Rain Delay Stifles Bulls Offense in Defeat

DURHAM, NC - The Durham Bulls dealt with a rain delay of over an hour and half and fell to the Columbus Clippers in the series opener by a final score of 2-1 Friday night at the DBAP. Shao-Ching Chiang (3-4) recorded the win for the Clippers, while Ricardo Pinto (2-2) suffered the loss for the Bulls.
Both offensives got off to sluggish starts, with both teams combining for four hits in the first five innings. The Bulls used multiple pitchers, beginning with Colin Poche, before he gave way to Jake Faria and Pinto, while the Clippers stuck with Chiang.
The Clippers finally got on the board in the top of the sixth inning, when Daniel Johnson brought in the game's first run on a sacrifice fly to make it 1-0. Bobby Bradley tallied a solo home run in the top of the seventh inning to give the Clippers a two-run cushion. The Bulls made a late effort in the ninth inning, when Jake Smolinski hit a solo home run over the Blue Monster to make it 2-1.
However, Clippers pitching was able to shut down the Bulls offense, holding them to just two extra-base hits and a grand total of four hits the entire game. Chiang recorded 10 strikeouts over the course of his outing and the bullpen added five strikeouts to seal it.
The Bulls will play a day/night doubleheader against the Clippers Saturday, beginning with game one at 12:35 p.m. at the DBAP. Game two will take place at 6:35 p.m., and a separate ticket is needed for both games. The series will conclude on Sunday night at 5:05.