Clippers in hunt despite tumultuous first half
Triple-A teams that lose their starting shortstop and center fielder along with their No. 1 pitcher to the parent big-league team before Memorial Day should have no business being in the conversation to win an International League division championship.
Add the facts that the ballclub in question has been without another front-line starter most of the season because of injury and has received virtually zero production at first base and designated hitter, and you have a candidate for last place.
The Clippers, though, go into the three-day AllStar break in second place in the West, 3½ games behind Indianapolis after a 3-2 loss to Norfolk before 8,880 on Sunday afternoon at Huntington Park.
Columbus (46-42), manager Chris Tremie said, has put itself into contention slowly but surely. The team has won five of its last eight games.
“If you look at the first half and see where we were in May, we’re much better than that now — we’re a good club,’’ Tremie said. “We’re going to come back and get after it. I would put the first half in two parts: There were the first six or seven weeks, and then the second six or seven weeks. We had injuries and just didn’t play very well at first.’’
The season was a little
more than five weeks old when the Indians brought up shortstop Erik Gonzalez and center fielder Bradley Zimmer. Ace Mike Clevinger already was showing Cleveland that he had what it took to be a No. 4 or 5 starter.
Starter Chris Narveson, who was being counted on for a veteran presence, largely has been stuck in neutral because of injuries.
First baseman Nellie Rodriguez hit three home runs the first series of the season, but he has batted .137 in attempting to make the broad jump from Akron to Columbus.
Veteran Chris Colabello was supposed to form a 1-2 combination with Rodriguez, but he was released early in the week for lack of production.
Center fielder Tyler Naquin missed five weeks with a back injury and was brought around slowly when he returned.
All told, the roster has been hit with 129 transactions, the most recent third baseman Giovanny Urshela going to Cleveland and reliever Shawn Armstrong coming to Columbus.
Why are the Clippers doing more than staying afloat?
“What we’ve done is a testament to the staff from top to bottom,’’ outfielder Richie Shaffer said. “They prepare guys each and every day to put us into a position to succeed. It’s also a testament to the guys in the clubhouse for battling every game.’’
Shaffer said in early May that the Clippers should not be judged until all the pieces started
fitting.
“We’ve gotten into rhythm,’’ he said. “We’re more comfortable playing together. You can’t get too wrapped up in the early-season stuff. You roll with things and know they can get better. We’ve had transactions and injuries, but guys haven’t missed a beat.’’
Starters Ryan Merritt and Shawn Morimando have been sterling, shortstop Eric Stamets of Dublin Scioto has transformed from good glove into an All-Star with a power stroke, and Shaffer, also an All-Star, is having one of his best seasons.
There is so much more to it than those four. Reliever Tyler Olson has been stout, catcher Erik Kratz has brought power and leadership, and Urshela has been rock steady.