Kipnis Leads Aeros Sluggers to 10-3 Victory
Second baseman Jason Kipnis homered twice Tuesday night as the Aeros improved to a perfect 6-0 since the All-Star Break with a 10-3 win over the Altoona Curve. Kipnis starred while three other Akron players also hit home runs against Altoona starter Jared Hughes. It was yet another blowout at Canal Park in front of 2,602 fans and a 22-minute rain delay preceded a massive three-homer, seven-run fourth inning. With the win, the Aeros (51-45) are now only 6.5 games behind the first-place Curve (57-38) in the Western Division standings, the smallest margin for Akron since a loss on April 30th.
The offensive outpour began quickly as Kipnis, batting leadoff for the first time in his brief Double-A career, smacked a home run to left-center to start the contest. Rehabbing Cleveland Indians right fielder Shin-Soo Choo reached base on a fielding error at second base shortly after, and scored on a two-out RBI double by first baseman Beau Mills.
A rain delay interfered with play in the middle of the second, halting play for just 22 minutes before Altoona responded to tie the score at 2-2 in the third. With two outs against Akron starter Kelvin De La Cruz, the Curve smacked three straight hits including back-to-back RBI knocks from Josh Harrison and Matt Hague.
Third baseman Lonnie Chisenhall then gave the Aeros the lead for good in the bottom half of that third with a one-out solo homer to center. That blast preceded a monster bottom of the fourth for the home team against the right-hander Hughes.
Another fielding error brought Carlos Rivero to first base to start the inning, and left fielder John Drennen followed with a two-run homer to right. After a hit-by-pitch and a bunt single, Kipnis then unloaded on his second moon shot of the night to center. Hughes finally forced two straight outs after a Chisenhall single to left, but Mills promptly followed with the inning's third homer, extending the margin to 10-2.
The Curve scored a final run in the sixth as Akron's Rob Bryson struggled in his Eastern League debut. He walked four straight batters with three wild pitches before fellow reliever Bryan Price avoided further damage with a strikeout and an inning-ending double play.
De La Cruz (3-5) earned his second straight victory in allowing just two runs in five innings, striking out three against six hits and three walks. The left-hander had won just one contest in his first 12 EL starts while Hughes (10-7) took the loss as he permitted all 10 runs (six earned) including the five home runs on the night. Price retired eight of the nine batters he faced in three scoreless innings of relief with one strikeout.
Kipnis was the star as he is now batting .600 (15-for-25) with six multi-hit performances in six games since the All-Star Break. The five home runs were a new Akron season-high and Choo finished 0-for-4 with a run scored and a stolen base in his second rehab game.
Carrasco injures arm, Columbus falls, 7-0
The Columbus Clippers dropped game two of a four game series with the Durham Bulls on Tuesday night, 7-0. After the game was delayed for over an hour and a half due to rain, Columbus was not able to muster up any offense, compiling only five hits.
The Bulls broke a scoreless tie in the sixth inning with four runs against reliever Jeremy Sowers. Sowers came in because starter Carlos Carrasco left the game with an injury to his right arm in the fourth inning.
The Bulls got on the board with Justin Ruggiano's RBI double to right field, and then was followed by RBI singles from Chris Richard and Jose Lobaton. The Bulls would get their fourth run of the inning when J.J. Furmaniak placed a perfect sacrifice bunt down the first base line, scoring Richard. The Bulls tacked on three more runs in the eighth inning as Alvin Colina smacked a two-run single to center field, scoring Lobaton and Furmaniak.
Ezequiel Carrera did his part on the night, recording two of the team's five hits, but Columbus left five men on base and went 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position.
Kinston Wins Rain Shortened Game 4-2
Kinston won a rained shortened, seven inning contest 4-2 over Winston-Salem Tuesday night at Historic Grainger Stadium.
Winston-Salem put together a threatening start to the game in the first inning. The first three batters of the game all singled, with Jon Gilmore's single scoring Brandon Short to give the Dash a 1-0 lead. However, K-Tribe starter Joe Gardner recovered to retire the next three and limit the damage to a single run.
Kinston's offense responded in the bottom of the first against Dash starter Terry Doyle. Lucas Montero walked to start the inning and was driven home on a sacrifice fly by Chun Chen to tie the game at one.
The Dash took the lead back in the third frame. Brandon Short was hit by a pitch and moved up to third on a passed ball and a groundout. Short scored on an RBI groundout by Gilmore to make it 2-1. Once again, the K-Tribe would answer in the bottom of the frame, as Karexon Sanchez slammed a solo homer to right center field. It was his team-leading eighth homer of the season and tied the game at two apiece.
The Indians came back for more in the fourth inning. Kyle Bellows reached on a two-base error on Dash third baseman Jon Gilmore. He moved to third on a groundout and scored on an RBI single by Donnie Webb to give the K-Tribe a 3-2 lead. In the fifth, Montero walked and then went all the way to third on a bad throw by Doyle on a pickoff attempt. Karexon Sanchez singled down the first base line to score Montero and had the Indians a 4-2 lead.
Gardner did not allow a hit after Gilmore's RBI single in the first. He didn't give up a hit to the final 23 batters he faced, and it took the Dash 25 hitters to finally hit safely against Indians reliever Travis Turek. In six innings, Gardner (8-4) gave up two runs (one earned) on three hits. He walked two and struck out two, earning his eighth win of the season.
Mother Nature showed up in the top of the eighth inning. Seth Loman was at the plate when a steady drizzle turned into a downpour. After a 45 minute delay, the field was deemed to be unplayable, and since the game was official the K-Tribe won 4-2.
Kaminsky, Scrappers down Spikes, 4-0
The Mahoning Valley Scrappers beat the State College Spikes 4-0 tonight at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park.
Zack Von Rosenberg picked up the loss for the Spikes lasting five innings, allowing four runs on eight hits and striking out two.
Dan DeGeorge led the way offensively for the Scrappers going 2-3 with a double and two RBI.
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