Pitching Commands Series Opener

The Columbus Clippers fell in game one of a three-game series to the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs, 3-1, tonight at Huntington Park.
The ballgame was dominated by fantastic starting pitching from both sides, with the Clippers and Iron Pigs combining for just two runs through seven innings.

The lone blemish on Columbus starter Shao-Ching Chiang's day came in the second inning when Joey Meneses led off with a mammoth solo shot over the centerfield wall to take a 1-0 lead.
Iron Pigs' starter Cole Ervin was excellent, as he shut down the Clippers through his six innings of scoreless, three-hit ball. He walked one and struck out three.
Chiang locked things down after the homer and was equally as good, finishing his day after the top of the seventh having allowed just the one run on three hits without issuing a walk. He struck out four.
The Clippers gave him one run in the bottom of the seventh to tie the game at 1-1. Jake Thompson took over for Irvin and promptly loaded the bases before being relieved by Tom Windle. With the bases-loaded and Francisco Mejía at the dish, Windle plunked him with the first pitch to tie the game at 1-1.
After the Clippers failed to score the go-ahead run in the seventh, the Iron Pigs made them pay in the eighth when Dean Anna singled off reliever James Hoyt to retake the lead at 2-1. They'd add another on a wild pitch to make it 3-1, and that's where things would finish as the Clippers couldn't muster anything for the rest of the game.
The teams will face off tomorrow afternoon at 12:05 p.m.