GOEDERT GUIDES CLIPPERS PAST TRIBE 10-5
Columbus 3B Jared Goedert Goes 4-for-5 And Scores Three Runs
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Third baseman Jared Goedert went 4-for-5 with three runs and an RBI, while former Tribe catcher Luke Carlin added a clutch two out two-run single in the fifth inning to help lead the Columbus Clippers past the Indianapolis Indians 10-5 on Sunday night at Huntington Park.
Following the loss, Indianapolis’ record falls to 68-68 on the season, while, with the victory, Columbus improves to 74-61 on the year. The win also gives the Clippers a 10-8 advantage in the season series with the Tribe with three games remaining between the two clubs.
After being shut out the day before the Clippers’ offense exploded for 10 runs on 14 hits, scoring single runs in the second, third and fourth innings, before adding two in the fifth and putting the game out of reach with five more in the seventh.
Leading the way for the Columbus was Goedert, who not only scored three times but also collected a season high four base knocks, including the eventual game-winning RBI with what was 19th home run in a Clippers’ uniform this season.
Goedert got things rolling for the Clippers when he led off the bottom of the second inning with a base hit to left, stole second and eventually came plateward on a Tribe miscue. The following frame Goedert bridged the gap with a key two-out base hit in-between a single by 1B Wes Hodges and the eventual run scoring base knock by SS Drew Sutton that drew Columbus to within one run of the Tribe at 3-2.
The Indians had taken what was their only lead of the contest in the top of the third, when after loading the bases with a one out double by SS Pedro Ciriaco, a base on balls by 2B Brian Friday and single by LF Kevin Melillo, 3B Akinori Iwamura lifted a sacrifice fly to left and CF Alex Presley came through with a clutch two-out two-run base hit to right. Iwamura would also add an RBI single in the sixth, while Presley drove in his third run of the contest with his third hit, a line drive single to center field in the eighth inning.
However, the Columbus offense continued to roll throughout the evening as after quickly tieing the score with a single score in the fourth by way of a two-out run scoring double by SS Cord Phelps, they jumped back into the lead with two more tallies in the fifth. Goedert once again played a part in what was a key fifth inning scoring rally as he followed DH Jordan Brown’s lead-off base hit with one of his own and eventually came around to score with Brown on a clutch two-out two-run single by former Tribe C Luke Carlin.
Though Carlin’s single put the Clippers’s well on the road to victory, it was Goedert’s seventh inning lead-off home run that proved to be the difference in the contest. After Goedert capped his excellent evening with his lead-off solo blast, Columbus piled on four more runs to put the game out of reach.
The Clippers finished the evening with 14 hits, spreading the wealth around as every single player that came to bat collected at least one base knock. Surprisingly in their offensive outburst only Goedert (4-for-5, 3 R, 1 RBI, 1 SB) and CF Ezequiel Carrera (2-for-5, 2 R, 2 RBI) collected multiple base knocks and scored multiple runs, while only Carrera and Carlin (1-for-3, 1 R, 2 RBI) posted multi-RBI efforts.
Despite suffering the loss the Indians posted several excellent individual offensive efforts as Presley (3-for-5, 3 RBI), DH Brandon Moss (2-for-5), Ciriaco (2-for-5, 1 R) and Friday (2-for-3, 2 R) all collected multiple base knocks with Friday and Melillo (1-for-4, 2 R) also scoring multiple runs.
Columbus starter Zach McAllister (5.0 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 1 SO) earned his first victory in a Clipper’s uniform and ninth overall after allowing just three runs and scattering seven hits over five innings of work. On the other side Tribe starter Mike Crotta (4.0 IP, 8 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 2 SO) suffered the loss to fall to 5-9 after surrendering five runs (four earned) on eight hits in just four innings pitched.
Indianapolis now heads home to begin their final homestand of the regular season, beginning with a three-game series with the Columbus Clippers on Monday, August 30 at 7:00 p.m. RHP Jeremy Powell is the probable starter for the Tribe, while RHP Yohan Pino is expected to get the nod for the Clippers.
The contest will be carried by WXLW-950 AM and broadcast live on Comcast and Bright House Networks digital channel 81 with Howard Kellman and Scott McCauley on the call. The pre-game show on WXLW-950 AM begins at 6:40 p.m.
Post-game quotes — OF Alex Presley
(on his back-to-back three hit efforts)
“Columbus is definitely a good place to hit. And besides that, lately, I have just been able to get more dialed in. I had struggled for a little while, because I just didn’t feel right, which happens during the season. Here lately though, the key has been that I have been able to get more locked in at the plate.”
