Game Recap 7/22: K-Tribe Rally Sparks Win

Kinston Comes Back to Beat Wilmington 10-3

The K-Tribe used a six-run seventh inning to overcome an early 3-0 deficit in a 10-3 win over Wilmington on Thursday night at Historic Grainger Stadium. Kinston capatalized on four Blue Rock walks and a bases loaded triple by Abner Abreu to turn the tide late in the contest.

Wilmington struck first against Kinston starter T.J. McFarland in the second inning. Rene Oriental was hit by a pitch, Joey Lewis singled and Juan Rivera walked. Patrick Norris then beat out a grounder to third, reaching just ahead of the throw by K-Tribe third baseman Kyle Bellows. Oriental scored on the play to give the Blue Rocks a 1-0 lead.

The Blue Rocks added on in the third inning. Wil Myers led off with a double off the wall in left field. Ernesto Mejia followed with an RBI double to the wall in right to make it 2-0. In the fourth, Patrick Norris reached on a bunt single and stole second base. Christian Colon then delivered an RBI single to left to extend the lead to 3-0. McFarland left the game after five innings, giving up three runs on a season-high nine hits. He walked one and struck out six.

Kinston's offense, which scored five runs on 14 hits in their Wednesday win over Winston-Salem, was brought to a halt by Wilmington starter Danny Duffy. In five innings, Duffy shut out the Indians on two hits. He walked two and struck out eight.vWilmington reliever Kevin Chapman came on to strike out the side in the sixth inning. Prior to the start of the seventh inning, Indians Manager Aaron Holbert got into a heated exchange with the home plate umpire. Holbert was ejected from the contest and it was the first time that Holbert or any K-Tribe coach or player had been ejected from a game this season.

The K-Tribe offense, perhaps fueled by Holbert's ejection, rallied in the bottom of the seventh inning. With one out Juan Diaz walked and Bo Greenwell reached on an error. Donnie Webb walked to load the bases with two out. Lucas Montero and Karexon Sanchez each drew bases-loaded walks to cut the lead to 3-2. The next batter, Abner Abreu, lifted a bases-clearing triple high off the wall in right field to give the Indians a 5-3 lead. Chun Chen reached on an infield single to score Abreu and make it 6-3. The Indians matched a season-high by sending eleven men to the plate in the inning. The six runs were the second most that Kinston has scored in an inning this season.

The Indians continued to pile up free passes and runs in the eighth inning. Incredibly, Wilmington reliever Eric Basurto walked the first five batters that he faced in the frame, including bases-loaded walks to Montero and Sanchez to make it 8-3. Adam Frost, a Blue Rocks infielder who is an emergency reliever came on in relief. He gave up sacrifice flies to Abreu and Chen to push the lead to 10-3. Abreu went 1-for-4 with four RBI. Montero, Sanchez and Chen each had two RBI's for teh K-Tribe. Kinston had five total hits on the night and no K-Triber had multiple hits.

Bulls double-up Clippers, earn split

The Durham Bulls got two-run hits in both the sixth and seventh innings Thursday night, erasing a 2-0 deficit and taking a 4-2 victory over the Clippers to earn a split of their four-game set.

Columbus got solo home runs from Nick Weglarz in the second inning and Wes Hodges in the fourth, but only generated three other hits against Durham starter Heath Phillips (8-6). R.J. Swindle pitched the last inning-and-a-third to earn the save, allowing only a two-out hit in the ninth.

Jose Lobaton delivered a two-run single in the sixth and then Dan Johnson doubled home what proved the be the winning runs with two down in the seventh.

The Clippers got a six inning, 10 strikeout performance from All-Star Josh Tomlin, who gave up two runs on five hits. Shane Lindsay made his debut for Columbus, picking up the loss in two innings of work.

Not much was decided in the series between the International League's top two teams, but it's possible that they'll see each other again in September, as both have large division leads.

