Jesus Aguilar’s Homer Caps Off Epic Night For Clippers

Aguilar’s Walk-Off Homer Reduces Magic Number To One

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The Columbus Clippers currently reside in first place in the International League’s Western Division with a record of 75-62 and a comfortable seven game lead over the second place Indianapolis Indians.

The Clippers entered their Monday evening contest with a magic number of three as they prepared to take on the second place Indians.

Trailing by a run entering the bottom of the ninth they received a game tying homer by Matt Carson. The  Indians regained the lead and the Clippers entered the bottom of the tenth trailing by a pair but received a walk off three run homer by Jesus Aguilar in the bottom of the tenth.

Aguilar and Carson combined to go 10 for 11 with a pair of home runs scoring six runs and driving in seven in the Clippers 11-9 victory over the Indians.

The game was a see-saw affair with Indianapolis jumping out to the early 1-o lead in the first inning only to find themselves trailing 2-1 as the game moved to the second inning thanks to an RBI double by Jesus Aguilar and a RBI single by Matt Carson.

When Al Pacino’s character Lieutenant Jack Slade was asked in Scent of a Woman if he was finished, he replied, with “No, I’m just getting warmed up.” For Aguilar the first inning double was just a prelude to a monster night at the plate.

In the bottom of the third inning he singled and came around to score on a James Ramsey RBI single that put the Clippers ahead 3-1. The Clippers added two more runs in the third on a RBI double by Matt Carson and a RBI single by Justin Sellers.

Aguilar singled in the bottom of the fourth but was thrown out trying to stretch the hit into a double. It was a rare bad moment for him on the evening.

After the Clippers moved ahead 6-1 in the bottom of the fifth on a RBI single by Justin Sellers the Indians came back to cut the lead to 6-2 with a run in the top of the sixth.

The Clippers appeared ready to answer the Indians run as Aguilar delivered a one out double for his third hit of the game but was stranded at third to end the innings.

The Clippers entered the seventh inning with a 6-2 lead but the Indians mounted a rally against Tyler Sturdevant who came in to spell Tyler Cloyd who went the first six for the Clippers. Sturdevant allowed three runs before being replaced by Shawn Marcum who came in to retire the final batter of the inning.

The Clippers saw their lead evaporate in the top of the eighth inning on a 2-run homer by Tony Sanchez off Shawn Marcum that put the Indians ahead 7-6.

Ernesto Frieri came in to close the door for Indianapolis and retired the first two batters before allowing a game tying home run to Matt Carson to send the game into extra innings.

It was Carson’s fifth hit of the game as he finished 5 for 5 with a double, homer, three runs scored and three driven in.

The euphoria over the game tying home run was diminished quickly as the Indians came back to score a pair of runs on a 2-RBI double by Robert Andino in the top of the tenth inning off Austin Adams to take a 9-7 lead.

Josh Kinney replaced Frieri and was charged with holding the 2-run lead for the Indians. After retiring Audy Ciriaco for the first out he allowed a solo homer to Dusty Brown which cut the lead to 9-8.

Francisco Lindor followed Brown’s homer with a single and Ryan Raburn kept the inning going with a single to put two on for Jesus Aguilar.  It was Raburn’s first hit (1 for 14) with the Clippers since beginning his rehab assignment but it came at the perfect time.

Already with four hits on the night Aguilar jumped ahead in the count two balls and one strike before blasting the three run walk off homer to give the Clippers the 11-9 victory.

Aguilar finished the game going 5 for 6 with three runs scored and four runs driven in.

Zach McAllister and the Clippers will look to join the Durham Bulls who clinched a playoff spot last evening with a win over the Toledo Mud Hens tonight at 6:30 p.m.