Clips pounce Gallagher, edge Bats
Bill Rhinehart led the Bats offensively, going 2-for-5 with a run and an RBI. Corky Miller blasted his first home run of 2012, a two-run shot to left off Robinson Tejeda in the eighth.
Clippers starter Corey Kluber (1-0, 0.00) battled through five scoreless innings. He gave up four hits and walked three, but struck out 10 Bats en route to his first win of 2012. Chris Ray worked through a dicey ninth inning for his first save of the year.
The Clippers knocked Gallagher around in the second for five runs. Trevor Crowe started the inning with a double and then Andy LaRoche singled. Crowe would then score on a Gallagher wild pitch with Luke Carlin batting. Carlin then walked and, two batters later, Cord Phelps drove in LaRoche with a single to center to put the Clippers ahead 2-0. Matt LaPorta followed with a three-run bomb to right on a 3-0 pitch to put the Clippers up 5-0.
The Bats threatened to get back in it in the top of the third. Miller walked and Kristopher Negron singled. Negron reached second as Chad Huffman's throw went to third to try to nail Miller. With runners on second and third and no outs, however, Daryl Jones and Chris Valaika each struck out and Denis Phipps grounded out to end the inning.
Carlin touched Gallagher for a solo home run down the right-field line to start the bottom of the fourth and give the Clippers a 6-0 lead. After Ezequiel Carrera struck out, Phelps laced a double to left field to chase Gallagher. Manager David Bell brought in Kanekoa Texeira to make his Bats debut. Texeira induced LaPorta to ground out and, after a walk to Russ Canzler, got Lonnie Chisenhall to line out to Negron at second to end the frame.
Paul Janish finally got the Bats on the board in the top of the sixth. Rhinehart led off with his first career AAA hit, a single to center. Janish then smacked a line-drive double down the left-field line to score Rhinehart and cut the deficit to five at 6-1. Miller added his first home run of the season to score Janish and make the score 6-3.
The Bats would make one last push in the top of the ninth. Phipps led off with a double and Danny Dorn walked. After Neftali Soto hit into a fielder's choice, Rhinehart lined a single to right to score Phipps for his first AAA RBI and bring the Bats to within two at 6-4. Janish would follow by fouling out and Miller lined out sharply to deep right to end the game by the 6-4 final.
Kanekoa Texeira pitched well out of the pen in his Louisville debut. Texeira inherited two of Gallagher's runners in the fourth and did not let them across. He went 2.2 innings, allowing just a pair of walks. Josh Judy also made his Bats debut and went 1.1 innings, allowing two hits, both in the bottom of the eighth. Ron Mahay came in to bail out Judy, getting the final two outs of the eighth inning with no runs coming across.
The same squads are back tomorrow afternoon for a 4:05 p.m. first pitch as the Bats look to earn the split. Ohio native Chad Reineke (9-7, 3.84 with Louisville in 2011) goes for the Bats and Scott Barnes (7-4, 3.68 with Columbus in 2011) takes the hill for the Clippers.