R-Phils Snap Akron's Streak, Defeat Aeros 4-1

The Reading Phillies ended a seven-game winning streak for the Aeros Thursday night, defeating Akron 4-1 in front of a home crowd of 8,319 fans at First Energy Stadium. Starting pitcher Drew Naylor went eight efficient innings for Reading as his team led throughout the contest thanks to a first inning run against Aeros starter Nick Hagadone. Despite the loss, Akron (52-46) remains only a half-game behind second-place Bowie in the Western Division while the Phillies improved to 48-49 this season.

Reading second baseman Harold Garcia recorded the early blow with one out in the first against Hagadone. On a 2-1 pitch, he homered for the first time this season, giving the Phillies a very quick 1-0 lead that they would preserve for the rest of the night.

The lefty Hagadone, who returned from the disabled list earlier in the day, left after three innings in favor of usual Aeros starter Eric Berger due to a limited pitch count. Berger then promptly allowed the game’s second one-out homer in the bottom of the fourth inning, yet again to left field and this time by Reading third baseman Kevin Mahar.

Akron finally pounced on Naylor in the fifth, as shortstop Carlos Rivero hit a leadoff double for the first hit in a span of 13 batters. Rivero then advanced to third base on a groundout by catcher Miguel Perez and scored immediately after on an RBI single to left by second baseman Cristo Arnal. The run cut the deficit to 2-1, but the Phillies responded yet again.

Leadoff center fielder Michael Spidale doubled with two outs in the bottom of that fifth and Mahar collected his second RBI on a single to right. Reading scored their final run of the night in the seventh on a Spidale single before eventually stranding the bases loaded.

Naylor (9-7) was dominant in earning the victory, allowing multiple base runners in only the fifth inning. He became one of five Eastern League pitchers to win nine games this season and recorded five strikeouts against four hits, two walks and the lone run of the game. Hagadone (1-1) took his first Double-A loss in seven games, permitting just one run in three innings before Berger gave up three more (two earned) in his three frames. Reading closer Justin De Fratus then picked up his first save with a shutout ninth.

Arnal was the only Aero to reach base multiple times overall as he finished 1-for-2 with a walk and the game’s only RBI. First baseman Matt McBride doubled to extend his road on-base streak to 42 consecutive games while red-hot second baseman Jason Kipnis earned the night off after hitting safely in the first seven games after the EL All-Star Break.

Captains Sting Bees 8-1

Clayton Cook picked up his first win of the season at Classic Park every Captain in the line up reached base as the Captains defeated the Burlington Bees 8-1 on Thursday. The win snapped a three game losing skid.

The Captains manufactured a run in the bottom of the first inning when Delvi Cid singled and stole second. Argenis Martinez grounded out moving Cid to third base and Casey Frawley followed with a sacrifice fly to score Cid and it was 1-0. The Bees tied it at 1-1 in the top of the second inning when Drew Robertson drove home Carlo Testa with a two out single. The Captains loaded the bases in the bottom of the fourth inning and Kyle Smith scored from third base on a passed ball moving runners to second and third. Dwight Childs singled scoring Jason Smit and Trent Baker and the Captains led 4-1.

The Captains added four more runs in the bottom of the seventh inning when Casey Frawley doubled home a run. Adam Abraham followed with a two run double and two batters later Smith singled in a run and the lead was 8-1.

Cook (5-6) got the win pitching six innings allowing one runs on four hits, walking one and striking out four. Antwonie Hubbard followed Cook in the seventh inning and pitched three scoreless innings allowing one hit, walking one while striking out four to pick up his second save of the year.

Bees starter Dusty Odenbach (5-7) took the loss working four innings allowing four runs on seven hits walking one and striking out four.

Scrappers fall to Crosscutters, 7-2

The Mahoning Valley Scrappers lost to the Williamsport Crosscutters 7-2 tonight at Bowman Field.

The loss snaps the Scrappers two-game winnings streak.

David Buchanan picked up his first win for the Crosscutters, while Eric Pettis recorded his second save.

Despite pitching well, Owen Dew suffered his second loss of the season pitching six innings, allowing three runs on six hits and striking out two.

Carlos Moncrief hit his third home run of the season to lead the Scrappers offensively.

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