responded with a two RBI single, giving Kinston a 2-0 advantage. Pena would then smack the next pitch against the right field wall, scoring Davis and Castillo to give Kinston a 4-0 lead. The duo both went 2-for-4 with a run scored and two RBI on the night. Pickens also had two hits for Kinston.

Kinston starting pitcher Paolo Espino (4-6) picked up the win, giving up six hits and no runs in six innings. Espino struck out six batters while walking one, lowering his ERA to 2.88 on the season. Chen-Chang Lee gave up an unearned run in two innings of work, striking out one. Kyle Landis had his seven inning scoreless streak come to an end, when he gave up a run on two hits in the bottom of the ninth inning. Lynchburg starter Justin Wilson took the loss for Lynchburg.

The K-Tribe will try to extend their win streak to eight games, Wednesday night in Lynchburg. Game time 7:05 pm as Russell Young takes the hill for Kinston.

Captains Throw One Away

The Augusta Greenjackets scored four runs on wild pitches and another on an error on their way to an 8-4 victory over the Lake County Captains on Tuesday. Five of the Jackets runs that scored got on base via a walk.

The Greenjackets got an unearned run in the top of the first inning when Francisco Peguero walked and stole second. He stole third base and when the ball came off of Jeremie Tice’s glove, Peguero scored to make it 1-0. The Captains took the lead in the bottom of the first inning when Tice doubled and then Nate Recknagel walked. With both runners moving on a 3-2 count, Karexon Sanchez singled scoring both runners and it was 2-1. The Jackets tied it up in the top of the second inning when Mike Loberg scored on a wild pitch.

Augusta took the lead in the top of the fourth inning putting up three runs against Captains reliever Trey Haley when two runs scored on wild pitches and a third on a RBI single by Peguero and the lead was 5-2. The Captains got a run in the bottom of the fifth inning when Delvi Cid tripled and scored on a single by Tice to cut the lead to 5-3. The Greenjackets scored two more runs in the top of the sixth inning on another wild pitch and a sacrifice fly by Peguero and the lead was upped to 7-3.

Bo Greenwell drove in another Captains run in the bottom of the sixth inning to cut the lead to 7-4. The Jackets got the run back in the top of the seventh inning on a RBI single by Ehire Adrianza to make it 8-4.

Captains’ Starter Jason Knapp made his Captains debut and got a no decision going two innings and allowing two run, one earned on one hit, walking two and striking out two. Anillins Martinez followed Knapp and pitched a scoreless third inning. Trey Haley (3-7) came on in the fourth inning and took the loss a working two innings and allowing five runs, four earned, on four hits, walking four and striking out one. GreenJackets starter Eric Surkamp (8-5) got the win working 5.2 innings and allowing three runs on eight hits, walking three and striking out eight. Chris Wilson pitched the final 1.1 innings to pick up his third save of the year.

The Captains and Greenjackets play game three of the four game series on Wednesday at 7:00 PM with the Captains sending LHP Nick Hagadone (0-2, 5.57) to the mound to oppose LHP Ari Ronick (6-5, 2.96).

Scrappers Drop Game One of Homestand 4-2

On Tuesday night, the Mahoning Valley Scrappers dropped game one of a six game homestand 4-2 to the Brooklyn Cyclones. With the loss the Scrappers are now 18-7 at Eastwood field.

Scrappers starter Vidal Nuno pitched the first six innings allowing one run on five base hits and a career high tying five strikeouts. Antwonie Hubbard took the mound in the seventh and tossed two scoreless innings. In the ninth, Guido Fonseca was unable to close out the game with a 2-1 lead allowing three runs; two of them earned and suffered his second loss of the season in three decisions.

Mahoning Valley was able to score first in the fourth when Kyle Bellows hit his team leading seventh home run of the season; two run home run deep over the left field wall. In the sixth, the Cyclones scored their first run of the game on a solo home run from Robert Shields, his first of the season. In the bottom of the ninth, the Cyclones scored three runs, one of which was earned off of Guido Fonseca and took game one of the three game series over the Scrappers 4-2.

The Scrappers homestand continues on Wednesday night against the Brooklyn Cyclones. Clayton Cook is scheduled to make the start for the Scrappers.

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