Clinton LumberKings Beat Beloit Snappers 4-2 - A, Midwest League

MLN - THE RAW FEED - www.mlntherawfeed.com – Clinton, IA – A night after watching a two-run ninth inning lead evaporate against a scrappy Beloit club, this time the Clinton LumberKings held on, winning 4-2 over the Snappers.  The Kings did most of their damage in the fourth, plating three runs on doubles by Jose Felix and Miguel Alfonzo and a groundout by Jacob Kaase.

 

Left-hander Derek Holland bested Beloit right-hander Daniel Berlind for the second straight outing, giving up just two runs (one earned) on five hits over 6.0 innings while striking out three.  Holland (W, 4-0) was touched up for a run in the fifth on Ramon Santana’s RBI triple and another in the sixth on a bloop single by Jair Fernandez.
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Berlind (L, 3-4) gave up a run in the first as Engel Beltre led off the game with a flare single into left.  After his team-leading seventh stolen base, Renny Osuna grounded to the right side to move him to third, and Tim Smith plated him with a line single into right.

 

Clinton struck against Berlind again in the fourth as Jonathan Greene skied a double off the wood wall in center, and Mitch Moreland drew a walk.  Felix blooped a double just inside the left field line, sending Greene to the plate and Moreland to third.  Kaase, in his first start with the LumberKings, then grounded to first to score Moreland.

 

Alfonzo, who had a season-best 3-for-4 game the night prior, capped the inning with a screaming double to left, scoring Felix to build a 4-0 lead for the Kings.

 

Right-hander Jorge Quintero, whose last outing was the 13-hit, 11-run blowout at the hands of the Snappers, got a bit of revenge.  Quintero (H, 1) worked two scoreless innings of relief in his first bullpen outing of the season, striking out one.

 

Right-hander Ryan Tatusko (S, 1) allowed a bunt single to Garrett Olson to lead off the ninth, but induced a double-play and a game-ending groundout from Joe Benson.

 

The LumberKings welcomed first-baseman Ian Gac back to the starting lineup, after the leading home run hitter in the league missed five games due to a foul liner in the face suffered at Beloit on 5/13.  Gac showed a little bit of rust, striking out in all four at-bats.

 

Beltre (2-for-4) and Greene (2-for-3) led all hitters, while Beloit saw six different hitters finish with a hit apiece.

 

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