The Columbus Clippers (21-20) beat the Syracuse Chiefs (21-21) 8-1 to end a four-game losing streak. A big three-run fifth for the Clippers was the difference as Columbus gets the first win of the road trip on the fifth of eight away from Huntington Park Saturday night. It wasn’t necessarily a slugfest in term of hits, but the Clippers were efficient stranding only two baserunners.
Both pitchers pitched well, but only one could win. Travis Banwart (3-0, 3.35 ERA) was a tad bit better allowing one run on seven hits in five and two-thirds innings of work with four strikeouts and no walks. Ryan Tatusko (1-5, 2.31 ERA) was great, but the fifth inning was his undoing. He finished after seven innings and gave up four runs on six hits and one walk with four strikeouts.
Down a run after Syracuse scored the first run of the ballgame in the bottom of the fourth the Columbus Clippers countered in a big way. With two outs in the frame Ryan Rohlinger got the Clippers’ first extra-base hit of the game with a double. After Carlos Moncrief walked Justin Sellers got the second extra-base hit of the night for the Clippers and gave the Clippers the lead.
Columbus scored another in the sixth with a two-out single by David Cooper to score Tim Fedroff from second. The three-run lead marked the largest of the road trip for Columbus to that point. The Clippers then rallied for four more in the eighth to make it 8-1.
The game was the first of the road trip where the Clippers held their opponent to less than five runs (Rochester scored five or six in each game of the sweep). The eight runs were the most scored by Columbus since scoring 11 at Huntington Park against Gwinnett April 22 which remains the highest run total of the season.
Game two of the four game series starts at 2 p.m. Sunday afternoon.
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