Clippers lose on walk-off HR

Lehigh Valley ended Columbus’ seven-game winning streak by defeating the Clippers, 4-3, in 10 innings on a walk-off homer by IronPigs’ right fielder Jon Knott.

The Pigs’ scored a run in the first on a solo homer Jason Jaramillo, and took a 3-0 lead in the fourth after Clippers’ starting pitcher Jason Bergmann walked Andy Tracy, and two batters later, Brennan King doubled to left. Bergmann then walked T. J. Bohn to load the bases before Casey Smith added a two-run single scoring Tracy and King.

The Clippers added a run in the seventh on Yurendell de Caster’s second homer of the season, a solo shot to left. and tied the game in the ninth as Alex Escobar ledoff with a base hit, then with two outs, Ryan Langerhans doubled to right field. Both scored on de Caster’s third hit of the game on a single to center.

Bergmann lasted seven innings and allowed three runs, all earned, on five hits with five strikeouts and three walks. He faced 28 batters and threw 100 pitches, with 66 of those landing in the strike zone.

Bobby Brownlie pitched one inning of relief and did not allow with two base on balls.

Chris Schroder took the loss, working 1-2/3 innings and served up the walk-off HR with two outs after getting Jaramillo and Tracy to ground out. He finished with two strikeouts and a walk.

Win streak hits five

The Columbus Clippers won their fifth-straight game by defeating the Rochester Red Wings 3-1 at Cooper Stadium, Tuesday night.

Although the game was not as dramatic as Tuesday night’s contest, the Clippers did have to dodge a bullet in the Wings’ half of the ninth.

Clippers’ reliever Chris Schroder, who replaced Bobby Brownlie with two outs in the eighth, promptly surrendered consecutive singles to Jose Morales and Brian Buscher after Howie Clark grounded out to start the final frame.

With one out, Schroder walked Chris Basak on four pitches to load the bases.

Pinch-hitter Randy Ruiz stepped up to the plate for the Red Wings, and with a count of two balls and two strikes, Schroder’s high offering got past catcher Javi Herrera, who then hustled to get the ball and fired to Schroder covering home to nail Morales trying to score from third.

On the very next pitch, Schorder struck out Ruiz, who swung and missed to end the game.

The Clippers scored one run in innings fourth through six as Herrera had an RBI single in the fourth, Escobar added an RBI double in the fifth, and Ray Olmedo smacked a solo homer to left in the sixth.

Clippers’ starting pitcher Garrett Mock lasted six innings and gave one earned run on six hits with five strikeouts and no walks. Over his past four starts, he has pitched 22 innings and allowed six runs, 23 hits and just three walks.

Mock faced 23 batters and threw 73 pitches, with 48 of those landing in the strike zone.

Brownlie, making his first appearance for the Clippers since being called up from Double-A Harrisburg on Sunday, worked 1-2/3 innings and allowed a pair of hits and a walk without giving up a run. He went 4-0 with a 2.83 ERA in six starts for the Senators.

Schroder faced six batters and surrendered two hits and a walk with two strikeouts to earn his second save of the season.

On Monday night, Larry Broadway’s three-run homer off of the scoreboard in right-center field in the eighth capped a six-run inning for the Clippers as they went on to defeat the Wings, 7-6.

Trailing 6-1, Langerhans and Yurendell de Caster each had RBI singles before Escobar’s RBI double and Broadway’s deep drive that put the Clippers ahead in the eighth.

Clippers’ starter for Monday’s contest, Steven Shell, was roughed up for five runs, all earned, on six hits in five innings of work. He finished with three strikeouts and no walks.

For Wednesday night’s game, right-hander Collin Balester (2-2, 4.13) will take the mound for the Clippers, and he will be opposed by Wings’ southpaw Glen Perkins (2-1, 2.97). Game time at Cooper Stadium is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. ET.

Rochester series preview


Rochester Red Wings at Columbus Clippers

Mon., 7:05pm: RHP Kevin Slowey (0-1, 3.60) vs. RHP Steven Shell (1-0, 2.37)
Tue., 7:05pm: RHP PhilipHumber (1-3, 5.40) vs. RHP Garrett Mock (1-1, 4.32)
Wed., 7:05pm: LHP Glen Perkins (2-1, 2.97) vs. RHP Collin Balester (2-2, 4.13)
Thur., 11:35am: RHP Kevin Mulvey (2-3, 3.82) vs. RHP Tyler Clippard (1-3, 4.45)

Tonight, Steven Shell makes his first start of the season after replacing Dennis Tankersley in the Clippers’ rotation and he will be opposed by Red Wings’ right-hander Kevin Slowey. Game time at Cooper Stadium is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. ET.

