Game Recaps 6/9: Barnes pitches Clippers to win

Scott Barnes (Photo: Tony Lastoria)

Clippers win again behind great pitching

The Clippers are three-for-three so far in their four game series against Rochester as they won again on Thursday night 7-1. In the first three games of the series they have dominated Rochester by outscoring them 15-3.

It has been all about pitching, and on Thursday night lefty Scott Barnes put up arguably his best start of the season going seven shutout innings and allowing just three hits, two walks, and had eight strikeouts. He got the win and in ten appearances with the Clippers this season is now 4-1 with a 4.21 ERA.

Offensively, it was the Jason Kipnis and Jared Goedert and show. Kipnis started the game at second base and went 3-for-4 with a solo homer, a walk, and two runs scored. Goedert started the game at first base and went 2-for-3 with a homer, three RBI, walk and run scored. Even shortstop Luis Valbuena got into the act going 2-for-4 with a double and run scored, and extended his hitting streak to 19 games.

Both teams square off for a fourth and final time in the series on Friday, and the Clippers will send right-hander Zach McAllister to the mound.

Aeros lose to New Britain in rubber match

The Akron Aeros gave up 14 runs on 16 hits and lost the rubber match of a three-game series against the New Britain Rock Cats 14-3 Thursday at New Britain Stadium.

Right-handed pitcher Joe Gardner suffered the loss for the Aeros lasting just 2.2 innings, giving up eight runs (four earned) on seven hits, walking two and striking out none.

Righty Liam Hendriks earned the win for New Britain tossing six innings, giving up one earned run on seven hits, walking one and striking out three. Left-handed pitcher Tyler Robertson pitched three innings of relief to record the save.

The Aeros (28-33) got on the board in the top of the first inning. With two outs, Beau Mills doubled. Matt McBride followed with an RBI triple scoring Mills and giving Akron a 1-0 lead.

The Rock Cats (32-26) answered in the home half of the frame. With runners on first and second and one out, Evan Bigley rapped an RBI single to tie the game 1-1. Yangervis Solarte and Jair Fernandez followed with back-to-back RBI singles to give the Rock Cats a 3-1 lead.

New Britain erupted for five runs in the bottom of the third inning to chase Gardner. The inning was highlighted by a Daniel Rohfling two-RBI double that made it 8-1.

The Rock Cats scored six more times in the bottom of the fourth inning to take a 14-1 lead.

The Aeros got a run back in the top of the eighth inning on a Kyle Bellows RBI double that made it 14-2.

Akron scored a run in the top of the ninth inning, but drew no closer as the Rock Cats won the series.

The Aeros will head to Harrisburg to begin a three-game series with the Senators Friday. Akron will give the ball to right-hander Austin Adams, who is 4-5 with a 3.31 ERA in 2011. He will face fellow righty Tanner Roark, who is 3-1 with a 4.81 ERA on the season. First pitch is at 7 p.m.

Kinston Cancelled By Rain In Wilmington

Kinston’s game at Wilmington was cancelled in the bottom of the third inning, Thursday night in Delaware. Kinston trailed 3-1 when the game was called because of heavy rain.

Kinston jumped on top with a first inning run thanks to a leadoff walk drawn by Tyler Holt. Holt pushed his on base streak to 11 games with the free pass and then stole his 14th base of the year. Bo Greenwell moved Holt to third with a single. Jeremie Tice followed by putting a slow grounder through the legs of Blue Rocks third baseman John Whittleman and past the shortstop Alex McClure to score Holt. Tice’s grounder was scored a fielding error on Whittleman.

Wilmington jumped on the control issues of Clayton Cook for three second inning runs to steal the lead. Cook walked three batters in the inning and gave up a two-out, two rbi double to Whit Merrifield. Eight Wilmington players batted in the inning which included only two hits.

The K-Tribe returns to Historic Grainger Stadium Friday night to take on first place Myrtle Beach. Kinston will begin the series between three and four games back of the Pelicans. Game time 6:30 pm as Marty Popham gets the spot start for Kinston.

Captains Rally Falls Short in 5-4 Loss

Tyler Thornburg was dominating for Wisconsin on Thursday night defeating Lake County 5-4. Thornburg struck out ten hitters while retiring the last 16 he faced for his sixth win of the season.

The Rattlers took a 1-0 lead in the first inning. Reggie Keen singled to reach base and moved around to third and scored on a Kyle Blair wild pitch.

In the second inning, Brian Heere doubled in a run to tie the game at one. Argenis Martinez delivered a big two out RBI single to right to give the Captains a 2-1 lead.

Wisconsin took the lead right back in the third. Chris Dennis with the bases loaded singled in a pair of run for a 3-2 edge.

The Rattlers went up 4-2 in the fourth inning, following an RBI double by Cody Hawn scoring Nick Shaw.

Wisconsin added one more run in the bottom of the sixth inning to go up 5-2. Greg Hopkins doubled to left scoring Shaw.

The Captains pulled a little closer in the eighth, Ronny Rodriguez singled in Martinez to make it 5-3. The Captains left the bases loaded in the inning.

Lake County strung together another rally in the ninth, but fell short. Jesus Aguilar and Alex Lavisky singled to start the inning. Heere laid down a sacrifice bunt to push the runners over. Martinez drove in a run with a ground to make it 5-4. LeVon Washington walked to put runners on first and third. Rodriguez could not deliver the clutch hit grounding out to third.

Tyler Thornburg (6-0) worked seven innings, allowing two runs on four hits, walking one and striking out ten. Kyle Blair (3-4) suffered the loss allowing four runs on seven hits in just 3.2 innings of work, walking four and striking out five.

Lake County will head to Beloit for a three game series beginning on Friday night at 8:00PM from Pohlman Field. The Captains will start RHP Jordan Cooper (1-2) against RHP Adrian Salcedo (5-3) for the Snappers.

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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