The Columbus Clippers ended their 10-game homestand on a high note Tuesday afternoon with a 7-5 win over the Syracuse Chiefs.

Failing to hit any home runs in their previous four games, the Clippers put that trend to rest, generating all seven of their runs via the long ball.

“You can’t always rely on the long ball, but when it does happen it’s nice,” Clippers manager Mike Sarbaugh said.

After a late scratch of Columbus ace Carlos Carrasco per the Cleveland Indians’ request, reliever Mike Gosling was thrust into the rotation last minute to man the mound for the Clippers. Despite the abrupt change in plans, the move did not seem to rattle the Clippers and Sarbaugh was pleased with the job Gosling was able to do on such short notice.

“He was huge,” Sarbaugh said. “We needed some length out of him and he was able to give us four (innings) — that’s the longest he has gone all year. That was really big for us.”

After allowing a run in a shaky top of the first, the Clippers bats responded with four runs of their own in the bottom half of the inning courtesy of two 2-run home runs from Shelley Duncan and Chris Gimenez.

“For them to get one early and then for us to come back and get that big inning in the first, it got us momentum,” Sarbaugh said. “Anytime you can get that early lead it’s always beneficial.”

For Duncan, his home run in the first was just the beginning of what would prove to be a career day for the designated hitter.

Syracuse clawed back to tie the game at four thanks to a string of sixth-inning singles.

However, its share of the lead would be short-lived, because the next inning Duncan was at it again.

Following a Trevor Crowe double and a Carlos Santana walk, Duncan stepped to the plate and drove the ball over the left field fence for his second homer of the afternoon and a 7-4 Clippers advantage.

“I saw the ball well,” Duncan said. “The one thing I have been really trying to focus on is keeping my head on the ball and see the barrel hit it.”

That’s exactly what Duncan did all afternoon, going 4-for-4 with two home runs and 5 RBIs.

Duncan’s seventh-inning blast proved to be the difference as the Clippers’ bullpen was able to close out the final two innings, allowing just one run to take the game and the series.

Following its first day off tomorrow in nearly a month, the team will pack its bags and hit the road to play 16 of its next 20 contests away from Huntington Park.

“It’s part of the game. Wherever you’re playing, you come in, strap it on and keep working hard,” Sarbaugh said. “It’s nice to be at home but its just part of it and the players have to adjust.”

The Clippers will start their road trip in Lehigh Valley Thursday night when they take on the Iron Pigs at 7:05 p.m.