Bats Rally Late, but Clippers Hang on

The Columbus Clippers got win number two of the 2014 campaign thanks to a pitching gem from Tyler Cloyd. Start two of the season for Cloyd was much better than the first as he went eight innings and only allowed an unearned run on four hits. Cloyd (1-1, 4.63 ERA) struck out seven and allowed no walks against the Louisville Bats Friday night and received the win for Columbus. Tim Crabbe (0-1, 1.59 ERA) was the losing pitcher for the Bats allowing two earned runs on seven hits in five-and-a-third innings pitched. Mark Lowe got the save, his second, allowing a run on three hits in the ninth, but ended the Bats rally to preserve the 4-2 win for Columbus. The Clippers improved to 2-6 while the Bats dropped to 4-3.

The scoring started in the fourth inning for the Bats when a two-out error allowed Felix Perez to reach and an RBI double by Chris Perez made it 1-0 Bats. The Clippers rallied for a couple of runs in the sixth to take the lead. Jesus Aguilar hit a one-out single and a single by Tim Fedroff aided by a throwing error from Bats right fielder Felix Perez allowed Aguilar to score and Fedroff to get to third. The next man up was Matt Carson who scored Fedroff on an RBI single.

The Clippers rallied for two more in the ninth to make it 4-1. Carson singled and Matt LaHair walked to start out the inning. After George Kottaras sacrificed the runners over, consecutive singles from pinch hitter David Cooper and Jose Ramirez made it a three run game.

The insurance runs were needed as the Bats put together a rally on the Clippers' closer Lowe. With one out center fielder Jason Bourgeois reached on an infield single. Chris Nelson got his third hit of the game to make it first and third with two outs and Mike Costanzo, representing the tying run, hit an RBI single to cut the Clippers lead to two. Lowe induced a Mike Wilson fly out to center to end it.

The rubber match of the three game set is scheduled for Saturday in Louisville at 2:05 p.m. Travis Banwart (1-0, 1.50 ERA) will get the start opposite of fellow righty Chien-Ming Wang (0-1, 7.20 ERA).