Clippers Rally Late, Fall Short in Extras
ALLENTOWN - After dropping the first two games of the series, the Columbus Clippers looked to right the ship on the road on Thursday night against the Lehigh Valley IronPigs on a picture perfect evening at Coca-Cola Park. Buddy Kennedy got the scoring started with a solo home run, it
ALLENTOWN - After dropping the first two games of the series, the Columbus Clippers looked to right the ship on the road on Thursday night against the Lehigh Valley IronPigs on a picture perfect evening at Coca-Cola Park.
Buddy Kennedy got the scoring started with a solo home run, it was the first of the season for the IronPigs first basemen.
The Clippers only threat early in the game came in the top of the fourth. Johnathan Rodríguez singled and Kody Huff reached on a fielder's choice to put two runners on, but Lehigh Valley starter Nabil Crismatt got Dom Nuñez to go down swinging and Petey Halpin to fly out to end the threat. Crismatt was stellar across six innings of work, surrendering just two hits and striking out five.
With one away in the bottom half of the frame, Garrett Stubbs connected on a first pitch slider from Clippers starter Vince Velasquez and disposed of it 368 feet away over the right field wall. The inning continued, and as they did on Wednesday, the IronPigs were able to manufacture a run on a walk, stolen base, and RBI single, this time however it was Rodolfo Castro scoring and Erick Brito driving him in to extend the Lehigh Valley lead to 3-0.
They'd tack on another run in the sixth on a Cade Fergus RBI infield single.
Columbus finally came to life at the dish in the top of the eighth. Will Brennan led off with a single, Milan Tolentino followed that up with a double to put a pair in scoring position for Johnathan Rodríguez. The reigning International League MVP delivered by slicing a two-run double down the right field line to cut the IronPigs lead in half. Micah Pries reached on a walk. Kody Huff then laid down a textbook sacrifice bunt to put runners on second and third with only one down. Dom Nuñez, who was originally called out on strikes but won a successful challenge, grounded the next pitch he saw to the first basemen for the out, however Rodríguez would score to cut the lead to one. Petey Halpin walked to put runners on the corners for Yordys Valdes. The Havana, Cuba native blooped an RBI single just over the head of the short stop, scoring Pries, and knotting the game at four all. Columbus batted around, scoring four runs on four hits, making it a brand new ballgame late in the Eastern Pennsylvania evening.
Nick Mikolajchak worked the bottom of the eighth for Columbus, he walked a pair, but the other three hitters he faced struck out swinging. Clippers were retired in order in the top of the ninth.
Alonzo Richardson entered the game for the ClipShow in the bottom of the ninth, making his Triple-A debut. After two quick outs, Lehigh Valley put two runners on, but the 22 year old from San Diego struck out Rodolfo Castro swinging to send the game to extras.
In the the top of the 10th, Justin Boyd entered the game for Rodríguez as the designated runner on second. Kody Huff's first hit of the series was a clutch single to right, putting runners on the corners with only one out. Dom Nuñez lifted a flyball to left, plenty deep enough to score Boyd, giving the Clippers their first lead of the game at 5-4.
That lead wouldn't last long, in the bottom half Erick Brito moved the designated runner to third on a sacrifice bunt, that runner would score on a Rafael Lantigua sacrifice fly, tying the game back up at 5-5. The inning continued as Justin Crawford cued a double down the leftfield line. He'd trot home as the next batter Cade Fergus saw a curveball he liked and crushed a two-run walk-off home run. His second hit after entering the game in the sixth inning as a replacement for Phillies rehabbing centerfielder Brandon Marsh.
The 7-5 loss is the fifth loss in a row for Columbus, dropping their season record to 12-10 on the year. Lehigh Valley improves to 17-7. The series at Coca-Cola Park continues on Friday night, first pitch scheduled for 7:05pm. Columbus returns home to Huntington Park on Tuesday, April 29th to face the St. Paul Saints in a Tansky Tuesday Dime-A-Dog Night doubleheader, first pitch of game-one scheduled for 5:05pm. Tickets are available by visiting ClippersBaseball.com.
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