Clippers get clutch hitting to beat Toledo

The Columbus Clippers (6-10) won 6-4 Monday night to end the four-game set with the Toledo Mud Hens (7-11) in Columbus and avoided the four-game sweep. Toledo won the series after being swept in a two-game series immediately before this one between the pair in Toledo. Columbus got the winning run in the eighth on back-to-back one-out hits by Carlos Moncrief and Matt Carson.

For Columbus Nick Hagadone (1-2, 5.87 ERA) got the win pitching one and two-thirds innings in relief and allowed no runs on two hits. The losing pitcher for Toledo was Jose Ortega (1-1, 4.35 ERA) who went two innings in relief and gave up a run on two hits. Mark Lowe came in with a runner on first with no outs in the ninth and got a double play ball and strikeout to end it and pick up his fourth save.

Neither starter factored into the decision on a night that provided five homerun balls. For the Mud Hens Kyle Lobstein (0-2, 5.94 ERA) went five innings and gave up three runs on three solo homers by Jesus Aguilar and Jose Ramirez, who hit two. Lobstein gave up seven hits in all, struck out four and walked a pair. Travis Banwart (1-0, 5.63 ERA) made got to the seventh allowing four runs on four hits across six and one-third innings. He struck out one and walked three.

The two teams combined for five homers on the night which was almost standard during the four-game series. The Mud Hens hit eleven homers during their four-game stay at Huntington Park. However, it was Columbus who hit the most homers. Ramirez hit a homer to lead off the first and give the Clippers a 1-0 lead. He would add another homer to lead off the third and Aguilar hit his fifth of the season in the frame. The Aguilar homer tied the game 3-3 for Columbus.

After Jordan Lennerton hit his first homer of 2014 in the fourth Toledo held a lead until Columbus' half of the sixth when Roberto Perez, who is hitting .367 and was in the nine-hole, tied the game on a single to score Ryan Rohlinger. Columbus got clutch hits in the eighth to take the lead. Moncrief hit a double to right with one out to get the potential go-ahead run in scoring position. After an Ortega wild pitch Carson drove in the go-ahead run on a single and gave the Clippers a lead they would not relinquish.

Ramirez had a great game for Columbus with three RBI on his 4-5 outing. The four-hit game was the first time any Clipper had more than three hits in 2014. Ramirez and Aguilar extended their season-long on base streaks to 16 and only trail Toledo's Ezequiel Carrera who extended his strak to 18 and also extended his hitting streak to nine games with a single in the first. Columbus also got a great defensive effort turning three doubleplays and Perez threw out three potential base stealers.

The Clippers finish their eight-game home stand welcoming in the Gwinnett Braves for four. Game one is a 6:35 p.m. first pitch with righty Trevor Bauer (1-0, 0.75 ERA) going for the Clippers against lefty Daniel Rodriguez (2-1, 2.40 ERA) for Gwinnett.