Game Recap 7/21: Hodges Comes Through in Clutch

Hodges' hit propels Clippers in 12 innings

Wes Hodges' two-run double off the top of Durham Bulls Athletic Park's famed Blue Monster helped the Clippers to an 8-6 victory in 12 innings Wednesday night. Columbus had blown a five-run lead before Hodges came up with his first hit in 14 at-bats in the series.

Columbus plated two in the first inning, thanks to an RBI-single from Jared Goedert and a run-producing ground out from Jordan Brown. The lead inflated to 3-0 when Nick Weglarz hit a towering home run to lead off the second.

Dan Johnson hit his league-leading 26th home run to cut the Columbus lead to 3-1, but the Clippers got that run back in the third on a Goedert RBI-double and added two more in the fifth on a two-run double from Brown.

Justin Germano allowed just two runs in five innings in his second straight spot-start for Columbus, but Carlton Smith ran into trouble in the sixth, serving up a three-run blast from Angel Chavez. A groundout RBI from Dioner Navarro tied the game in the seventh and neither team generated another chance until the game had well passed the four-hour mark.

Vinnie Pestano threw two scoreless innings and Josh Judy (2-0) followed suit, picking up the victory despite pitching multiple innings on consecutive nights.

Aeros Sweep Homestand, Defeat Altoona 4-2

The Akron Aeros completed a perfect seven-game homestand Wednesday evening, defeating the first-place Altoona Curve by the final score of 4-2 at Canal Park. Catcher Damaso Espino scored the game-winning run with a dramatic two-out RBI single in the bottom of the eighth inning in front of 1,782 fans in downtown Akron. The win improved the third-place Aeros to 52-45, a season-best seven games over .500 and only 5.5 games behind the Curve (57-39) in the Eastern League’s Western Division.

Altoona began the scoring in the first against Akron starting pitcher Paolo Espino. The EL All-Star permitted a leadoff triple to shortstop Chase d’Arnaud and Gorkys Hernandez promptly gave the visitors a 1-0 advantage with a run-scoring groundout to first base.

The narrow lead did not last for long as the Aeros responded in the bottom half of the second, Matt McBride reached base to start the inning on a catcher’s interference following a foul ball against Curve lefty starter Jeff Locke. Two straight outs ensued before left fielder Jerad Head unloaded on the first pitch he saw for a two-run homer to center.

With Akron leading 2-1 after two innings, a rain delay interrupted the game action at Canal Park for the second straight night. The pause lasted 37 minutes before Locke and Espino battled in a pitcher’s duel for the remainder of the next three frames.

The Curve finally broke the standstill in the top of the sixth when Hague collected a one-out single to right. Third baseman Jordy Mercer then provided a game-tying double to left-center field, scoring Hague all the way from first base.

Both bullpens helped maintain the tie score until the deciding bottom of the eighth inning against Altoona reliever Ramon Aguero. The right-hander recorded two quick outs against Cleveland Indians star Shin-Soo Choo and McBride before Beau Mills started the rally with a triple to center. Aguero then loaded the bases with a pair of walks and Espino broke upon the game with his single to right on a 1-2 offering. Tim Fedroff followed with the RBI of the night on a five-pitch bases-loaded walk, providing for the game’s final 4-2 margin.

Reliever Chen-Chang Lee (5-3) earned the win for the Aeros with a pair of strikeouts in two scoreless innings in relief of Espino. Aguero (1-3) took the loss in his rough 0.2 innings pitched and Shane Lindsay recorded his first save as a member of the Indians organization in the ninth. Espino provided six efficient innings in the no-decision for his third quality start, striking out six batters against two walks and six hits.

Espino was the hero as he finished 1-for-4 with the clutch RBI in the bottom of the eighth and Mills was the only Akron batter to finish with two hits. Choo finished 0-for-4 in his projected final game on rehab assignment while recovering from a right thumb sprain.

Kinston Takes Morning Game and Series from Winston-Salem

Karexon Sanchez blasted a homer and drove in two runs to push the K-Tribe to a 5-1 win in their rubber game against Winston-Salem on Wednesday afternoon at Historic Grainger Stadium. Sanchez went 3-for-5, coming up a triple short of the cycle.

Kinston got on the board in the first inning against Winston-Salem starter Dylan Axelrod. Karexon Sanchez smoked a double to right field and scored on an RBI single by Chun Chen to make it 1-0. It was the first time in the series that the K-Tribe took the first lead of the game. The K-Tribe added on more in the second inning. Juan Diaz led off the frame with an infield hit and Donnie Webb followed with a single to right. The next batter, Doug Pickens, lifted a fly ball down the right field line that dropped just fair, allowing Diaz to score. Two batters later, Sanchez beat out a grounder to third to score Webb and give the Indians a 3-0 edge. Sanchez continued his hot day in the fourth inning, when he lined a home run to right center field. It was his team-leading ninth of the season, and gave him a team-best 39 RBI. Sanchez has four RBI and four runs scored in the last two games.The Indians put together a big start to the fifth inning but came away with just a run. Chen doubled and Kyle Bellows singled before Juan Diaz delivered an RBI single to right. However, Dash reliever Jake Rasner came on to get the final two outs and keep the K-Tribe's lead at 5-0.

Kinston starter Austin Adams (2-0) pitched five shutout innings on two hits for the win. He walked one and struck out two before giving way to Marty Popham. The Dash got on the board in the eighth inning off of Popham. Jon Gilmore reached on an error by Ronald Rivas and moved to second on a wild pitch. Seth Loman's RBI single cut the Indians lead to 5-1. Axelrod (5-2) struggled in the loss, giving up five runs on 12 hits, no walks and four strikeouts. Popham picked up his thrid save of the season, giving up four hits and an unearned run in four innings.

Captains Lose Series Opener

Jake Kuelbler drove in three runs to lead the Burlington Bees to a 6-4 victory over the Lake County Captains on Wednesday. This was the first game of a nine game home stand.

The Bees scored two runs in the top of the second inning when Carlo Testa walked and stole second. He scored on a single by Kuelbler. Kuebler would end up scoring on a wild pitch and Bees led 2-0. The Captains came right back in the bottom of the inning when Adam Abraham doubled and scored on a double by Kyle Smith. Three batters later Smith scored on a single by Greg Folgia to tie the game at 2-2.

The Bee tallied three more runs in the top of the third inning when Deivy Batista hit a solo home run and Kuebler followed with a two run shot and the Bees were back on top 5-2. The Captains scored twice in the bottom of the sixth inning when Abraham doubled home Argenis Martinez and Casey Frawley scored on a ground out by Smith and the score was 5-4. The Bees got an insurance run in the top of the eight inning when Test doubled home Batista and it was 6-4.

Captains Starter Trey Haley (5-5) took the loss pitching 4.2 innings allowing five runs on four hits, walking three and striking out six. Francisco Jimenez pitched 3.1 innings allowing one run on two hits, walking one while striking out two. Ryan Morris pitched the final inning striking out two.

Bees Matt Mitchell did not get a decision working four innings allowing two runs on six hits walking one and striking out three. Starling De La Rosa (1-0) got the win hurling two innings and allowing two runs on two hits, walking one and striking out one. Ryan Dennick picked up his sixth save of the year pitching a scoreless ninth inning.

Note: The Mahoning Valley Scrappers also won by a score of 6-4.

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