The Columbus Clippers rode the hot bat of Chad Huffman to a second straight win over the Louisville Bats by a 19-3 final score Thursday night. Huffman became the first Clipper since Matt LaPorta to homer three times in a single game and set a franchise record with ten RBI.

Johnny Cueto struggled in his second rehab start, going only 1.2 innings and allowing eight earned runs before exiting after 68 pitches. The bullpen fared no better for the Bats. David Johnson walked five and allowed seven runs over 2.1 innings. Matt Klinker and Michael Griffin each allowed two runs. Only Daniel Ray Herrera pitched and came away unscathed.

Travis Buck played his first game as a Clipper and had hits in each of his first four at-bats, finishing 4-6 with three RBI.

Zach McAllister earned his 3rd win of the season, throwing six innings and allowing only one run. Jess Todd and Joe Martinez finished off the Bats to pull the Clippers into a first place tie with Louisville in the IL West.

The final game of the series will be a 7:05pm affair with David Huff taking the mound for Columbus and Tom Cochran pitching for Louisville.

Jerad Head continues to swing a hot bat, driving home a game-winning run with a walk-off single in a 4-3 Clippers victory over Louisville.

Head went 3 for 5 on the game and recorded his eighth RBI on the year after his ninth inning hit scored Chad Huffman.

The Bats tied the game at three in the top of the ninth after Chris Valaika’s sacrifice fly drove home Michael Griffin. Josh Judy blew the save, but was still credited with his second victory of the season.

A pair of clutch plays in the eighth saved the game for the Clippers. In the top of the eighth, shortstop Cord Phelps snared a Devin Mesoraco line drive with a runner on third and two outs.

In the bottom half, Luke Carlin doubled into the left centerfield gap to bring home Luis Valbuena and put the Clippers up by a run.

Carlin tied the game the inning before with his second home run of the year, a solo shot to right center.

Clippers starter Alex White went seven innings, allowing two runs and striking out seven batters.

Louisville starter Dontrelle Willis threw 102 pitches in five innings, allowing one run and striking out four. Bats reliever Jerry Gil is charged with a loss, his first of the season.

The Clippers continue the series at home against Louisville, Thursday at 6:35 p.m.

The Bats were able to squeak out four runs on key infield hits while the Clippers had trouble stringing at-bats together offensively in a 4-2 Louisville win.

The Bats struck first in the top of the second. Chris Valaika walked to lead off the inning. After a Michael Griffin strikeout and Kristopher Negron walk, Dave Sappelt laced a double down the right field line that allowed Valaika to score. Negron would come in on the same play when Clippers right fielder Jordan Brown overthrew shortstop Luis Valbuena when getting the ball back into the infield, leading to an early 2-0 Bats lead. Louisville extended their lead to 4-0 in the top of the fourth inning over the Clippers when Valaika scored on a Michael Griffin RBI triple. Griffin later came around to score on RBI groundout by Negron.

The Clippers would cut into the Bats lead in the bottom of the third when Valbuena scored on a Wes Hodges RBI groundout. Columbus would then score another run this time in the 4th when Head slid into home safely after Bats third baseman Todd Frazier tried to get Head out at home by fielding a Paul Phillips nubber up the third base line.

The rest of the night Columbus had trouble getting anything going offensively as they only managed one hit after the fourth inning. Chad Reineke got his 3rd win on the season for Louisville. The loser was Clipper left-hander Scott Barnes, who made his first Triple-A start.

The same teams will meet Wednesday at 6:35pm with Alex White facing Dontrelle Willis.

The Toledo Mud Hens finished their stay in Columbus with a 13-5 victory Monday afternoon.

Clete Thomas drove in six runs and Andy Dirks homered twice for the Mud Hens. Toledo finished with 16 hits and seven players produced a multi-hit game.

Clippers right-hander Corey Kluber allowed six earned runs over 4.2 innings and suffered the loss. Joe Martinez (four runs in 2.1 innings and Jess Todd (three runs in one inning) both struggled in relief.

The Clippers managed five runs and six hits from six different players. Chad Huffman and Wes Hodges each drove in two.

The Clippers begin a series with Louisville at 6:35pm Tuesday from Huntington Park.

With the aid of the long ball, the Clippers beat Toledo 6-2 Sunday afternoon at Huntington Park. Columbus sits at 8-3 on the year.

A two-run home run from Jerad Head in the sixth gave Columbus a 3-2 lead and put them up for good. Luke Carlin added a solo shot in the seventh, and Head hit his second two-run shot of the game in the eighth.

Head, who now has three homers on the year, went 2-4 on the game.

The other Clippers’ run came via Carlin, who drove home Luis Valbuena with a second inning single.

The Mud Hens two runs came in a wild second inning in which Toledo stole three bases and didn’t record a hit. Prior to that, Clippers center fielder Ezequiel Carrera injured his right arm after his diving catch robbed Toledo’s Ryan Strieby of a single.

David Huff went five innings for Columbus, struck out five and did not allow an earned run. Reliever Zach Putnam recorded the win with two scoreless frames.

Clippers right fielder Chad Huffman went 2-4 at the plate, and gunned out Toledo’s Scott Sizemore at second base in the eighth inning.

The two teams complete a six game home and home series Monday at 11:35 am with Corey Kluber facing Andy Oliver.

The Clippers celebrated a 10-4 victory in front of 7,021 fans in attendance for the opener at Huntington Park.

Toledo scored three runs in the first two innings against an inconsistent Zach McAllister. McAllister recovered to pitch six innings, allowing three runs.

Columbus erased a 3-0 deficit with three runs in the fourth inning off Mud Hens starter Duane Below.

The Clippers added two runs in the sixth, three in the seventh, and two in the eighth in route to a ten run, fifteen hit performance.

The Clippers and Mud Hens meet Sunday at 1:05pm with David Huff pitching against Adam Wilk.

Toledo rallied in the seventh inning to defeat the Clippers 5-4 at Fifth Third Field in Toledo.

Clippers starter Alex White pitched well, allowing just two unearned runs over six innings, but not factor in the decision. Scott Sizemore’s two-run double off reliever Paolo Espino put the Mud Hens in the win column for the third time this season.

Columbus trailed 2-0 after two innings, but tallied one in the fifth and three more in the seventh to grab a 4-2 lead.

Jason Kipnis had three hits and Cord Phelps earned two RBIs for the Clippers.

The game was delayed thirty minutes prior to the first pitch because of a threat of rain.

Columbus and Toledo meet Saturday in the Clippers home opener. The first pitch is slated for 4:05pm following at 2:00pm parade through the Arena District.

Right-hander Zach McAllister will face Toledo lefty Duane Below.