Errors Prove Costly as Stripers Fall in Extras, 5-4

COLUMBUS, OH -The Columbus Clippers walked off with a 5-4, 10th-inning win over the Gwinnett Stripers Tuesday night in game one of a three game series at Huntington Park.

In the bottom of the 10th with the game tied at four, the Clippers began with a man on second (Brandon Barnes), as per the new rules in Minor League Baseball. With Josh Ravin pitching, Yu Chang laid down a bunt toward third; Ravin fielded the ball and threw it away trying to put Chang out at first. The errant throw allowed Barnes to cross with the winning run.
The loss spoiled a late comeback from the Stripers, who trailed for most of the game until the top of the eighth inning.  
After rain delayed the contest 1 hour, 41 minutes before first pitch, a first-inning RBI single by Austin Riley off Clippers starting pitcher Shane Bieber gave Gwinnett a brief 1-0 lead. But in the bottom of the first, Melky Cabrera drilled a two-RBI double to left center off Gwinnett starter Wes Parsons to put the Clippers ahead 2-1.  
The lead went to 3-1 when Mike Papi (3) hit a solo homer to right-center off Parsons.
The Clippers added an unearned run in the bottom of the seventh off Gwinnett reliever Jason Hursh to take a 4-1 lead to the eighth.
However, reliever Jeff Beliveau walked Phil Gosselin to begin the top of the inning and, after two outs, gave up a single to left to Danny Santana. Cam Hill entered from the Columbus bullpen and walked Riley to load the bases. Carlos Franco then crushed a double to left, clearing the bases and tying the game at 4-4.
The Stripers had a chance to get on the board first in the 10th as they loaded the bases with one out off reliever Robert Zarate, but could not score.
Parsons went 6.0 innings with four hits, three earned runs, two walks and eight strikeouts in his first Triple-A start of 2018. Hursh worked 1.0 inning with one hit, one unearned run and two strikeouts. Miguel Socolovich tossed 2.0 scoreless innings with two hits and one strikeout. Ravin (L, 0-2) gave up one unearned run without recording an out.
Bieber went 6.2 inning with five hits, one earned run and seven strikeouts. Beliveau (H, 2) worked 1.0 inning with one hit, two earned runs one walk and one strikeout. Hill (BS, 1) pitched 0.1 of an inning with one hit, one earned run and two walks. Ben Taylor was credited with one hit with one hit and two strikeouts. Zarate (W, 1-0) went 1.0 inning with two walks and one strikeout.  
Offensively, Santana pushed his hitting streak to seven games with a 3-for-5 night, including a double and two runs. Riley was 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run. Franco was 1-for-4 with three RBIs to up his International League-leading total to 31.
Papi paced Columbus with a 2-for-3 night including a homer and two runs scored.
The Gwinnett Stripers (14-22) and Columbus Clippers (17-19) meet in game two of the three game series Wednesday night at 6:35 p.m. Righty Lucas Sims (2-1, 1.42) will start for Gwinnett. Columbus will pitch righty Adam Plutko (3-3, 2.37). Tony Schiavone the play-by-play call on 97.7 and 93.5 FM The Other Side of the River beginning at 6:05 p.m. First pitch scheduled for 6:35 p.m.