Clip Show aims to be your weekly update for all things Columbus Clippers. Check back each Tuesday for team records, roster updates, and performance updates on some of the brightest prospects in the Tribe system.

Yeah, so… how ’bout those Columbus Clippers? I’ve picked against them five straight times (both series last season, AAA National Championship last season, both series this season) and they’ve proven me wrong five straight times. Now, I’m a superstitious sports fan who believes in the all-swaying power of mojo, so you have to know I don’t view this as a coincidence. At any rate, after dropping Game 1 to Lehigh Valley, Columbus roared back to take the next three–including the final two on the road–to capture a second straight Governor’s Cup. They square off tonight against PCL Champ Omaha in the AAA National Championship in Albuquerque, NM.

This Week: 3-1
Playoff Results: Beat Lehigh Valley 3-1 to win the Governor’s Cup (IL Champions)

[Read more...]

Governor’s Cup Finals – Game 1
Iron Pigs 5, Clippers 2 (box)
LHV leads series 1-0

After a solid appearance in Game 1 of the first round, the Clippers went back to their “ace” to try to take the first game of the Governor’s Cup Championship. After holding Durham to no runs in his first round start, Zach McAllister was unable to bring that same stuff to his start last night.

Lehigh Valley jumped on him early to take a 4-0 lead, and Scott Mathieson was good enough to slow down the Clippers’ bats. Brandon Moss provided the Iron Pigs’ big blow in the first inning, and Columbus never recovered. McAllister was able to get the lead-off man to pop out, but after that the Iron Pigs got singles from Scott Podsednik and Kevin Frandsen to bring Moss to the dish.

Moss mashed a McAllister pitch to deep center, and just like that it was 3-0 Lehigh Valley.

[Read more...]

Clip Show aims to be your weekly update for all things Columbus Clippers. Check back each Tuesday for team records, roster updates, and performance updates on some of the brightest prospects in the Tribe system.

The Clippers have completed their regular season, and are gearing up to start their best-of-five series against IL South champs Durham (Tampa Rays). The Clippers beat Durham last year for the Governor’s Cup title after qualifying as the Wild Card. We’ll do our best to break down the match up below. For now, it’s nice to bask in the team’s second straight playoff appearance, and first division title under the banner of the Tribe’s system. Manager Mike Sarbaugh deserves accolades for keeping his team moving despite the near-constant revolving door on his roster.

This Week: 3-3

Season Record: 88-56, International League West champs
[Read more...]

Clip Show aims to be your weekly update for all things Columbus Clippers. Check back each Tuesday afternoon for team records, roster updates, and performance updates on some of the brightest prospects in the Tribe system.
Holy crap! Unlike last season in which some “roster turnover growing pains” slowed the Clippers’ playoff roll around this time of year, apparently this year’s club is refusing to let that same swoon go down. In the midst of a nine-game winning streak, the Clippers’ magic number to win their division is now down to 15, with a 13.5 game lead with 28 games remaining. They also have a 8.0 game lead for the best record in the IL. During this streak, it’s been both the bats and the arms carrying the team. When their pitchers struggle, the bats pick them up. Likewise, when the bats aren’t the sharpest, the arms hold it down. They won close games (five during the streak are 1-run wins), and they still outscored their opponents 58-38 during the streak. Chris Antonetti needs to somehow sign manager Mike Sarbaugh to some kind of a long-term contract, possibly as the Tribe’s full-time hitting coach. The guy is MONEY.

This Week: 6-0
Season Record: 74-42, 1st place (of four) in ILW (International League West) by 13.5 games

[Read more...]

Clip Show aims to be your weekly update for all things Columbus Clippers. Check back each Tuesday afternoon for team records, roster updates, and performance updates on some of the brightest prospects in the Tribe system.
We’re going to call this one the “New Faces Edition”. Much like last season, the Clippers sprinted out to a solid division lead, and will now be forced to navigate the second half of the season without most of their big guns. Call-ups have robbed them of their legit lead-off hitter, as well as two middle of the order bats, and while the purging of talent hasn’t been as significant as least season it’s still noticeable to take three of your best hitters out of the lineup. That said, we’re going to take a look this week at some of the new guys to try to assess who might be around for the longer haul, and who might just be keeping the proverbial seats warm. At any rate, a three-game winning streak to close out the week was a nice bonus.

This Week: 4-3
Season Record: 68-42, 1st place (of four) in ILW (International League West) by 10.5 games

[Read more...]

It hasn’t been the greatest of seasons for Justin Germano in 2011. In nine appearances in Cleveland this year, he was 0-1 with a 5.68 ERA. After being sent to Columbus, he worked both out of the pen and as a starter, and didn’t fare much better. Heading into his start in Syracuse last night, he had worked 14 times–four starts–to the tune of an 0-2 record with a 4.58 ERA. Nothing too exciting, right?

Well, last night in Syracuse was one for the ages for the 28-year-old right hander, as he became the first pitcher in Columbus Clippers’ history to throw a perfect game, blanking the Syracuse Chiefs 3-0. And, as well as Germano pitched, this game was over in the top of the first inning. Tim Fedroff led off the game with a double, and scored on a Cord Phelps two-out double to give Germano all the run support he would need. Fedroff added a two-run triple in the top of the second, and the rest of the night was about getting Germano to the promised land.

He threw 95 pitches, and struck out seven along the way.

While being the first ever perfect game for the Clippers, this now means the Clippers’ starting staff has two members who have thrown perfect games in their careers, with Jeanmar Gomez having accomplished the feat in Akron in 2009. Some videos, courtesy of the Clippers, after the jump. [Read more...]