The Columbus Clippers (20-18) lost on a sacrifice fly in the ninth to the Rochester Red Wings (18-20) 5-4. After a rain delay of one hour and twenty minutes the fans who stuck it out at Frontier Field were rewarded to a walk-off win.
A.J. Achter (1-2, 2.12 ERA) was credited with the win as he came out of the bullpen to pitch a perfect top of the ninth with a pair of strikeouts.
Vinnie Pestano (1-2, 2.12 ERA) took the loss for Columbus. After getting the final out in the eighth he allowed the winning run on a rally in the ninth.
Neither starter would factor into the decision Wednesday night. T.J. House (1-2, 2.40 ERA) was decent going five and two-thirds innings and gave up four runs on seven hits with two walks and three strikeouts. He had a 4-2 lead before allowing the game to be tied at four in the sixth.
For Rochester Scott Diamond (2-4, 7.20 ERA) allowed four runs, three earned, on five hits with two strikeouts and one hit batter in five and one-third innings.
The Red Wings jumped out to a two-run lead in the first. With the bases loaded and two outs a two-run single by Wilkin Ramirez made it 2-0 Rochester.
The Clippers got the runs back right away. Elliot Johnson smacked a triple in the second with two outs and scored on an RBI groundout by Audy Ciriaco. Then things got whacky. After a single with two outs from Carlos Moncrief, Justin Sellers popped a ball behind second base that Rochester second baseman James Beresford was camped under when miscommunication with the outfield allowed the ball to fall in. Moncrief raced around the bases to score and tie the game at two.
The Clippers then took a two-run lead in the sixth. Giovanny Urshela led off the frame with a double and Jesus Aguilar was hit by a pitch to get two on with no outs. After a groundout Ciriaco got his second RBI on a sacrifice fly. Moncrief then doubled to score Aguilar and make it 4-2 Clippers.
The Red Wings rallied for a pair of doubles and a single in the bottom of the sixth before a doubleplay ball allowed the tying run to cross.
The game remained tied until the bottom of the ninth when Pedro Florimon doubled to lead off the inning. After he was sacrificed to third James Beresford ended the game on a sacrifice fly.
Game three of the series was originally a 7:05 p.m. start, but was moved to a 3:35 p.m. start Thursday afternoon.
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