The Columbus Clippers (22-23) lost to the Durham Bulls (27-21) 7-5 Thursday night. Durham rallied for a pair in the ninth to spoil the opener of an 11-game homestand for Columbus. It was a big game for both teams as the game was nationally televised game on CBS Sports Network.
Jake Thompson (2-0, 1.08) got the win as he pitched the last two outs of the eighth and became the winner when the Bulls scored in the ninth. C.C. Lee (0-1, 7.50 ERA) took the loss as he gave up a Clippers’ one-run lead in the eighth and was responsible for the runs that scored in the ninth. Kirby Yates nailed down the ninth for his International League best 12th save of the year with three strikeouts in the ninth.
Neither starter would factor into the decision. Clippers starter Kyle Davies (1-2, 4.07 ERA) went five innings and allowed four runs on eight hits and two walks with three strikeouts. Enny Romero (2-4, 4.73 ERA) didn’t much more luck as he gave up a pair of runs on three hits with three walks and five strikeouts in four innings.
Durham jumped on the Clippers with two in the first. Hak-Ju Lee started the game out with a single and went to third on a double by Jayson Nix. Both would score on the third consecutive hit to start the game a two-run double off the bat of Mikie Mahtook.
The Clippers didn’t take too long to respond. In the bottom of the second Matt Carson drew a walk to lead off the frame for the Clippers and then trotted home on a Carlos Moncrief no-doubter over the right field wall. It was Moncrief’s third homer of the season.
Durham regained the lead thanks to a two-run fourth. Jerry Sands doubled and scored on a Vince Belnome sacrifice fly. Another sacrifice fly in the inning by Curt Casali scored Justin Christian and gave Durham a two-run lead.
The bottom of the sixth inning gave the Clippers their first lead of the night. After David Cooper walked to start the inning and got to second on a wild pitch by Durham pitcher Brandon Gomes a two-out single by Ryan Rohlinger cut the lead to one. George Kottaras then gave Columbus a lead as he hit a homer to right just inside the foul pole and made it 5-4 Clippers.
Durham would rally to tie the game in the eighth. A lead-off single by Mahtook, a Wilson Betemit walk and Belnome RBI single tied the game at five a piece.
Durham retook the lead in the ninth. Kevin Kiermier, who pinch ran for Betemit in the eighth, had a pair of runners on with two outs when he crushed a liner off the wall in right. Both runners scored to give the Bulls a 7-5 lead.
With two outs in the bottom of the ninth Jesus Aguilar came to the plate representing the potential tying run after a Giovanny Urshela double. Aguilar struck out to end the game with Urshela on second.
The Durham Bulls had the lead-off man reach in five innings and scored him four times.
Game two will be a 7:15 start at Huntington Park. A pair of righties, Travis Banwart (3-0, 3.35 ERA) and Matt Andriese (3-3, 4.93 ERA) for Columbus and Durham respectively, will be the starters in Friday night’s game.
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