Comeback attempt fails as Akron falls to Altoona

Columbus Clippers 0, Iowa Cubs 4

Box Score · Clippers fall to 71-51

After rattling off 22 runs in their last two games, the Columbus Clippers offense grinded to a halt against the Iowa Cubs as they lost, 4-0.

They managed just five hits as a team, all coming from the bottom of the lineup. Ernie Clement and Trenton Brooks each had two-hit days, and David Fry added a single. A pair of walks from Will Brennan at the lead-off spot represented the only contribution from the top of the lineup last night.

Konnor Pilkington took the loss, with three earned runs and four walks over 4.0 innings pitched. He did strike out a season-high nine batters, though. So at least there’s that.

Akron RubberDucks 5, Altoona Curve 7

Box Score · RubberDucks fall to 69-52

While the Akron RubberDucks managed to at least score some runs (including one in the first inning), they ultimately followed their big brother club and lost, 7-5, to the Altoona Curve.

That first run came courtesy of Micah Pries, whose two-out double plated Bryan Lavastida.

Pries is riding a nice five-game hitting streak, and he’s 4-for-6 with two doubles in his last two games.

Things were going smooth for the ‘ole quackers until the Curve tied it up when starting pitcher Tanner Burns walked back-to-back batters in the fifth. That led to a sacrifice fly, which was only a precursor to the disastrous sixth inning.

Robert Broom was brought out to pitch the sixth after Burns’ rough fifth, but started by allowing three-straight hits. Following two outs and a walk, eh was replaced with Carlos Vargas who allowed four-straight baserunners (walk, double, walk, single), before finally calming down and getting a strikeout to end the inning.

A bases-clearing triple in the top of the ninth gave Akron hope, but that would be all they scored.

Lake County Captains 8, Great Lakes Loons 1

Box Score · Captains improve to 70-49

Led by another power display by Joe Naranjo, who hit his 17th home run of the season in the eighth inning, the Lake County Captains won, 8-1, over the Great Lakes Loons.

Naranjo’s home run was one of just five hits by the captains — and the only extra-base hit — but they filled up the basepaths with 10 walks, and scored on a wild pitch late in the game.

Captains pitchers on the other hand didn’t issue a single walk. Starter Jack Leftwich finished with 6.0 inning and one earned run with nine strikeouts.

Lynchburg Hillcats 4, Kannapolis Cannon Ballers 1

Box Score · Hillcats improve to 59-62

Dayan Frias bounced back from 0-for-4 night on Monday to resume hitting everything in sight in the Lynchburg Hillcats’ 4-1 win over the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers.

Including that tough outing on Aug. 28 (in which he also drew a walk), Frias is 11-for-23 in his last five games. He added three more last night and scored each time he reached base. Jake Fox and Jorge Burgos added the only extra-base hits with doubles.

Trenton Denholm struck out eight over 6.0 innings of work, while Sergio Morillo and Tyler Thornton added six more in their combined 3.0 relief innings.