Game 1 to the Clippers

Playoffs (Best 3 of 5): 0-1
Wrap, Box, Columbus Dispatch

When we looked at the matchup yesterday, the only significant advantage the Bulls had over the Clippers was pitching. That could have been further refined to specify relief pitching since the Bulls relief corps had an ERA on the season of just 2.70. That advantage was not evident last night. Reliever C. J. Riefenhauser came into the game just after Jeremy Moore’s home run had brought the Bulls within a single run of the Clippers.

Things got ugly, quickly.

Three runs on 4 hits and a walk later Riefenhauser was out of the game after pitching only ⅔ of an inning. Jake Thompson got the Bulls out of the 6th, but gave up two runs of his own in the next inning. Cory Burns came on for a clean 9th, but by then it was far too late.

Outside the game —

• If you’ve already got MiLB-TV, check out the quality contrast between what’s coming out of Columbus vs. what comes out of Durham (or Pawtucket for that matter). Very poor quality.  If you don't have MiLB-TV, don't waste your money on tonight. We’ve got a great crew in Durham and their feed into MiLB-TV is the best I’ve seen from IL parks.
• The Bulls did a bit of rosterification yesterday. Of interest mostly to obsessives such as WDBB. Pitcher Merrill Kelly came on to the roster from Limbo. Catcher Luke Maile came onto the roster from Montgomery. Pitcher Bryce Stowell was sent back to Montgomery. Catcher Mayo Acosta was assigned to Montgomery. I’d bet that all of these are paper transactions and all the players mentioned are in the Bulls dugout up in Columbus.
• Pawtucket won the first round of the other IL playoff round, beating Syracuse in a bottom-of-the-10th inning thriller. The Providence Journal has the story.
• Small crowds in Columbus (4,437) and Pawtucket (2,326).