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| (Photo: Tony Lastoria) |
The Clippers used two home runs from Cord Phelps and four hits from Bubba Bell to complete a four game sweep of the Indianapolis Indians on Sunday afternoon. Columbus is off to its' best start since 1980.
Zach McAllister hurled five innings as the starting pitcher, allowing four runs (all in his final inning) and picking up a victory. Joe Martinez pitched two scoreless innings followed by two innings from Zach Putnam. Putnam allowed one run and secured the save.
Columbus scored four times in the fifth inning to lead 5-0. Cord Phelps hammered a three run homer off Indianapolis reliever Cesar Valdez to highlight the frame.
The Indians responded with four tallies in the bottom of the fifth to pull with 5-4, but Mike Sarbaugh's lineup went back to work, adding two runs in the sixth to put the game out of reach.
Columbus opens a two game series on Monday in Louisville with right-hander Corey Kluber on the hill. Lefty Tom Cochran will start for the Bats.
Aeros split series behind strong start by Adams
The Akron Aeros got five two-hit innings from right-handed pitcher Austin Adams and went on to beat the Binghamton Mets 1-0 Sunday at Canal Park to earn a split of the four-game series.
The Aeros (2-2) lone run came on a B-Mets (2-2) throwing error in the bottom of the fourth inning. With two on and one out, first baseman Allan Dykstra threw a John Drennen ground ball into left field that allowed Chun Chen to score from second.
Jason Donald made his first rehab start for the Aeros and went 1-3 with a strikeout.
Adams picked up his first win at the Double-A level pitching five two hit innings, walking one and striking out 6.
Cory Burns struck out the side in the top of the ninth inning to earn his second save of the season.
Left-handed pitcher Robert Carson suffered the loss for Binghamton lasting five innings, giving up one unearned run on six hits and striking out four.
The Aeros will look to make it two-in-a-row as they begin a three game series with the Altoona Curve Monday at 7:05 p.m. at Canal Park. Left-handed pitcher Matt Packer gets the start for the Aeros, while right-handed pitcher Aaron Pribanic goes for Altoona.
Winston-Salem Slips by Kinston 4-2
Winston-Salem slipped by Kinston 4-2, Sunday afternoon at Historic Grainger Stadium. With the win the Dash took two of three from Kinston in the opening season series.
The K-Tribe broke a scoreless tie in the bottom of the fourth inning. With one-out in the inning, Abner Abreu doubled. With two-outs in the inning Jeremie Tice hit an RBI single to score Abreu.
Kinston starting pitcher Clayton Cook was solid in his Carolina League debut, holding Winston-Salem scoreless until the top of the sixth inning. In the top of the sixth, Cook walked the lead-off man Jose Martinez. With one-out in the inning, Winston-Salem's Ian Gac hit a two-run home run to give the Dash a 2-1 lead. Cook went 5 1/3 innings, giving up six hits and two earned runs. He walked one and struck out three, but was saddled with the loss. Winston-Salem added another run in the same inning, with back-to-back doubles off of Kinston reliever Chris Jones. Jones gave up two runs on three hits in 2 2/3 innings. He walked two and struck out three.
Kinston added a run in the bottom of the sixth inning, when Chase Burnette led off with a single and was pushed to third base by an Abreu double. Adam Abraham drove Burnette home with a sacrifice fly. Abreu went 3-for-4 for Kinston, Bo Greenwell went 2-for-4.
Ryan Kussmaul got the win in relief for Winston-Salem. Tyson Corley picked up the save. Kinston’s Preston Guilmet made his Carolina League debut for Kinston, giving up one hit in one inning of work. Guilmet struck out one.
The K-Tribe homestand continues as the Wilmington Blue Rocks come to town on Monday for a three game series.
Loons Sink Captains 12-6 to Split Series
Loons flexed more muscle on Sunday afternoon using four homeruns, defeating the Captains 12-6 to split the series. Jon Garcia and Steve Domecus each hit a pair of homeruns for Great Lakes.
For the fourth straight game Lake County jumped in front of the Loons 1-0 when Jesus Aguilar singled in Carlos Moncrief who reached on a one-out triple in the first inning.
The Captains made 2-0 in the second inning. Jason Smit doubled to start the frame it was one of three hits for Smit on the afternoon. Smit later scored on a Christian Lara throwing error.
The Loons went back to back in the bottom of the second inning. Garcia and Domecus hit shots over the leftfield wall against Cole Cook the Captains starter to tie the game at two. The Loons took the lead after Casio Grider tripled and then scored on Kyle Smith scoring error to make it 3-2.
Garcia hit his second homerun of the day and third of the season to lead off the fourth inning pushing the lead out to 4-2.
The Captains made it 4-3 and would be the closest they would get when Aguilar drove in his second run of the game with an RBI ground out to score Tyler Cannon in the fifth.
The Loons scored four times in the bottom of the fifth and added another three runs in the sixth inning and lead 11-3.
Lake County trailing 12-3 heading into the eighth inning put together a few hit to cut the lead in half. Kyle Smith collected his first hit and RBI with a single to score Alex Monsalve who had three hits on the day. Cannon tripled in Smith and later scored on a wild pitch capping off a Captains’ 3 run inning.
Cook (0-1) took the loss tossing four innings allowing four runs, three earned on six hits and striking out four. Ryan Christenson (1-0) picked up the win for the Loons throwing five innings allowing three runs, two earned on eight hits, walking one and striking out four.
Lake County heads home to Eastlake to host Dayton in their home opener at Classic Park at 7:00PM. The Captains will start RHP Trey Haley (0-0) against the Dragons RHP Daniel Renken (0-0).
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2 comments:
With Kipnis entrenched as the 2nd baseman of the future and the same with Chiz at 3rd, could we be looking at Phelps as a possible LF? I figure since LF is the spot guys play who don't really have a position to play. And since Weglarz cannot stay healthy, we could at least get his bat in the lineup as a DH.
I just feel like Phelps' bat has been too special over the last 12 months or so to be ignored.
Unfortunately LF is a traditional Power Hitters position and as such the Indians will probably try to fill it with a power Hitter. Phelps can hit but not for the power that a LF bat usually commands.
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