Buffalo Snaps Columbus Clippers 11 Game Home Win Streak
Buffalo took two of three games from the Columbus Clippers at Huntington Park in a series that saw the home team set a win streak record and then lose consecutive games.
In the series opener against Buffalo, Columbus scored three runs in the bottom of the first inning that would be all they would need as they held on for a 3-2 win setting a Huntington Park record with their 11th consecutive win at home.
Jordan Cooper upped his record to 2-1 after pitching 6.1 innings, allowing two runs on five hits and four walks with two strikeouts. Giovanni Soto picked up his first save of the season, pitching two scoreless innings.
Back-to-back homeruns by Jesus Aguilar and James Ramsey put the Clippers up 3-0 in the bottom of the first inning. Aguilar’s was a two-run shot, scoring Tyler Holt.
The score held up until the top of the sixth when Brad Glenn homered for the Bison. Buffalo added a second run in the seventh inning on a Dalton Pompey RBI single.
Miguel Castro (0-1) was tagged with the loss.
Game two saw the Bison snap the Clippers home winning streak at eleven with a 5-4 victory in eleven innings. Despite ten hits, the Clippers couldn’t get the crucial hit they needed, as the club left fifteen men on base. Michael Martinez, Jerry Sands, James Ramsey and Adam Moore had multi-hit games for the Clippers in the loss.
Buffalo plated two runs in the top of the second inning on a pair of singles and a double. They made the score 3-0 in the third inning on back-to-back doubles by Melky Mesa and Matt Hague.
The Clippers cut the lead to 3-1 in the home half of the third as Buffalo committed a pair of throwing errors allowing Michael Martinez to reach base and ultimately score.
The Bison got the run back in the top of the sixth inning on Brad Glenn’s third homer of the season off starter Jhoulys Chacin.
Down 4-1 in the eighth inning the Clippers hammered Bison reliever Colt Hynes for three runs on three hits. He left without retiring a batter and the game tied, 4-4.
Buffalo scored what would be the winning run in the top of the eleventh inning on a Jonathan Diaz single, as Luke Scott, who opened the inning with a double, raced home.
In the bottom of the inning Columbus had the bases loaded with no outs before Ryan Schimpf got Audy Ciriaco and Carlos Moncrief to fly out.
Buffalo handed the Clippers a second home loss with a 5-2 victory. The Bison scored three runs in the top of the ninth to take the third and final game of the series.
It was a pitcher’s duel through seven innings as neither team was able to score until the eighth inning. Clipper T.J. House, on a rehab assignment from Cleveland, squared off against Randy Wolf. Both were very effective, although neither figured in the decision. House, limited to a pitch count, gave up four hits and one walk with four strike outs in his five innings of work. Wolf pitched seven innings for Buffalo and allowed seven hits with three walks and seven strike outs.
Buffalo scored the games first two runs in the top of the eighth inning as they sent seven hitters to the plate. Both came on bases loaded walks, the first of A.J. Jiminez, the second of Munenori Kawasaki.
Columbus came right back in the bottom of the eighth and tied the game 2-2 on a sacrifice fly by Jerry Sands and a Adam Moore RBI single.
Clipper reliever Dustin Molleken came on with a runner on first and no outs and looked as if he would hold the side scoreless when he got a pair of ground ball outs.
Things changed quickly. Molleken walked Brad Glenn, and with runners at the corners Kevin Nolan laced a first pitch Molleken offering over the wall in right field. The three-run homer put the Bison up 5-2 and closed out the game. Chad Jenkins was credited with the win and Colt Hynes earned his first save of the season. Nick Maronde dropped his record to 0-5 with the loss.
Columbus welcomes Gwinnett for a four game series while Buffalo visits Toledo to end their road trip.
By Mike Tanchevski
