STAFF REPORTS
One night after Rowdy Tallez’s go-ahead three-run home run in the eighth inning led the Bisons to a 6-3 comeback win to start the series, it was the Columbus Clippers who had some heavy lifting of their own.
A moonshot from Brandon Barnes in the first inning that swung the momentum carried over for the rest of the night as the Clippers evened the series with a 6-0 win Saturday night at Sahlen Field.
His 22nd home run and 70th RBI of the season, Barnes connected on a 0-1 fastball that went over the left-field netting and onto Oak St. after Shawn Morimando struck out Max Moroff and drew an infield ground-out against Daniel Johnson to start the game.
Following the home run, the Herd had two big opportunities to take an early lead through the first two innings but were erased while facing starter Aaron Civale. After a 1-out single from Socrates Brito, Civale ended the first inning with back-to-back line-outs from Patrick Kivlehan and Tellez.
Then, in the bottom of the second, Richard Urena drew a lead-off walk and advanced to third after teammates Jonathan Davis and Jordan Patterson had a sacrifice bunt and a ground-out respectively. After Michael De La Cruz and Alen Hanson drew back-to-back walks to load the bases, Civale worked around the count and struck out Bo Bichette to end the inning.
That’s when the Clippers made the most of their opportunity in the top of the third. After Morimando walked and allowed a single facing his first two batters – this time Moroff and Johnson – the Clippers loaded the bases as Barnes drew a walk. Yu-Chen Chang then reached on an error that could’ve been an inning-ending doubleplay. Instead, a run was scored to make it 2-0 and then Mark Mathias‘ was hit by a pitch for force a third run in.
After this third inning, Morimando settled down and finished strong over the rest of his six-inning outing. From the fourth inning onward, the southpaw allowed only one hit and retired his final five batters he faced. In his first game facing the organization that drafted him, the Cleveland Indians, Morimando allowed three runs (two earned), four hits, four walks and struck out six batters.
The scoring for the Clippers picked up again in the eighth when Ka’ai Tom‘s hit against Buffalo reliever Bryan Baker rocketed down the right-field line for a bases-clearing triple after three straight walks (two from Kirby Snead) for the 6-0 lead.
The Bisons had more opportunities to score but with no avail. Along with leaving the bases loaded again in the eighth, their two-out rally in the ninth inning against James Hoyt with Brito beating out a dropped strike-three ball and Kivlehan’s infield single ended with Tellez grounding out.
In total, the Herd left 13 total men on base, were 1 for 8 with runners in scoring position and had only six hits.