Over the weekend, the Clippers made several roster moves. One of which was placing reliever Brian Sanches placed on 7-day disabled list due to a tricep injury, while another reliever, Chris Booker, was activated from the 7-day DL.

Also, pitchers Jim Ed Warden was transferred from Double-A Harrisburg and Joe Norrito was sent to Single-A Potomac.

Darnell McDonaldRochester, the Triple-A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins, enters tonight’s game riding a two-game losing streak and are 14-17 on the season, good for fourth place in the International League East, eight games back of division-leading Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

Outfielder Darnell McDonald (right) leads the Red Wings in batting (.351) and RBI (20) and is second on the team with two homers. McDonald has hit .390 with those two homers, 16 RBIs and 11 runs scored in his last 10 games.

Leading Rochester in HRs is third baseman Brian Buscher with four, while outfielder Denard Span has a team-high six stolen bases.

Offensively as a team, Rochester is batting .241, 11th-best out of the 14 teams in the IL, and three points below Columbus. The Red Wings’ are also 12th in runs scored (122), 10th in hits (245), and 10th in homers (19).

Pitching-wise, Rochester is second in the IL with a team ERA of 3.26, and in 31 games, have surrendered 117 runs, but only 96 of those have been earned, which places the Red Wings tied for second among the 14 teams in the league.

Lehigh Valley series recap

After losing in the series opener Thursday night, 5-3, the Columbus Clippers rebounded by winning three-straight games against the Lehigh Valley IronPigs over the weekend. With those three wins, the Clippers climbed over the .500-mark for the first time since Opening Day.

In the series finale on Sunday, Jason Bergmann allowed just three hits over six innings of shutout ball as the Clippers prevailed 8-1.

The game was scoreless until the home half of the sixth as Tommy Murphy ledoff the frame with a single to left and advanced to second on throwing error by former Clipper Brandon Watson. Pete Orr followed with a sacrifice bunt, but reached safely thanks to a fielding error by pitcher J. A. Happ. Murphy then scored on a fielder’s choice by Alex Escobar that put the Clippers ahead 1-0.

Columbus scored a pair of runs in the seventh after Jesus Flores began the inning by reaching base on a walk, then advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Ray Olmedo. Garrett Guzman added an RBI double, who later scored on a sac fly by Murphy.

The lone run scored by the Pigs came in the eighth off of Clippers’ reliever Charlie Manning.

Manning surrendered consecutive singles to Watson and Rich Thompson to start the frame with Watson later scoring after a throwing error by Olmedo.

But the Clippers blew the game wide-open in the home half of the inning after Red Wings’ reliever Steve Kline replaced Gary Knotts.

Pete Orr swatted a two-bagger to center, Escobar was hit by a pitch, and Ryan Langerhans followed by smacking a ground-rule double to left-center field plating Orr.

Larry Broadway came to plate and was the second victim of the inning to be hit by a pitch from Kline. Now with the bases loaded, Flores drew a walk scoring Escobar.

After Kline faced five batters and couldn’t get an out, Jason Anderson came on in relief and Olmedo promptly hit a two-run single scoring Langerhans and Broadway. Two batters later, Yurendell de Caster plated Flores with a base hit to make it 8-1.

Bergmann faced 23 batters and threw 82 pitches, with 53 of those for strikes. He finished with five strikeouts and two walks.

On Saturday, the Clippers won 3-2 thanks to another strong outing by a starting pitcher, this time from Tyler Clippard.

Clippard lasted 6-2/3 innings and yielded just two hits with no Pig crossing the plate. He finished with six strikeouts and one walk.

Murphy had an RBI single in the third, Broadway hit a solo homer in the fourth, and Elijah Dukes added an RBI triple in the seventh to account for all of the runs needed by the Clippers.

On Friday, Columbus won another tight game, 4-3, after the Clippers scored three runs in the fourth to win it with Olmedo knocking in a run with a sac fly and Dukes added a two-run single.

Collin Balester recorded his second win over the season by pitching five innings and giving up three runs, two earned, on four hits with three strikeouts and three walks.

The Clippers lost the series-opener Thursday night, 5-3, after starting pticher Garrett Mock allowed four runs, though only two were earned, on seven hits in seven innings of work. He finished with four strikeouts and no walks.

Huntington Park update II

Huntington Park
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