Minor Issues: Bixler? BIXLER?!

What's the News?
Ever wonder what Extended Spring Training is all about and what it is REALLY like? Tony covers all of it at IPI in his EST 101 article, a great resource.

Blogger is in a rare state right now, kind of basicish. I don't know why. Ah well, onto minor stuff.

COLUMBUS
The Carlos battery powered the Clippers to a 7-1 win over Toledo on Saturday.

Starter Carlos Carrasco rebounded well from a rough previous outing by going seven innings, giving up just one hit off six hits and just one walk. He struck out four and certainly the lack of walks and low strikeouts probably let him go deep into this one.

Hector Ambriz put forth another scoreless effort as he pitched the eighth and struck out one. Gotta wonder what the Indians are going to do with him.

Carlos Santana in his second game back after missing one due to fouling a ball off his leg hit a two-run shot in the fourth to fuel the offense that banged out 11 hits. But it was little Brian Bixler with a huge power surge, hitting two home runs, a two-run and a solo shot, in this game. Jason Donald doubled and knocked in another run as Chris Gimenez had two hits on the day.

The Clippers also stole three bases, one by Carlos Santana, his second of the year.

Columbus will send Hector Rondon to the mound as they look to take three out of four and win the series.

AKRON
It's been a long week and after the night before, I'm sure the Aeros are ready to get as far away from Bowie as possible. However they picked up a much needed win over the Baysox on Saturday, 8-6.

Nick Weglarz went 2-5 with three RBI and also his fourth home run of the season, a two-run shot in the first inning, in support of the Aeros bullpen who did a great job of cleaning up a Scott Barnes mess.

Tim Fedroff added a couple of runs knocked in and Rivero, Mills, and Goedert all added one themselves. Two more hits for Cord Phelps inches him ever closer to that .400 mark, he's hot.

The club had four doubles on the day as well.

After getting past the first two innings with nothing going on, Barnes got battered around in the third inning. He then came out and struggled to start the fourth (loaded the bases with no outs) which led to him getting yanked. Justin Germano came on in relief and while he let runs score, the damage was sort of limited and the bullpen would cruise from there on out.

Barnes finished with a wacky line of 3 IP, 6 runs off 6 hits and four walks with seven, yes seven, strikeouts. Germano would go three scoreless, Erik Stiller and Neil Wagner would each pitch scoreless frames, and Vinnie Pestano picked up his first save of the season with Wagner getting his first win.

Connor Graham will mercifully take the mound for the Aeros against Bowie. His last outing against them didn't go so hot.

KINSTON

Kelvin De La Cruz picked up win number one on the season with five innings of work as the K-Tribe beat Myrtle Beach 7-4.

DLC gave up three earned in the five innings and struck out three.Steve Smith recorded the final out in the eighth and all three in the ninth to pick up save number four.

The K-Tribe's offense came in the form of a pair of home runs, s solo shot by Jason Kipnis and a two-run dinger by Nate Recknagel. Kipnis also went 3-4 with two runs scored and an additional RBI.


Doug Pickens had two hits and knocked in a run outside those three, Ron Rivas and Lucas Montero were the only other hitters that actually got hits.


Nick Hagadone is a go for the K-Tribe as they finish off this series with Myrtle Beach on Sunday.
LAKE COUNTY

Lake County and Bowling Green got rained out on Saturday. They'll play a shortened double-header on Sunday beginning at 3:05 with today's original starter, Joe Gardner on the mound in game one and Danny Salazar getting the start in game two.