Pipeline: Columbus rides six-run 1st inning; every Iowa player scores run in win

The AAA Columbus Clippers rode a six-run 1st inning to a 9-3 victory that closed out a three-game home sweep of the AAA Gwinnett Braves on Sunday.

3B Richie Shaffer went 2-for-3 on the day, opening the scoring with an RBI single in the 1st and belting a two-run homer in the 2nd inning to bring his season totals to an organization-high 16 longballs and 54 RBI. DH Ronny Rodriguez was 2-for-4 and punctuated the six-run 1st inning with a three-run homer. In a rehab start for the Clippers, LF Brandon Guyer went 1-for-1 with a solo homer & also scored three runs (1 BB, 1 HBP).

LHP Chris Narveson picked up his  rst win of the season, allowing three runs (one earned) on six hits over 5.2 innings of work (2BB, 2K). RHP Jeff Johnson (1.1IP), LHP David Speer (1.0IP) and RHP Joe Colon (1.0IP) teamed up to throw 3.1 scoreless innings of relief to close out the Columbus victory.

Iowa has dominating performance vs. Omaha

Every AAA Iowa player scored at least one run in a 16-3 rout over AAA Omaha on Sunday. Seven I-Cubs batters had at least two hits.

SS Elliot Soto (.231) was 4-for-5 with a double, a season-high three RBI and two runs scored.

CF Jacob Hannemann (.333) went 2-for-6 with a double, two RBI and two runs scored. It was his fourth-straight multi-hit game.

1B Taylor Davis (.271) and RF Bijan Rademacher (.268) were each 2-for-5 with a double and two runs scored. Davis drove in a run and Rademacher knocked in two.

3B Jeimer Candelario (.268) and LF John Andreoli (.209) were each 2-for-4 and homered in the Cubs’ six-run eighth inning. Candelario had a double, two RBI and three runs scored. Andreoli collected a double, four RBI and a run scored.

RHP Casey Kelly scattered eight hits over 6.0 IP and surrendered just one run while fanning a season-high six batters.

Pawtucket falls to Rochester

C Blake Swihart went 1-for-3 and hit a 2-run home run in the 4th inning as AAA Pawtucket fell to AAA Rochester, 3-2, in the 1st game of yesterday’s doubleheader. It was Swihart’s 3rd home run of the season and 1st since Apr. 28. Starter LHP Henry Owens allowed just 2 runs on 3 hits and 4 walks with 5 strikeouts over a season-high 7.0 innings but did not factor into the decision. RHP Kyle Martin (1.0 IP, 2 H, R, SO) suffered the loss after allowing the Red Wings to score the winning run in the top of the 8th inning.

CF Rusney Castillo (2-for-3, RBI) drove in the PawSox’ lone run with a 2nd-inning single in the club’s 2-1 loss to Rochester in the 2nd game of yesterday’s action. Castillo is batting .417 (25-for-60) over his current 16-game hitting streak, raising his season batting average from .270 to .306 during that time. Starter LHP Edgar Olmos did not allow an earned run (2 R) over 6.0 IP in his 2nd start of 2017 (5 H, BB, 4 SO) but received the loss. OF Bryce Brentz was named the International League Player of the Week for June 12-18. Brentz hit .500 (10-for-20) with 7 runs, 2 doubles, 3 home runs, and 10 RBI over 6 games during that time.