Game Recaps 7/17: Popham strikes for another K-Tribe win

Marty Popham (Photo: IPI)

Kinston wins 2-0

The K-Tribe got back on the winning track Sunday with a 2-0 victory over the visiting Dash, snapping a four game losing streak.

Marty Popham provided the pitching, striking out a career high 11 batters over 5 2/3 innings of work. Popham did not walk a Dash batter and allowed only three hits but was forced to watch his offense strand seven base runners over the first four innings.

Kinston did manage to break the stalemate in the fifth. Tyler Holt led off with a single but two outs followed as Kinston again threatened to fizzle with a base runner. Jeremie Tice prevented that, blasting his second home run is as many days to buoy Kinston.

The Indians bullpen did its job the rest of the way, posting scoreless frames for the final 3 2/3 innings. Chris Jones retired the lone batter he faced to end the sixth and Trey Haley added his second scoreless inning in the Carolina League since joining the team on the 10th of July. Jose Flores allowed one hit in a scoreless eighth before handing the baseball to all-star closer Preston Guilmet. Guilmet struck out the side to pick up his 24th save this season and preserve Kinston’s 2-0 victory.

Popham picked up his fourth win to remain unbeaten with Kinston in 2011. Popham set Kinston’s 2011 high mark with 11 strikeouts. Popham had never previously struck out more than ten batters as a professional.

Kinston continues the current home stand Monday night with game two against the Dash set for a 6:30 pm first pitch. Clayton Cook will get the start and try to become the first K-Triber to seven wins this season.

Clutch hitting pushes Clippers past Indians 6-4

Jerad Head came up with another clutch hit Sunday afternoon, helping the Clippers past the Indianapolis Indians, 6-4.

In the eighth inning, Head - batting with runners on the corners and one out -- singled to center to bring home Jason Donald and give the Clippers a one-run lead.

One batter later - with Tim Fedroff at the plate - Cord Phelps scored after Indians catcher Miguel Perez's errant throw on a pick-off attempt of Head at first.

A five-run sixth catapulted the Clippers to a victory Saturday night and they used two runs in the sixth Sunday to tie the game at four. Fedroff - with runners in scoring position and two outs - singled up the middle to score Donald and Phelps.

The other two Columbus runs came via a Shelly Duncan two-run blast to left in the fourth inning, which also plated Donald. Duncan was in the starting lineup Sunday after being sent down from Cleveland to make room for pitcher Jeanmar Gomez.

Zach Putnam (5-2) picks up the victory after going one inning of relief. Carlton Smith - going three scoreless innings of relief - stepped in for starter Joe Martinez, who went four innings, giving up two runs and striking out three. Josh Judy picked up the save, his 14th on the year.

After taking three of four from Indianapolis, the Clippers, 61-34, will play four games against the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees to wrap-up the home stand. Former Yankee farmhand Zach McAllister (8-3, 2.97) will take on Greg Smith (2-2, 4.99) at 7:05 PM.

Aeros fall to Senators, Split four-game series

The Akron Aeros lost the finale with the Harrisburg Senators 9-7 Sunday at Metro Bank Park splitting the four-game series.

Right-handed pitcher Joe Gardner suffered the loss for Akron lasting 5.1 innings, allowing nine runs (eight earned) on nine hits, walking three and striking out one.

Right-hander Jimmy Barthmaier recorded the win for the Senators pitching 3.2 scoreless innings of relief, scattering four hits and striking out four while walking none. Righty Rafael Martin got the last four outs to earn the save.

The Senators (55-38) got on the board in the bottom of the second inning when Chris Rahl scored on a Devin Ivany ground out to make it 1-0.

The Aeros (49-46) answered in the top of the third inning. Jordan Henry led off with a bunt single and scored on a Juan Diaz RBI double to tie the game 1-1. Beau Mills followed with a two-run home run to give the Aeros a 3-1 lead. Left-hander Oliver Perez walked Chun Chen and was lifted for Barthmaier. Barthmaier gave up a single to Ben Copeland to put runners on first and third. Kyle Bellows followed with an RBI single scoring Chen and making it 4-1.

The lead was short lived as the Senators rallied in the bottom of the frame. Josh Johnson was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning and advanced to third on an Archie Gilbert single. Bill Rhinehart doubled home Johnson and Gilbert to cut the Akron lead to 4-3. Tyler Moore followed with a two-run home run as the Senators retook the lead 5-4.

Harrisburg added four runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to make it 9-4.

Akron rallied in the top of the seventh inning. With one out, Mills singled and Chen walked to put runners on first and second. Copeland tripled them home to cut the Senators lead to 9-6. Kyle Bellows followed with an RBI single scoring Copeland and cutting the lead to 9-7.

That was as close as they would get as the Senators went on to the win.

The Aeros begin a three-game homestand with the Altoona Curve Monday. Akron will give the ball to right-handed pitcher Austin Adams, who is 5-8 with a 4.16 ERA in 2011. He will face left-handed pitcher Jeff Locke, who is 5-8 with a 4.67 ERA this season. First pitch is at 7:05 p.m.

Burlington slams Captains 5-4

John Nester’s sacrifice fly in the bottom of the sixth inning lifted Burlington past Lake County on Sunday afternoon at Community Field 5-4.

Josh Whitaker had the biggest blow of the game in the first inning, hitting a grand slam to put the Bees in front 4-0.

Carlos Moncrief made it 4-1 with a solo homerun in the third inning. Jesus Aguilar cut the lead in half at 4-2 with an RBI ground out scoring LeVon Washington.

In the fifth, Washington singled with two out and stole second to get in scoring position. Giovanny Urshela collected his third hit of the game with a single to score Washington to make it 4-3.

Ronny Rodriguez hit his seventh homerun of the season leading off the sixth inning tying the game at four.

Max Peterson (2-0) got the win working 2.2 innings allowing a run on a hit, walking one and striking out four. Daniel Tenholder worked a perfect ninth for his tenth save of the season. Joey Mahalic (0-4) took the loss working three innings, allowing a run on three hits, walking one and striking out two.

Lake County will wrap up the six game road trip Monday night in Burlington with first pitch at 7:30PM. RHP Mike Goodnight (5-8) takes the mound for the Captains against Jose Macias (2-2) for the Bees.

Scrappers defeat Jammers in extra innings

The Scrappers withstood a late Jammers comeback and won in extra innings, 6-5, to move into a tie for first place in the Pinckney Division.

Mahoning Valley scored three runs in the top of the fifth inning to take a 3-0 lead. Alex Lavisky homered to start the scoring, his second home run for the Scrappers this season. Jamestown scored two in the bottom of the sixth inning to cut the lead to 3-2, and the score remained that way going into the top of the ninth inning.

The Scrappers added two runs in the ninth to take a 5-2 lead, but Enosil Tejeda allowed three runs in the bottom of the ninth inning to send the game into extra innings. Mahoning Valley scored a run in the top of the 11th on a sacrifice fly by Todd Hankins, and Nate Striz pitched a scoreless inning in the bottom of the 11 th to give the Scrappers the win.

Tejeda picked up the victory to improve to 2-2. Relief pitcher Curtis Petersen picked up the loss for the Jammers to fall to 2-2. Striz earned his first save of the season.

The Scrappers and Jammers will conclude their three-game series on Monday night at 7:05 pm.

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