Yu Chang walks off for Columbus, Raymond Burgos has great start in Lake County win

Columbus Clippers 5, Indianapolis Indians 4

Box Score · Clippers improve to 2-0

Shao-Ching Chiang was one out away from a quality start, tossing 5.2 innings while giving up three runs on five hits while striking out six and walking two.

Nick Wittgren and Brooks Pounders tossed two scoreless innings each while both striking out three batters to set up some late game heroics for the offense.

Offensively, Carlos Gonzalez went 2-5 with a walk, Bobby Bradley went 1-3 with a double and was hit by two pitches and Cameron Maybin went 1-3 with a double and three walks. Oscar Mercado had a rough night, going 0-6 with four strikeouts and a rehabbing Jason Kipnis went 0-3.

But the real story was Yu Chang, who went 2-6 with this walk-off double in the bottom of the 11th inning:

Akron RubberDucks 6, Altoona Curve 7

Box Score · RubberDucks fall to 0-2

Akron hit four home runs and had monster games from Daniel Johnson and Tyler Krieger, but that still wasn’t enough thanks to one bad inning.

Johnson was phenomenal, falling a single short of the cycle by going 3-5 with a double, triple and a home run. Krieger went 3-5 with a home run while Mitch Longo and Wils Garcia also homered.

Andrew Calica and Andrew Monasterio also had multi-hit efforts, both going 2-4.

The RubberDucks were leading 5-2 but starting pitcher Jake Paulson couldn’t get out of the fifth inning as he and reliever Luke Eubank combined to give up five runs. Ben Krauth and James Karinchak finished the games with three scoreless innings but the damage had been done.

Lynchburg Hillcats 6, Myrtle Beach Pelicans 3

Box Score · Hillcats improve to 2-0

Steven Kwan continues to make the Indians front office look like geniuses for letting him skip Lake County as he went 3-5 with a double and a stolen base. Kwan already has seven hits in his first two games at High-A.

Jonathan Laureano went 3-5 as well while Oscar Gonzalez stayed red hot, going 2-5 with a double and Mike Rivera went 2-4 with a home run and a walk. Nolan Jones was hitless but did walk twice. Jodd Carter also went deep for the Hillcats.

Southpaw starting pitcher Adam Scott transitioned from a relief role in the offseason. The 2018 fourth round draft pick gave up three runs (two earned) in 5.0 innings while striking out seven and walking none.

Nick Gallagher picked up the win with three scoreless innings of relief and dominant back-end southpaw Kyle Nelson earned his first save of the season with two strikeouts in a 1-2-3 ninth inning.

Lake County Captains 6, West Michigan Loons 1

Box Score · Captains improve to 2-0

The Lake County Captains rotation is going to be fun to watch this year.

A day after Luis Oviedo opened the season with 5.0 shutout innings, Raymond Burgos picked up where Oviedo left off by tossing 5.0 shutout innings himself. Burgos allowed just two hits while striking out four and walking one.

Jose Fermin, Tyler Freeman, Bo Naylor and Ulysses Cantu all went 2-4 at the plate with Fermin, Naylor and Cantu all collecting doubles. Freeman also stole a base.

Quentin Holmes chipped in a double while Will Benson went 1-3 with a walk and an outfield assist.

Zach Draper tossed two innings of scoreless relief and Brady Aiken made his 2019 season debut out of the bullpen, entering the game in a low-stress situation in the eighth inning with the team leading 6-0.

It didn’t go well.

Aiken faced five batters. He struck out the first one he faced, then walked four straight before getting yanked. Of the 26 pitches he threw, only eight were strikes.

Manuel Alvarez was called upon in relief and got out of Aiken’s jam with a strikeout and a flyout, then finished off the ninth inning to earn the save.