Game Recaps 6/29: Fedroff's near cycle leads Clippers

Tim Fedroff (Photo: Lianna Holub)

Clippers overwhelm Mud Hens 12-4

The Clippers continue to dominate Toledo this season, taking Wednesday's matinee affair, 12-4.  The win marks the tenth win in 12 games against the Mud Hens.

After loading the bases with no outs in the bottom of the first, the Clippers came away with three runs.

Two innings later, Luis Valbuena continued his hot month of June by taking an Andrew Oliver offering out over the right field wall. Valbuena is hitting .355 with 7 home runs and 24 RBIs this month.

In the fourth, the Clippers added four more after starting off the inning with three straight infield singles. They knocked out Mud Hens starter Andrew Oliver in the inning after he allowed eight earned runs.

Outfielder Tim Fedroff contributed with his first home run as a Clipper - a two run shot in the fifth. He finished with 3 RBI on the day and was a triple shy of the cycle.

Jason Kipnis went 3-4 with three runs scored and 2 RBI. Chad Huffman also drove in two runs.

David Huff (8-2) went six innings, allowing one run off of four hits and striking out seven. Carlton Smith - who allowed two runs - and Justin Germano - who allowed one - came on to pitch three combined innings of relief.

The series moves on to Toledo, Thursday at 7 PM, as the Clippers send out Scott Barnes (6-2, 3.63) against Brayan Villarreal (0-5, 4.41).

Aeros Complete Sweep of Baysox

Beau Mills and recently named Eastern League All-Star Juan Diaz both delivered RBI doubles, as the Akron Aeros defeated the Bowie Baysox 4-1 and completed a three-game series sweep on Wednesday afternoon at Canal Park.

T.J. McFarland pitched six strong innings and earned the win, giving up just one hit and one unearned run, while striking out five. Bryan Price and Adam Miller combined for the final three innings of shutout relief, as Miller escaped a bases-loaded jam in the ninth inning to earn his first save of the season. The Aeros finished the homestand undefeated, with 3-game series sweeps of both the R-Phils and Baysox.

Right-handed pitcher Zach Clark went five innings for the Baysox (37-39), giving up all four Aeros earned runs, and suffered the loss. Pat Egan and Pedro Viola also pitched in relief for the Baysox.

The Aeros (40-39) went to work early, scoring two runs in the bottom of the first inning. Jordan Henry and Ben Copeland led off the inning with back-to-back singles. Diaz followed with an RBI double that scored both to make it an early 2-0 lead for the Aeros.

The Baysox answered in the top of the 4th inning. Greg Miclat walked and stole second to lead off the inning, and made it to third on a fielder’s choice. He eventually scored the Baysox only run after T.J. McFarland uncorked a wild pitch.

Akron finished their scoring in the bottom of the fifth inning. After a Cristo Arnal strikeout and a Henry groundout, Copeland singled to right-center field and Diaz walked. An error by Bowie’s shortstop Pedro Florimon advanced Copeland to third base. Mills followed with an RBI double to right field, scoring both Copeland and Diaz.

The Aeros begin an eight game road trip on Thursday with the first in a four-game series against the Erie SeaWolves. Akron will give the ball to left-handed pitcher Kelvin De La Cruz, who is 4-5 with a 4.30 ERA in 2011. He will face right hander Jacob Turner, who is 2-2 with a 3.01 ERA this season. First pitch is at 7:05 p.m.

K-Tribe Falls in Extra Innings, 4-3 to Myrtle Beach

Kinston's strong effort came up short in a 4-3 defeat in 10 innings, Wednesday night in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The contest marks the third time in as many games the Indians have needed extra innings to determine a victor. Kinston (5-2, 43-33) has not played three straight extra inning games in more than eight years.

Kinston started the night with a Tyler Holt single. A Casey Frawley walk and Anthony Gallas single then loaded the bases. Myrtle Beach starting pitcher Justin Grimm would limit the damage, allowing just one run on a sacrifice fly by Jeremie Tice.

Kinston starter Marty Popham would then labor through three tough innings as the Pelicans scored single runs in each frame. Myrtle Beach used eight hits, including four of the infield variety, to single their way to a 3-1 lead going into the fourth inning. Popham lasted four innings, walking one and striking out four.

