After being shutout in game one of the series and being held to one run in game two, the Clippers (24-15) put five runs on the board on ten hits in game three, resulting in a 5-3 victory over Indianapolis (19-19) at Victory Field on Wednesday afternoon in front of a congregation of 4,801.
The Clippers wasted no time in getting on the scoreboard, as a Jesus Aguilar RBI double in the first inning and a Joey Butler RBI single to score Aguilar put Columbus up 2-0 early.
In the bottom of the third, a throwing error on T.J. House on an attempted double play ended up costing him as the Indians cashed in, scoring two runs to tie the game.
The damage could have been worse had it not been for Toru Murata’s strike out of Ed Easley later in the inning with the bases loaded and two outs.
Murata replaced House after he went two and 2/3 innings, allowing those two unearned runs on four hits. House walked three batters and struck out five.
Indianapolis starter in Frank Duncan (0-1) allowed three earned runs on seven hits while punching out seven in five and 1/3 innings of work.
Murata (3-1) was given the win in his three and 1/3 innings of scoreless relief. He gave up three hits, walked three batters and fanned five.
Columbus snatched the lead back in the top of the sixth inning, as an Adam Moore single to left scored Erik Gonzalez from third base and in the top of the seventh, Bryson Myles went yard for the first time as a Clipper, making it a 4-2 game. Ronny Rodriguez extended the Columbus lead to three later in the frame with an RBI single to left, scoring Yhoxian Medina from third.
Indianapolis brought home a run in the bottom of the seventh, but they would fall short as the Columbus bullpen shut the door the rest of the way, capped off by Austin Adams’ fourth save of the season.
The Clippers will look to split the series with the Indians tomorrow morning with the first pitch set for 11:05 a.m. Southpaw Ryan Merritt (3-3, 2.60 ERA) will face off with righty Jameson Taillon (2-2, 2.08 ERA).
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