The Columbus Clippers don’t play well in the second game of a road series. They haven’t won one dating back to May 10, 2023 when they fell 5-1 at Louisville, nineteen road match-ups ago.

On Saturday, the Clippers were back in Louisville for the second game of their short three-game series with the Bats, after winning the opener 6-4. Tyler Beede was on the mound to start the game for Columbus, scheduled for just an inning or two of work. Unfortunately, he didn’t make it that far as things fell apart in the first inning.

The Bats loaded the bases in the opening frame with a hit, a walk, and a hit batter. Then a ground out, a single, a Clippers’ error, two walks, a single, a strikeout, and a double brought in five runs in rapid succession. Beede was replaced by Tanner Burns with an out still to get in the inning.

Columbus battled back, scoring two in the second and two in the fifth. Dom Nuñez singled to drive in both runs in the second, while in the fifth Kyle Manzardo tripled for an RBI and came home on Johnathan Rodriguez’s sacrifice fly.

The Clippers’ relief corps, including usual starter Joey Cantillo, held Louisville to just one more run in the contest. The Columbus offense failed to muster any more scores and the final was 6-4, another second-game road loss.

The Clippers and Bats conclude their series on Sunday at Louisville Slugger Field with the first pitch scheduled for 6:05 p.m. The Clips won’t have another chance for a second-game win until Wednesday, August 7th at St. Paul.