Clippers Work Late Inning Magic to Top Bats
Down 8-5 in the ninth inning, the Columbus Clippers (53-45) found a way to battle back and tie the game to send it into extra innings, where Yandy Diaz drove home Ronny Rodriguez from second base to complete the comeback in the bottom of the 10th, as the Clippers walked off a winner at Huntington Park by a final of 9-8 over Louisville (48-49) in front of a raucous 10,100 fans on Tuesday night.
Just as he did in last night's affair between the Bats and the Clippers, Louisville second baseman Hernan Iribarren rocked a solo shot, his second of the season, to lead off the game in essentially the exact same location over the wall in right center field to give his team the early 1-0 advantage.
The Clippers took the lead in the bottom of the second thanks to an RBI double from Guillermo Quiroz and an RBI sacrifice fly to left field from Eric Stamets, making it 2-1.
Louisville wasted no time in tying the game via Jermaine Curtis' RBI double the next inning, but Giovanny Urshela matched Curtis' RBI double in the bottom half of the third to give Columbus their lead back.
The give and take of the game came to the forefront yet again shortly after, as Yandy Diaz's RBI double in the bottom of the fourth was quickly followed by three Louisville runs in the fifth inning, leaving the Bats on the better half of a 5-4 score.
Carlos Triunfel's solo home run in the top of the sixth to put the Bats up by two, and their two insurance runs in the ninth frame carried them to a victory, or so they thought.
With two down in the bottom of the ninth and the Clippers having scored a run to bring the deficit within two, Yhoxian Medina's two run single to right field tied the game at eight.
Bats starter in right hander Daniel Wright allowed four earned runs on nine hits while walking two batters and striking out seven in five innings of work.
Clippers starter Ryan Merritt went six innings, giving up six runs (five earned) on 11 hits and he fanned six.
Shawn Armstrong (3-1) was given the win for Columbus while Nick Routt (0-1) took the loss for Louisville.
Columbus and Louisville will scrap again tomorrow afternoon in the Arena District with the first pitch set for 12:05 p.m. as part of a business day special. Right hander Adam Plutko (2-2, 4.42 ERA) will toe the rubber for the Clippers against fellow righty Homer Bailey (0-2, 5.02 ERA) for the Bats.
Also, given that it's a Wednesday at the ballpark, it is also a Crow's Nest boneless wing special day! Get yourselves five wings for three dollars or 10 for six dollars!