Columbus Clippers Remain Red Hot in Taking 3 of 4
The Columbus Clippers took three-of-four games from the Syracuse Chiefs at Huntington Park over the weekend. Columbus is 7-3 in their last ten games and it appears they’ve recovered from their recent tailspin.
Cody Anderson and Enosil Tejeda pitched ten innings of one run baseball in the series opener to defeat the Syracuse Chiefs 2-1. Francisco Lindor scored the winning run from second base on Jesus Aguilar’s game winning single. It was the Clippers third consecutive extra-inning game.
Anderson pitched seven solid innings allowing the one run on six hits with six strike outs. Tejeda gave up a pair of singles and struck out three in his three innings of work. Neither pitcher issued a walk.
Syracuse scored first in the top of the fifth on an RBI single by Cutter Dykstra that scored Mario Lisson from second base. Lisson singled and stole second to start the inning.
Columbus answered in the bottom of the inning. Jose Ramirez doubled to open the inning and scored when James Ramsey, the next hitter, doubled him home. That was all the scoring until Aguilar’s tenth inning heroics.
Tejeda won his first game of the season and Erik Davis took the loss for the Chiefs.
The Clippers scored three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning and held off the Chiefs for a 4-2 win in the second game of their series. It was the Clippers third consecutive victory and second over the Chiefs.
Cutter Dykstra and Mario Lisson were again responsible for the Chiefs opening score. Dykstra singled home Lisson in the top of the second inning to put Syracuse up 1-0. Just like the previous night, Columbus answered in the bottom of the inning. A Michael Martinez double scored James Ramsey to tie the game 1-1.
Four consecutive hits in the bottom of the sixth inning scored three runs as the Clippers jumped out to a 4-1 lead. Jesus Aguilar opened the frame with a double, Jerry Sands then singled to move Aguilar to third. Lonnie Chisenhall doubled home Aguilar and advanced Sands to third. Jose Ramirez singled home Sands and moved Chisenhall to third. Chisenhall scored on a Michael Martinez ground ball that ended the inning on a double-play.
Syracuse had a chance to make some noise in the top of the eighth inning as Mark Minicozzi hit his second home run of the season to start the inning and bring the Chiefs to within two runs, 4-2. Giovanni Soto and Jeff Manship combined to load the bases before Manship induced a ground ball out to escape the dilemma.
Toru Murata bumped his mark to 4-2 with the win. He pitched 6.1 innings allowing one run on eight hits and two walks,. Manship picked up his second save of the season. P.J. Walters was the losing pitcher for the Chiefs.
Columbus used one inning of scoring to defeat Syracuse for the third time in three tries, 3-0, in what may have been the last game for Francisco Lindor in a Clippers uniform for some time. The shortstop’s contract was selected by Cleveland as he was set to make his MLB debut against Detroit.
Weather forced the suspension of play on Saturday and the game was completed on Sunday prior to the regularly scheduled series finale. As a result each team was forced to adjust their pitching rotation. Dustin Molleken benefitted from the situation, picking up his fifth win of the season against one loss. Shawn Armstrong earned his seventh save of the season.
Lonnie Chisenhall provided all of the scoring the Clippers would need in the bottom of the third inning on his first home run of the season in Columbus. Tyler Naquin walked and Jesus Aguilar singled to set the stage for Chisenhall’s three-run shot to right.
Syracuse jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the second inning on Jason Martinson’s eighth home run of the season. Columbus regained the lead 2-1, in the bottom of the inning on an Adam Moore RBI double and Carlos Moncrief sacrifice fly.
Poor defense and ineffective pitching cost the Clippers in the top of the third inning. A Jose Ramirez throwing error and three walks, a wild pitch and a throwing error by Jhoulys Chacin mixed in with a double and a single cost allowed four runs to score and put the Chiefs up 5-2.
Syracuse to advantage of a pair of walks in the fourth inning and increased their lead to 6-2.
Jesus Aguilar and Ryan Rohlinger added an RBI singles in the bottom of the fifth and sixth innings to pull the Clippers to within two runs, 6-4.
It wasn’t enough as Jason Martinson homered in the top of the seventh to extend the Syracuse lead to 7-4. That’s how it would end in the shortened affair as the Clippers went quietly in the bottom of the seventh.
Jhoulys Chacin took the loss for the Clippers. Scott McGregor evened his mark at 4-4 with the Syracuse win.
Columbus closes out the home stand with a three game set at the Norfolk Tides. Syracuse welcomes Toledo for three games.
By Mike Tanchevski