Durham Clips Columbus on Record-Breaking Night
DURHAM, NC - The Durham Bulls won their fourth straight game Saturday night at the DBAP, defeating the Columbus Clippers 5-2 as southpaw Matt Moore set the franchise's Triple-A single-game strikeout record, while the DBAP sold out for a single-season record 13th time with a paid attendance of 10,417.
Moore went six innings, striking out 16 of the 22 batters he faced while allowing two runs on four hits. Both runs he surrendered came with two outs in the sixth inning, when Zach Walters hit a two-run homer to centerfield for a 2-1 lead.
The Bulls (63-66) stormed back in the seventh inning though, scoring four runs. The first three batters of the frame walked to load the bases, before Boog Powell hit a sacrifice fly to leftfield to tie the game. After a strikeout, Nick Franklin delivered a single for a one-run lead, before JP Arencibia drove in two with a single to left for a 5-2 advantage.
Durham took its first lead in the second inning, when Joey Butler singled with one out and scored a batter later when Corey Brown doubled to right-centerfield.
Robert Zarate (2-1) earned the victory in relief for Durham, tossing two scoreless innings in relief of Moore, while Kirby Yates picked up his sixth save of the season by striking out the side in the ninth. Michael Roth (8-8) took the loss for the visitors, allowing three runs in the seventh inning while recording just one out.
Durham's five-game homestand concludes Sunday at 5:05 p.m. against Columbus, when the Bulls send LHP Everett Teaford (4-8, 5.56) to the hill opposite RHP Will Roberts (2-3, 3.52) for the Clippers.