The Indians then worked some two out magic in the top of the fourth inning. With Jeremie Tice on first base thanks to an early inning walk, Abner Abreu had a two out single. Chase Burnette then drove Tice home with a run scoring single. Doug Pickens drew a walk to load the bases. The Pelican's starting hurler Grimm then walked Tyler Cannon, as Abreu scored to tie the game at three. Grimm lasted five innings, giving up five hits and three earned runs. Grimm walked four and struck out five.

Both bullpen's were stellar sending the contest in to extras. Kinston’s bullpen trio of Kyle Landis, Rob Bryson and Preston Guilmet combined for five scoreless innings to push the game in to the tenth.

Chris Jones entered to work the tenth and caught some bad breaks in allowing the winning run to Myrtle Beach. Vinny DiFazio led off with a double and his pinch runner, Andres James, moved to third with one out, on Casey Frawley's ground ball fielding error. After intentionally walking Santiago Chirino, Jared Hoying hit a high chopper down the first base line that Jones fielded with no time to make a play at home. James crossed to give the Pelicans a game one 4-3 victory. It was the first loss for Jones (4-1) on the season.

Brett Brach will get the start for Kinston in the middle game of this short three game road trip Thursday night at 7:05 pm.

Fort Wayne Power by Captains 11-4

A pair of two run homeruns, in the first inning, by Luis Domoromo and Wes Cunningham lifted Fort Wayne to a 4-0 lead and never looked back. The TinCaps defeated the Captains 11-4 on Wednesday afternoon.

Lake County made it 4-1 in the second inning on an RBI single by Carlos Moncrief that scored Aaron Fields who reached on a single to center, his first hit of the season.

In the third inning, Domoromo singled to lead off. Connor Powers doubled to left putting runners on second and third. Domoromo scored on a Jordan Cooper wild pitch. Cunningham singled to center scoring Powers to make it 6-1.

In the fourth inning, the TinCaps made it 8-1. Tyler Stubblefield was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded and Cunningham drove in his fourth RBI walking with the bases full.

With the bases loaded for Fort Wayne in the fifth inning, Stubblefield singled off the foot of Bryce Stowell scoring a run, giving the TinCaps a 9-1 lead.

In the bottom half the fifth the Captains loaded the bases, with a single from Argenis Martinez and Jordan Casas and a walk to Jesus Aguilar. Moises Montero singled up the middle for his first hit and RBI of the season. Aaron Fields singled for the second time, driving in his first RBI of the year. Nick Bartolone finshed the inning with a sacrifice fly to leftfield as the Captains cut into the lead at 9-4.

In the sixth inning, Captains’ reliever Luis Encarnacion walked three and threw a wild pitch as the TinCaps scored two more for an 11-4 lead.

Mark Hardy (4-7) picked up the win for Fort Wayne tossing five innings, allowing four runs on ten hits, walking two and striking out two. Jordan Cooper (2-3) suffered the loss working 3.1 allowing a career high eight runs and 11 eleven hits, walking one and striking out four.

Lake County will continue the home stand on Wednesday as they welcome in South Bend for three beginning at 7:00PM at Classic Park. The Captains will start LHP Mike Rayl (5-2) vs. RHP Bradin Hagen s (4-3) for the SilverHawks.

Scrappers win streak stopped

The Mahoning Valley Scrappers five game winning streak came to an end on Wednesday night when they lost 5-2 to State College.

Lefty Kirk Wetmore took the tough luck loss as he and the rest of the Scrappers pitching staff were done in by four errors by their defense behind them. Wetmore ended up going five innings and allowed four hits and three runs though none were earned, and he also allowed one walk and had six strikeouts. Daniel Jimenez and Anthony Dischler combined for three good innings of relief allowing two unearned runs on a hit, walk, and had one strikeout.

The Scrappers were limited to just seven hits, with five of the seven coming from right fielder Bryson Myles who went 3-for-5 with two doubles and second baseman Todd Hankins who went 2-for-4 with a triple.

Follow Tony and the Indians Prospect Insider on Twitter @TonyIPI. Also, his latest book the 2011 Cleveland Indians Top 100 Prospects & More is available for purchase for $20.95 to customers in the US (shipping and handling extra).

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