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| Paul Phillips (IPI |
The Clippers outlasted the Indianapolis Indians 4-3 in 10 innings in front of a great Friday night crowd at Huntington Park.
Looking to get off to good start, the Clippers struck first in inning #1. A one out Jason Donald double and Tim Fedroff single set up Cord Phelps who hit a long fly ball to right field that was deep enough for Donald to score from third and give Columbus a very early 1-0 lead. The Clippers had an opportunity to score more, but could not do so. The next batter, Nick Johnson, was hit by a pitch to load the bases with two out. Chad Huffman hit it well, but flew out to left field for the third out.
The Clippers would look to add to their lead. Cord Phelps singled to begin the frame. That was followed by a Jerad Head double to left field. After a Nick Johnson strikeout, Huffman chopped a grounder to third that allowed Phelps to score and make it 2-0 in favor of the boys from Columbus. The lead would become 3-0 when Head came around to score on a Jared Goedert double down the left field line.
The Indians would get a run in the top of the fourth on a Steve Pearce Home Run to left field. The inning would get tougher for Columbus starter Corey Kluber when he gave up a single to Pedro Alvarez and a double to Matt Hague after the Pearce long ball. Kluber struck out Miles Durham, but then gave up a single to Wyatt Toregas that scored both Alvarez and Hague to tie the game at 3-3.
The Clippers looked to grab the lead in the bottom of the seventh. Jason Kipnis would reach on an error by Indians first baseman Steve Pearce. Kipnis then stole second to get into scoring position. After a Jason Donald strikeout, Kipnis advanced to third on a wild pitch. Tim Fedroff walked, putting runners on 1st and 3rd with one out. Cord Phelps had an opportunity to play hero for Columbus, but he bounced into a 4-3-1 double play to end the inning.
It looked like the Clippers would provide them bottom of the ninth magic. Goedert reached on an error by Corey Wimberly to begin the frame. He was bunted over to second by Paul Phillips. Jason Kipnis then walked. Jason Donald singled to right field, but it was not enough to get the winning run across home plate. Despite having the bases loaded with one out, the Clippers were not able to do anything offensively as Fedroff grounded into a force out when the Indians threw home to get pinch runner Donnie Webb and Cord Phelps grounded into a fielder's choice to end the Clippers' scoring threat and the send the game into extra-innings.
Jerad Head doubled to right field to lead off the bottom of the tenth. He advanced to third on a Nick Johnson groundout. After intentional walks were issued by Chad Huffman and Donnie Webb to load the bases, Paul Phillips hit a sacrifice fly to left field to bring in Head for the winning run.
The Clippers and Indians will be back at it tomorrow in game three of this four game series at Huntington Park. Justin Germano (0-1) will toe the rubber for the Clippers. Indians lefthander Justin Wilson (9-5) will oppose Germano. First pitch is scheduled 7:05 pm.
Aeros down Senators in Pomeranz’s Double-A debut
Left-handed pitcher Drew Pomeranz allowed just a solo home run over 4.2 innings of work in his Double-A debut as the Akron Aeros won game two of a four-game series against the Harrisburg Senators 4-3 Friday at Metro Bank Park.
Pomeranz didn’t factor in the decision as he scattered three hits and struck five while walking just one. Right-handed pitcher Matt Langwell got the win for Akron pitching an inning and two thirds of scoreless relief, allowing one hit and striking out three while walking one. Right-hander Cory Burns recorded the last four outs to earn his league-best 26th save of 2011.
Righty Tanner Roark suffered the loss for the Senators lasting five innings, allowing four runs (three earned) on eight hits, walking two and striking out six.
Karexon Sanchez hit a solo home run in the top of the third inning to give the Aeros a 1-0 lead.
The lead was short lived as Archie Gilbert hit a solo home run of his own for the Senators in the bottom of the frame tying the game 1-1.
The Aeros (48-45) retook the lead in the top of the fifth inning. With one out, Ben Copeland singled and scored on a Beau Mills double to give Akron a 2-1 lead. Mills scored on a Chun Chen RBI single to make it 3-1. On the play, Chen scored on a throwing error to give the Aeros a 4-1 lead.
Harrisburg (54-37) rallied for two runs in the bottom of the sixth inning, but drew no closer as Akron went on to the win.
The Aeros and Senators will play game three of this four-game series Saturday night. Akron will give the ball to right-handed pitcher Joe Gardner, who is 6-6 with a 4.11 ERA in 2011. He will face fellow right-hander Erik Davis, who is 5-3 with a 3.74 ERA this season. First pitch is at 7 p.m.
Two in ninth not enough for K-Tribe
After a three day layoff, baseball was finally played in Woodbridge, VA on Friday night. Kinston could not take advantage as a ninth inning rally fell one run shy in Friday's 4-3 loss to the Nationals.
