Game Recap 7/27: Three Cheers For Tomlin

While the big league games are not recapped daily here at the IPI, I just wanted to give a big shout out to one of the IPI's proudest sons right-handed pitcher Josh Tomlin for an OUTSTANDING effort on Tuesday night against the reigning World Champion New York Yankees.

To go out and face the minimum through six shutout innings and ultimately going 7+ innings and allowing just one run on three hits, no walks, and two strikeouts against THAT lineup? You just have to tip your cap to Josh for that one and congratulate him on an extraordinary outing. Hopefully he can keep it up with future outings. (While I am here, congrats to Jeanmar Gomez on his great outing last week too...his would have been mentioned as well had I not been on vacation.)

Winning streak ends, Columbus falls, 5-4

The Columbus Clippers fell to the Buffalo Bisons on Tuesday night, 5-4, ending Columbus' four-game winning streak while Buffalo halted their six-game losing streak. This was the first meeting of the season between the two clubs.

In the top of the first inning, with Eric Berger making his Triple-A debut, Lucas Duda rudely welcomed him as he lifted a Berger fastball over the centerfield fence for a three-run home run, his twelfth of the season. Berger retired the first two batters he faced, but walked the next two before Duda's blast.

Jordan Brown brought Columbus within two runs in the bottom half of the inning, driving in his 61st RBI of the season with a sacrifice fly to left field, scoring Ezequiel Carrera, who walked to begin the frame. Jared Goedert inched Columbus closer in the bottom of the third inning with a solo home run to left field, his 17th of the year. Goedert broke a career long, 10-game homerless streak with that bomb off of Bison starter, Bobby Livingston.

Columbus would tie the game in the fourth inning as Lou Marson scored on a wild pitch from Livingston as Goedert was up to bat with the bases loaded. Goedert blew a chance to break the game open as he later grounded out to third base, ending the threat.

Jesus Feliciano scored the next two runs for the Bisons on an error by Goedert in the fifth then scored the go-ahead run on an RBI sacrifice fly off the bat of Jorge Padilla in the seventh.

Berger impressed in his Triple-A debut, although not factoring in the decision, pitching six complete innings, giving up four runs, three earned, on five hits while walking and striking out three.

The Clippers and Bisons will meet up again tomorrow night at 7:05 p.m. in game two of their four-game series. Jeanmar Gomez (7-8, 5.37) looks to even his record at 8-8 on the year against Dillon Gee (9-6, 4.82) of Buffalo.

Aeros Shutout Baysox Quickly, Win 4-0

Four Aeros pitchers combined on a five-hit shutout Tuesday night, defeating the second-place Bowie Baysox by the final score of 4-0. Led by rehabbing Cleveland Indians starter Anthony Reyes and a big first inning of offense, Akron led throughout in a speedy two-hour and 13-minute contest in front of 2,889 fans at Canal Park. With the win, the third-place Aeros (54-48) jump back to being only one game behind the Baysox (56-48) in the race for the Western Division’s wild card spot.

Reyes allowed his only hit of his three innings pitched in the top of the first just before the Akron offense provided all the run support needed on the night.

Center fielder Jordan Henry started his impressive game with a double to right and second baseman Jason Kipnis singled against Bowie starter Rick Zagone. Third baseman Lonnie Chisenhall made it a 1-0 game with an RBI single to left while designated hitter Matt McBride then followed with a towering three-run homer to the canal in left field.

The Aeros stranded two more runners later that inning as well and there would be only six base hits total in the remaining eight frames. Reyes blanked the Baysox through three before passing the torch to recently promoted reliever Rob Bryson.

Tyler Henson started the top of that fourth with a double and although Joe Mahoney also drew a walk, Bryson worked out of the damage by forcing three straight outs. Bowie only threatened again in the ninth when as they stranded runners on first and second.

Reliever Connor Graham (3-5) earned the victory for Akron, retiring all six batters he faced after replacing Bryson in the fifth. Zagone (1-3) took the loss despite only permitting one base runner after the first inning. Bryan Price then earned his first save with three more shutout frames while it was an impressive Aeros debut for Reyes. The right-hander allowed one hit and one walk with one strikeout in his three innings pitched during his third rehab start following June 2009 Tommy John reconstructive right elbow surgery.

Henry starred offensively as he finished 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles against Zagone, increasing his Double-A batting average to .341 in 44 at-bats against left-handers. McBride’s home run was his team-leading 17th of the season as he joined two other sluggers for the minor league lead with 11 homers during the month of July.

The Aeros look for the series win in this crucial three-game series at Canal Park Wednesday night with a 7:05 p.m. first pitch. Lefty Scott Barnes (5-8, 5.20 ERA) makes his team-leading 20th start of the year for the Aeros against Bowie left-hander Pedro Viola (3-0, 2.45 ERA).

Kinston Takes Down Dash 8-1

The Indians finally broke through at the new BB&T Ballpark with an 8-1 win over Winston-Salem on Tuesday night. Kinston starter T.J. McFarland picked up his Carolina League leading 10th win of the season, as the K-Tribe belted out 13 hits on the night.

McFarland looked great, giving up just four hits and one earned run in six innings of work. McFarland (10-2) walked four and struck out three. Winston-Salem starter Nate Jones was also solid earlier, shutting down Kinston through the first three innings.

Kinston would break a scoreless tie in the fourth. The frame started with a Bo Greenwell single. After an Abner Abreu walk, Chun Chen grounded into a double play. Kyle Bellows then belted a two-out single to score Greenwell and put Kinston on the board. With Kinston up 1-0 going into the seventh inning, Doug Pickens belted a home run to left field. Pickens fifth homer of the season made it to the concourse in left center field, giving Kinston a 2-0 lead. Winston-Salem would tighten the game up with an RBI hit from Luis Sierra in the eighth inning. With the tying run at third, Chris Jones would then come in from the pen and get the final two outs of the inning. Jones then pitched a scoreless eighth, going 1 2/3 and giving up just one hit. Matt Langwell would pitch the final 1 1/3 for his third save of the season.

Kinston would get some breathing room in the top of the eighth inning when Jeremy Tice delivered a two-out, two RBI double. The extra base hit scored Abreu and Juan Diaz who walked earlier in the inning. The Indians added four runs in the ninth inning thanks to three more two-out, RBI hits. Chen, Bellows and Diaz did the damage. Bellows ninth inning triple drove in two runs as he went 3-for-5 with 3 RBI. Diaz, Tice and Pickens each had two hits for Kinston.

The K-Tribe will turn around and try to take the series Wednesday afternoon with an early noon start in the Triad. Joey Mahalic will take the mound for Kinston.

Note: Lake County and Mahoning Valley had scheduled off days on Tuesday.

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