Wings clipped by Columbus
May 16, 2008 - International League (IL1)
Rochester Red Wings News Release
Howie Clark and Brian Buscher extended their hit streaks as the Rochester Red Wings were edged by the Columbus Clippers, 5-4, on Friday night at Frontier Field.
With the loss, the Red Wings lost the regular season series 7-1 to the Clippers. It's the first time that has happened since 2005 when the Clippers won the series 5-3.
"They're a better team than us, that's the bottom line," said Stan Cliburn about the season series against Columbus. "They've got a lot of veteran guys and that's a big reason why they beat us."
Clark got his hit out of the way early when he powered a two-out double to the left-center field gap in the first inning, which extended his streak to seven games.
"I'm just going through the phases," said Clark, who was called up to the Twins after the game. "I'm feeling comfortable up there but it's all for naught when games turn out like this."
The Clippers snatched the lead in their second chance to bat off of Wings' starter Phil Humber. As the first batter of the second inning on an 0-1 count, Alex Escobar drilled a line ball to dead center that banked right near the 402' sign for a home run.
Buscher, who had a seven-game hitting streak entering the game, followed suit of Clark by extending his streak to eight.
In a big way.
In the fourth inning, after Clark reached on a single to left field, Buscher blasted a home run that bounced off the awning of the Patio Enclosures Power Alley Grille in right center field, giving the Red Wings a 2-1 lead.
That lead didn't last long as the Wings surrendered it in the top of the fifth when, after Tommy Murphy reached on a walk, was doubled in by Pete Orr. On the play, Orr doubled down the left field line and after Jason Pridie relayed the ball to shortstop Sergio Santos, Santos skipped the ball into the stands, which allowed Orr to go home. The two runs gave the Clippers a 3-2 advantage.
In the sixth inning, Buscher picked up his second hit of the night, a double that went to the wall in left-center. The next batter, Randy Ruiz, singled just past the glove of shortstop Ray Olmedo to score Buscher, tying the score at 3.
Humber was pulled in the sixth inning in favor of reliever Ricky Barrett. Humber left pitching 6 2/3 innings while allowing three runs on six hits, walking three and struck out one.
"I felt better with the way I threw it and I was very happy I kept us in it," said Humber, who was 1-4 entering this start. "I had a better mental approach. I went in there and was a little more aggressive."
His counterpart, Clippers starter Mike O'Connor, left after the sixth inning and allowed three runs as well.
The Clippers almost broke the tie in the top of the eighth. After Ryan Langerhans reached on a walk, he stole second and advanced to third by tagging up on a ball to right field. The batter after Langerhans advanced to third, Larry Broadway laid down a suicide squeeze bunt attempt on a 1-0 count. Barrett (2-3) quickly fielded the ball and flipped it to Wings' catcher Jose Morales, who blocked the plate for the out.
Unfortunately for the Wings the inning was far from over. After Broadway reached on the fielder's choice, Barrett was taken outin favor of reliever Casey Daigle. Daigle proceeded to walk Yurendell de Caster and then threw two wild pitches to advance Broadway and de Caster to third and second, respectively.
The next batter, Garrett Guzman hit a bleeding single through the gap in the middle to score both Broadway and de Caster. The runs put the Clippers on top, 5-3.
The Red Wings squeezed out another run in the eighth after Denard Span singled, stole second and crossed the plate after Clark grounded out to third. The run inched the Wings closer, 5-4.
In the bottom of the ninth, Ruiz started off the inning with a quick liner that glanced off the glove of second baseman Orr. He was pinch run for by Tommy Watkins. After Garrett Jones struck out, Morales roped a ball into right, advancing Watkins to third. The next batter, Santos, hit into a 6-4-3 game-ending double play.
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