The Columbus Clippers came into their afternoon game Wednesday in Toledo with the magic number of two to make the International League postseason. The Clippers were four games ahead of both Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and Worcester coming into Wednesday’s action. Columbus cut the number to one with a 3-0 win over Toledo.

Doug Nikhazy (7-3) started for the Clippers and picked up the win. He went six scoreless innings, allowing only three hits and two walks while striking out three. Columbus relievers Franco Aleman, James Karinchak, and Nic Enright went the remaining three innings, giving up only one hit between them. Enright earned his third save of the season.

The Clippers pushed two runs across in the second inning. Raynel Delgado doubled with the bases loaded, driving in Estavan Florial and Micah Pries. Columbus added a run in the sixth when Johnathan Rodriguez led off the inning with his team-leading 29th home run of the campaign. 

After the afternoon win, the Clippers turned their eyes to the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and Worcester games. A loss by either would eliminate them from the playoff chase. The RailRiders were ahead at Buffalo 5-1 but lost to the Bison 7-6 in 10 innings. The Red Sox gave up three runs in the bottom of the ninth and fell at Lehigh Valley 4-3.

So, the Clippers  clinched and will have four games left in the regular season at Toledo knowing that they will head to Omaha for a best-of-three series against the IL’s first half winning Storm Chasers. That series will take place Sept. 24-26. The winner of that series will play the Pacific Coast League champion in a single-game title tilt in Las Vegas on Sept. 28th.