Odorizzi Flirts With No-Hitter Again; Bulls Win 4-1

Columbus, OH --- Jake Odorirzzi carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning, but settled for his 8th win as Durham knocked off Columbus 4-1 on Sunday night.

Nearly four months after starting the front seven innings of a no-hitter at Pawtucket, Odorizzi flirted with destiny again. Odorizzi had faced two batters over the minimm through six innings, entering the seventh on a string of 10 straight outs before Chun Chen drove a double to left-center to break up the bid. Odorizzi (W, 8-4) pitched through the frame, ending his outing on a fluke 4-6-3 double play, to earn his first win in three starts.

After Columbus' Danny Salazar's 11-strikeout outing ended after five innings, the Bulls (69-40) broke through against the Clippers bullpen and defense the rest of the way.

Columbus committed three errors in a three-inning span, costing the pen three unearned runs - the margin of Durham's victory.

In the sixth, an error by shortstop Juan Diaz permitted the game's first run to score. Vince Belnome hit a two-hopper up the middle, booted by Diaz, allowing Kevin Kiermaier to come home. Later in the sixth, Jason Bourgeois drove a single to left to score Belnome to make it 2-0 Durham.

After a double by Tim Beckham started the eighth, an infield single by Ryan Roberts brought Beckham home for a 3-0 lead. A throwing error by Diaz permitted Roberts to take second, followed by a dropped flyball in right-center by Jeremy Hermida to set up another Bulls run. Bourgeois again came through with a single to right field to lift the Durham lead to 4-0.

Columbus (51-59) pushed across a run in the eighth against Cory Wade on a single by Luis Hernandez, but later Kirby Yates (S, 14) was summoned to retire Chun Chen representing the tying run on a strikeout. Yates returned for a perfect ninth, recording his second save in two nights.

With the victory, the Bulls seized a season-high 13 1/2 game lead in the South ahead of their series finale Monday night in Columbus. Mike Montgomery (5-4, 4.15) starts against Diasuke Matsuzaka (2-6, 3.97) at 7:05 PM ET.