Clip Joint Road Trip Is Over

And the Clippers won every game.  Luck, good or bad, didn't have a damn thing to do with it.  Columbus has succeeded in the simplest manner, with excellent pitching, timely offense and solid defense.  It sounds trite, but the Clip ship is firing on all cylinders.  Yesterday, the staff allowed 12 runs and the offense went nutso with 18.  Tonight, Zach McAllister surrendered only two and the offense put up eight anyway.  In securing his fifth straight win to begin 2011, Zach (3.08 ERA) produced his longest start so far, going 8 full innings.  He gave up seven hits, walked one and struck out five.  Over his last three starts McAllister has averaged seven innings per with an ERA of 1.71.  Carlton Smith struck out the side in the 9th and is still unscored upon in 12.2 innings.  Columbus is now 21-5, the best in all of minor league baseball.

As noted, the offense didn't slouch.  Keeping the habit of the big inning, the Clippers put five on the board in the seventh to put the game out of reach.  Jason Kipnis (.276) was the star at the plate with two hits and 3 RBI.  Luis Valbuena (.300) extended his hit streak to 8 games, while Cord Phelps (.289) broke an 0-for-16 string with a 6th inning double.  Chad Huffman drove in two and leads the team with 20 on the season.

Lehigh Valley brings top prospect Domonic Brown, HOF manager Ryne Sandberg and former Indian/current pitching coach Rod Nichols to town on Thursday.  The Clips will offer Corey Kluber as their starter.

Other Minor Points of Interest --

Another outstanding start for Michael Goodnight (gotta love the name!) this evening.  Goodnight (2.27) tossed six innings for the second straight start and evened his record at 2-2.  He walked two and fanned ten.  A 1st inning single plated Lansing's only run and the Lake County staff did not allow the Lugnuts another hit.  The opposition is batting a cool .150 against Goodnight in 2011.  Kudos to Michael.

St Ignatius grad Derek Dietrich comes to Eastlake tomorrow with his Bowling Green Hot Rods for a three game set.  Dietrich had cooled some from a torrid start, but a 3-for-3 game tonight elevated his average back to .328.  Derek smacked his fourth dinger and drove in three to bring his season total to 14.  Despite the minor slump, his OPS remains at 1.002.  He has been playing shortstop although the Tampa organization projects him more as a second baseman.  Dietrich can also play third but the Rays have a third baseman, right?  Whatshisname?

St Eds graduate Stetson Allie, the Pirates second round pick a year ago, remains in extended spring training even though first rounder Jameson Tallion has been activated to the West Virginia Power.  No word on when Allie might get the call, but the word from the Pittsburgh brass is that there are absolutely no injury concerns.  After his pro debut was shortened to 2 innings by rain, Taillon made his second start yesterday throwing four scoreless and mowing down six.

Cheers.