DURHAM, NC - The Durham Bulls suffered a 12-4 loss to the Columbus Clippers on Opening Night Thursday at the DBAP. Bulls shortstop Jake Cronenworth extended his hitting streak to seven games and Mike Brosseau led the way with a home run and two RBI's.In front of a paid attendance
DURHAM, NC - The Durham Bulls suffered a 12-4 loss to the Columbus Clippers on Opening Night Thursday at the DBAP. Bulls shortstop Jake Cronenworth extended his hitting streak to seven games and Mike Brosseau led the way with a home run and two RBI's.
In front of a paid attendance of 9,604 fans, the Bulls (2-5) fell behind early thanks to a three-run first inning by the Clippers offense. The rehabbing Jason Kipnis got the scoring started with an RBI double, followed by a two-run home run from outfielder Carlos González.
Bulls starter Andrew Moore was eventually chased from the game, thanks to four more runs by the Clippers in the fourth inning. Moore (0-2) finished his second outing allowing seven earned runs on eight hits in 3.1 innings pitched to take the loss. The Bulls pitching staff combined to strike out 13 Clippers batters, but couldn't keep the ball in the park, allowing a season-high four home runs.
The Bulls attempted a rally in the fourth, with Christian Arroyo notching his first RBI of the season, but the Bulls leaving more on base. The lead for Columbus continued to grow, with four more runs in the fifth inning, bringing the lead to 11-1.
Cronenworth continued to be the hottest hitter in the International League, finishing with one hit and recording his fourth RBI on the season to make the score 11-2. Over the final four innings, the Bulls outscored the Clippers offense 2-1, with a two-run home by Brosseau, his team leading third of the season, to right field.
Clippers starter Sean Brady (1-0) was promoted to Columbus today and recorded his first Triple-A win of the season, going six innings, allowing two earned runs and striking out two. The Clippers bullpen held up until Brosseau's home run off Matt Whitehouse, striking out an additional four batters over three innings.
The Bulls will play game two of a four game series against Columbus on Friday at 7:05 p.m., with right-hander Aaron Slegers (0-0, 14.73) taking the hill for Durham to face right-hander Cody Anderson for Columbus (0-0, 0.00).
