COLUMBUS, OH - The Columbus Clippers beat the Gwinnett Stripers by a 6-1 score Wednesday night in game two of a three-game series at Huntington Park. The loss was the fourth in the last five games for Gwinnett.
COLUMBUS, OH - The Columbus Clippers beat the Gwinnett Stripers by a 6-1 score Wednesday night in game two of a three-game series at Huntington Park. The loss was the fourth in the last five games for Gwinnett.
The only run for the Stripers came in the top of the second in a scoreless game when first baseman Carlos Franco led off with a long solo homer (7) to right off Columbus starter Adam Plutko. The homer would be one of only three hits for the Stripers in the game.
For the second straight night, errors plagued Gwinnett and Columbus took advantage. In the bottom of the fourth, Eric Haase led off with a double to left and was bunted to third by Francisco Mejía. Mejia was safe at first on the bunt when Gwinnett starting pitcher Lucas Sims attempted to put Haase out at third, but made a late throw. Sims then threw the ball away toward first on a pickoff move, enabling Haase to score from third for a 1-1 tie. Mejia, who went to third on the bad throw, would later score for a 2-1 lead when Sean Kazmar, Jr. misplayed a ground ball hit by Nellie Rodríguez.
In the bottom of the fifth, Sims hit leadoff batter Yu Chang with a pitch, then walked Yandy Díaz to put two on with no outs. A single to right by Melky Cabrera plated Chang from second to make it 3-1. With two outs, Cabrera would score on a throwing error from Gwinnett second baseman Phil Gosselin to up the lead to 4-1. It was the third run-scoring error of the game committed by the Stripers.
The Clippers added their final two runs in the bottom of the seventh off reliever Philip Pfeifer. Yandy Diaz scored from third on a ball lost in the lights by Gwinnett right fielder Xavier Avery, and the other run came when Rodriguez stroked a sac fly to left with the bases loaded.
Sims (L, 2-1) went 5.0 innings with five hits, four runs (one earned), three walks and three strikeouts. Rex Brothers pitched a scoreless bottom of the sixth with two strikeouts and Pfeifer went 2.0 innings with two hits, two earned runs and three walks.
For Columbus, Plutko (W, 4-3) tossed 6.0 innings with two hits, one earned run and eight strikeouts. Jack Leathersich pitched 1.2 innings with two walks. Jordan Milbrath worked 1.1 innings with one hit and one strikeout.
Franco was 1-for-4 for Gwinnett with a solo homer, pushing his International League-leading RBI count to 32. Danny Santana saw his seven game hitting streak come to an end with an 0-for-4 night. Xavier Avery was the lone Striper to reach base twice with a double and a walk.
Cabrera was 3-for-4 with a run and an RBI for Columbus. Haase was 2-for-4 with a run an RBI and a double.
The Stripers (14-23) and Clippers (18-19) meet in the finale of the three-game set Thursday at 11:05 a.m. Left-hander Max Fried (1-1, 3.60) will start for Gwinnett. Columbus will pitch righty Stephen Fife (2-3, 7.36). Tony Schiavone the play-by-play call on 97.7 and 93.5 FM The Other Side of the River beginning at 10:35 a.m.
