Game Recaps 9/5: Salazar, Captains win season finale

Danny Salazar (Photo: IPI)

Captains close season with 4-1 win

Lake County closed the 2011 season on Monday afternoon with a 4-1 win over Bowling Green. The Captains finished the season strong at home sweeping the Hot Rods at Classic Park.

Bowling Green to a 1-0 lead in the first inning with an RBI single by Julio Cedeno scoring Robby Price.

LeVon Washington led off the bottom of the first inning with a solo homerun to right field tying the game at one. Luigi Rodriguez walked and scoring on a fielding error with two outs to give the Captains a 2-1 lead.

Lake County added some insurance in the eighth. Nick Bartolone doubled off the wall in right. Ronny Rodriguez singled in Bartolone to make it 3-1. Alex Monsalve pushed the lead to 4-1, with a single to right scoring Ronny Rod.

Luis Encarnacion (2-3) worked to scoreless innings in relief for the win, no hits, two walks and three strike outs. Clayton Ehlert pitched the ninth for his 16th save of the season. Wilking Rodriguez (0-3) took the loss allowing two runs on three hits, walking one and striking out two in four innings of work.

Lake County ends the season with a record of 53-86, a second half record of 25-45. The Captains return to action April 5th 2012 in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

Clippers drop regular season finale 3-1

The playoff-bound Clippers ended the 2011 regular season with a 3-1 loss to the Toledo Mud Hens.

It would be Toledo jumping out to an early lead. The lead-off batter Justin Henry reached on an error by Clippers first baseman Beau Mills. After Henry stole second base, Jeff Salazar walked. Timo Perez then laid down a sacrifice bunt, allowing both runners to move into scoring position with one out. That brought up Ryan Strieby who delivered for his ballclub with a two-run RBI single up the middle, giving Toledo an early 2-0 advantage.

The top of the seventh would be the first time Columbus made noise on the scoreboard. Beau Milss led off the frame with a double to left field. After a Thomas Neal strikeout, Luke Carlin walked to put runners on 1st and 2nd with one out. The Mud Hens made a pitching change, bringing in left-hander Matt Hoffman to face Ben Copeland. Needing a big hit from their centerfielder, Copeland put it in play and the Clippers caught a break thanks to a Toledo defensive miscue. The Mud Hens defensive blunder allowed Mills to score, getting the Clippers on the board 2-1. Unfortunately, the Clippers could not do anything more that inning as Argenis Reyes struck out to end the frame.

The Mud Hens got that run back in the bottom of the 8th when Ryan Strieby belted a one-out solo shot to left field. making it 3-1 Toledo.

The Clippers were then sent down 1-2-3 in the ninth inning by Mud Hens reliver Enrique Gonzalez as the Mud Hens held on for 3-1 win in the 2011 regular season finale.

With the regular season behind them, the Clippers will now set their sights on the IL South Division champion Durham Bulls as these two teams get set to tangle in the 2011 Governor's Cup Divisional Series. Game 1 of the best-of-five series will take place in Durham, North Carolina. The starting pitchers for both squads are to be determined. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 pm.

Aeros end season with loss to Harrisburg

The Akron Aeros couldn’t complete the four-game sweep of the Harrisburg Senators as they concluded the 2011 season with a 5-2 loss in the finale of the series on Monday at Metro Bank Park.

Right-handed pitcher Steve Wright suffered the loss for Akron tossing five innings, allowing five earned runs on seven hits, walking two and striking out three.

Right-hander Carlos Martinez recorded the win for Harrisburg pitching three innings of relief, giving up one earned run on five hits and striking out one while walking none.

The Senators (80-62) took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first on a Derek Norris solo home run.

They added three more runs an inning later on a Chris McConnell RBI double and an Erik Komatsu two-RBI single to make it 4-0.

It remained 4-0 until the top of the fifth inning when Donnie Webb drove in Karexon Sanchez with an RBI single to cut the Harrisburg lead to 4-1.

The Senators answered with a run in the bottom of the frame and, despite allowing a run in the top of the ninth inning, went on to the win.

The Aeros (73-69) finished the 2011 season in fourth place, seven games behind first place Harrisburg.

Kinston falls late 8-4

The Kinston Indians could not hold off a late rally in the season finale Monday afternoon as the Potomac Nationals won 8-4. Kinston took three of four games in the series.

Trailing 2-1, Kinston took the lead in the sixth. With the tying run already across on a wild pitch, newcomer Cody Allen had a chance to bat.

Kinston made a defensive change in the second inning, which eliminated the designated hitter spot and forced K-Tribe pitchers to hit.

In the midst of a three inning scoreless outing in his Carolina League debut, Cody Allen stood at the plate with the go-ahead run on third. Allen managed a single to put himself in a position to pick up the victory. Allen also scored in the sixth when Argenis Martinez singled him in from third.

Kinston looked to be in a position to pick up the sweep until the Nationals exploded in the eighth. Potomac brought six runs across in a ten batter eighth inning.

Allen fired three shutout innings in his Carolina League debut, allowing one hit and striking out three. Jose Flores took the loss, after working the entire eighth inning.

Kinston will head in to the 2011 Southern Division Championship series having won six of its last eight ballgames. The K-Tribe hosts games three through five if the series needs five games.

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). Use discount code 2Z6F362B to receive 40% off the book through the site store!

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