Losing Streak Continues for Clippers
April 25, 2025 - International League (IL)
Columbus Clippers News Release
ALLENTOWN - It was a rainy Friday night in Eastern Pennsylvania as the Clippers road trip continued at Coca-Cola Park, looking to snap a five-game losing streak. The Lehigh Valley IronPigs had taken the first three games of the series, including walking off Columbus in extra innings on Thursday night.
Lehigh Valley hit the ground running in the first. Just as he did in extra innings on Thursday, Justin Crawford cued a double down the leftfield line. Otto Kemp followed that up with a single to right, putting runners on the corners for Brandon Marsh. The rehabbing Philadelphia Phillies outfielder laced an RBI single to left, scoring Crawford, and putting the IronPigs on the board. They were far from done. After a Buddy Kennedy strike out, Garrett Stubbs laid down a picture perfect drag bunt past Columbus starter Will Dion for the RBI infield single. Former Clipper Oscar Mercado continued the onslaught with an RBI single of his own. Erick Brito then joined the RBI single party, lining a base hit of his own through the middle, scoring Stubbs. Lehigh Valley added another run on a sacrifice fly by Rodolfo Castro, batting around, and taking a 5-0 lead after one.
Things were quiet at the dish for the Clippers through the start of the game, IronPigs starter Kyle Tyler hadn't allowed a hit through the first three innings. That changed in the fourth. After a Johnathan Rodríguez walk, Petey Halpin lifted a deep fly ball to right that just kept carrying, bouncing high off the wall and just missing a two-run homer. He'd settle for a double, putting two runners in scoring position with one away. On the first pitch he saw, Yordys Valdes sent a hard grounder to first. Buddy Kennedy fielded it cleanly, however his throw to the covering pitcher was dropped, allowing Valdes to reach safely. Rodríguez scored easily on the error charged to Tyler. Halpin was on his horse at the crack of the bat and he didn't slow down as he rounded third, scoring from second without a throw, cutting the Lehigh Valley lead to 5-2.
After the rough first inning, Will Dion settled into a groove. He retired the IronPigs in order in the second and third, surrendered a pair of singles in the fourth but kept Lehigh Valley from extending their lead. After a leadoff double, Dion retired the next two batters he faced, including striking out Brandon Marsh for the second time, before being pulled for Andrew Misiaszek with two down in the fifth. Clippers manager Andy Tracy appeared encouraged by the bounce back after the five-run first, as he took a moment on the mound with Dion before making the change. Misiaszek got a fly out from Garrett Stubbs to end the frame.
Oscar Mercado led off the bottom of the sixth with a solo home run that just stayed fair over the left field wall. Lehigh Valley then loaded the bases with one out, Otto Kemp cleared said bases with a laser line drive down the left field line. The three-run double increased the IronPigs lead to 9-2.
Cade Fergus connected on a two-run homer off of Clippers catcher David Leon who came on to work the eighth on the mound, giving us our final score of 11-2.
It's the sixth loss in a row for Columbus, dropping them to 12-11. Lehigh Valley clinches the series with the win, snapping the 20-series unbeaten streak (13-0-7) for the Clippers, dating back to June of 2024.
Clippers and IronPigs continue the six-game series on Saturday at Coca-Cola Park, first pitch scheduled for 6:35pm. Columbus returns home to Huntington Park on Tuesday, April 29th to face the St. Paul Saints in a Tansky Tuesday Dime-A-Dog Night doubleheader, first pitch of game-one scheduled for 5:05pm. Tickets are available by visiting ClippersBaseball.com.
• Discuss this story on the International League message board...
International League Stories from April 25, 2025
- Nashville Powers Past Durham to Even Series - Nashville Sounds
- Rain Does Not Deter Knights in Wire-To-Wire Win - Charlotte Knights
- Indians Split Second Doubleheader in Three Days at St. Paul - Indianapolis Indians
- RailRiders Downed by Knights, 4-1 - Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders
- Memphis Sweeps Doubleheader with Offensive Explosion - Memphis Redbirds
- Saints Return Favor, Blank Indianapolis 3-0 in Game Two of Doubleheader - St. Paul Saints
- Sounds Slip Past Bulls 8-5 - Durham Bulls
- Tides Swept By Redbirds In Doubleheader - Norfolk Tides
- Losing Streak Continues for Clippers - Columbus Clippers
- 'Pigs Bats Bash Clippers for Fifth Straight Win and Best Start in Franchise History - Lehigh Valley IronPigs
- Jacksonville Blanks Gwinnett for Fifth Straight Win - Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp
- Stripers Held to Five Hits in 7-0 Shutout at Jacksonville - Gwinnett Stripers
- Syracuse Powers Past Worcester for 8-3 Win on Friday Night - Syracuse Mets
- Big Sixth, House Homer Power Wings Past Buffalo - Rochester Red Wings
- Red Wings Snap Bisons Win Streak, Top Herd 8-1 - Buffalo Bisons
- Saints Blanked in First Game of Doubleheader 10-0 - St. Paul Saints
- Familiar Face Promoted from Double-A Wichita, Left-Handed Pitcher Aaron Rozek Joins Saints - St. Paul Saints
- April 25 Games Postponed - Iowa Cubs
- Redbirds Announce Promotions for April 29-May 4 - Memphis Redbirds
- Bats, I-Cubs Doubleheader Postponed Friday - Louisville Bats
- SWB RailRiders Game Notes- April 25, 2025 - Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders
- Rochester Red Wings Game Notes - April 25 at Buffalo - Rochester Red Wings
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