The K-Tribe struck first in the fourth inning. Adam Abraham walked with one out and was moved to third on a single from Jeremie Tice. Abner Abreu scored Abraham on a sacrifice fly to center field.
Francisco Soriano wiped Brett Brach's shutout off the board with a two run home run in the fifth. Soriano's third home run of the season gave Potomac a lead the Nationals would never relinquish.
Kinston starting pitcher Brett Brach started the seventh by striking out J.R. Higley and departed after giving up a triple to the next batter, Jose Lozada. Chris Jones came out of the pen and allowed a two run home run to Soriano, Soriano's second of the day.
The Kinston offense waited until starter Danny Rosenbaum departed to find some offense. Closer Hector Nelo entered in the ninth and promptly fired five straight pitches out of the strike zone to walk Tyler Holt. After Casey Frawley popped out, Adam Abraham reached on a throwing error from third baseman Jose Lozada. Tice then picked up his second hit of the night to push home Holt and move Abraham to third. Abreu added his second rbi with a run scoring ground out. With two gone and the tying run on third, a ground out ended Kinston's hopes of coming from behind.
Brach took the loss, giving up three runs in 6 1/3 innings. He gave up eight hits, did not walk a man and struck out five. Chris Jones and Rob Bryson each came out of the pen, Bryson firing a 1-2-3 eighth inning.
Kinston and Potomac will play two games Saturday night starting at 5:30. T.J. House will start game one for Kinston and be opposed by Sammy Solis.
Chiefs walk off In 10, 6-5 win over Captains
Elloit Soto’s RBI single up the middle in the bottom of the tenth inning lifted Peoria over Lake County on Friday night at O’Brien Field. The Chiefs took two of three games from the Captains.
Jesus Aguilar gave Lake County an earlier lead in the first inning, with an RBI double scoring Jordan Casas to make it 1-0; it was the 60th RBI of the season for Aguilar.
Down 3-1 in the third inning the Captains battled back to retake the lead 4-3. Moises Montero crushed a ball to leftfield for his first of the season to make it 3-2. Ronny Rodriguez put Lake County in front with a two-out two run single to left with the bases loaded.
Richard Jones hit his 17th homerun of the season for Peoria in the sixth inning; the two run shot gave the Chiefs a 5-4 lead.
The Captains tied the game in the eighth inning; Nick Bartolone’s RBI groundout scored Giovanny Urshela evening the score at five.
Yohan Gonzalez (4-3) picked up the win allowing a run on two hits working the final three innings for the Chiefs. Joey Mahalic (0-3) took the loss allowing a run on two hits in just a third of inning in the tenth.
Lake County will continue the road trip in Burlington on Saturday night at 7:30PM. The Captains will send LHP Mike Rayl (5-3) to the mound against RHP Nate Long (5-3) for the Bees.
Scrappers fall to Tigers
The Scrappers scored two runs in the first inning and led twice, but the Tigers rallied to win the game, 7-4.
Mahoning Valley had a 2-0 lead after one inning and a 4-3 lead after six innings. Jordan Smith singled in two runs in the bottom of the first inning to give the Scrappers the early lead. The Tigers scored a run in the top of the fourth and two in the sixth to take a 3-2 lead. In the bottom of the sixth, Evan Frazar singled with the bases loaded to tie the game and Cody Elliott walked with the bases loaded to put the Scrappers ahead, 4-3. Connecticut scored three runs in the seventh inning to take the lead for good, and added one more in the ninth inning for the 7-4 victory.
Danny Jimenez picked up the loss to fall to 1-1. Melvin Mercedes picked up the win to improve to 3-0. The Scrappers open up a three game series on the road against the Jamestown Jammers on Saturday night at 7:05 pm.
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2 comments:
Tony,
Do the Indians have any real hitting prospects?
Weglarz is hitting .188; Washington is only 19, but he's not hitting.
Phelps & Kipnis are OK; not showing any MLB, star potential.
Goedert is under .200; Beau Mills is having an OK season, but he's already 25, Chisenhall hit only .265 at AAA; couldn't run the bases
tonight, like an "A" ball player should.
Nobody hits at Kinston; Abreu is at .224.
What's going on? Drafting terribly or training terribly?
Aguilar is the only bright spot, and he might get traded for some one-year-wonder who will never re-sign with us.
Yeah, they need some hitting prospects for sure, although Chisenhall is up now and Kipnis could be right behind. If they pan out, then the combo of them along with Cabrera-Santana could be pretty formidable in immediate future.
But the big problem is the lack of a right-handed power....something they greatly lack in the system. The only real RH power guy is Jesus Aguilar, but he is all the way down in Low-A and if all goes right is not even a big league option until maybe mid-2013 at the earliest.
Pitching is definitely the strength of the organization, and is something I believe at some point they will use to strengthen the lineup (maybe this offseason).
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