Columbus meteorologists told their viewers and listeners that severe weather would be rolling through Central Ohio during the evening hours Thursday. The Columbus Clippers’ game at Huntington Park with the Syracuse Mets seemed to be squarely in the radar’s crosshairs.

The contest started just after 7:00 p.m. without any sign of precipitation, yet the fears of the prognosticators were warranted as the skies opened in the middle of the eighth inning. Fortunately for the home faithful, Columbus scored two runs in the bottom of the seventh to pull ahead, 6-5, before the game was called.

As they had in the first two games of the series, the Mets took an early lead. This time, it was two runs in the first inning. The Clippers responded in the second with three runs to take their first lead. Syracuse starter dom Hamel walked the bases loaded to start the inning, then a Christian Cairo sacrifice fly and singles from Raynel Delgado and Will Brennan each brought in single runs.

Columbus added a run in the third. Kyle Manzardo singled, then moved to third on a single from Estevan Florial. When Florial stole second, the throw from Mets’ catcher Matt O’Neill went awry and Manzardo scored on the error.

Syracuse scored a run in the fifth, then two in the seventh to take a 5-4 lead. With thunder rumbling miles away, yet audible at Huntington Park, the Clippers came to bat in the bottom of the seventh knowing it may be their last crack at a victory.

Leading off the inning, Delgado went over the left field wall for his seventh home run of the season. Now with the score tied, two singles and a walk loaded the bases with no outs. George Valera hit a sac fly that allowed the Clippers to take the lead. On the play, the other two runners tried to move up as well, but Manzardo was thrown out at second. Bryan Lavastida’s flyout ended the threat.

As the storm front approached the stadium, Syracuse would get one more chance to tie or retake the lead. O’Neill flied out to begin the eighth. Drew Gilbert then doubled to right field on a ball that took a wicked hop over first baseman Kyle Manzardo’s head. The inning ended strangely, but in the Clippers’ favor, when Brett Baty grounded out and Gilbert was thrown out by a good margin at the plate trying to score.

The rain then came down in buckets and eventually the game was called with Columbus winning, 6-5, in seven and a half innings. The win went to reliever Eric Sabrowski (6-1), who threw two scoreless innings. Mets’ reliever Tyler Zuber (3-1) took his first loss of the season.

The Columbus area is supposed to receive some wet stuff Friday, but if it lets up long enough, the teams will be back in action for the fourth of their six-game series. The first pitch at Huntington Park is set for 7:05 p.m.