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Durham Edged by Columbus, 4-3

Bulls drop fourth straight in one-run loss
August 16, 2016

COLUMBUS, OH - The Durham Bulls dropped their fourth straight game Tuesday night, falling to the Columbus Clippers 4-3 in the second game of a three-game set.

Tied 3-3 in the eighth, the Clippers' Jesus Aguilar delivered a one-out double that scored Colin Cowgill for a one-run lead. In the ninth the Bulls (54-70) got the first two runners aboard on a single and a walk. Dayron Varona then singled to right, but Perez was thrown out at the plate for the first out of the inning. The next two batters proceeded to pop up and foul out as the team lost for the eighth time in its last nine games.

Columbus (71-54) struck first with a pair of unearned runs in the third inning. After a single and a hit batter opened the inning, Erik Gonzalez laid down a sacrifice bunt. An errant throw to third base allowed Joey Butler to score the game's first run, before Yandy Diaz's sac fly later in the frame made it a two-run game.

The home side increased its lead to three in the fourth inning on an RBI double by Butler, but Jaff Decker blasted a three-run home run in the sixth to tie the contest.

Josh Martin (2-4) earned the win for the Clippers in relief with two scoreless innings, and Shawn Armstrong picked up his ninth save of the season by getting the game's final two hitters. Former Clipper Tyler Sturdevant (1-2) suffered the loss by allowing the winning run to score, and the rehabbing Alex Cobb surrendered three runs (one earned) on two hits in four innings.

Decker led the Bulls offensively, going 2-for-3 and driving in all three runs. Varona finished 2-for-5 with a run scored, while Curt Casali went 1-for-2 and walked three times.

The series concludes Wednesday at 12:05 p.m. RHP Jake Faria (3-3, 4.30) gets the ball for the Bulls against LHP Ryan Merritt (9-7, 3.71) for the Clippers.