The Columbus Clippers played a rare Monday tilt as they kicked off their six-game series in Toledo on Memorial Day. The Clips took a 2-1 lead to the bottom of the ninth inning, but reliever Tanner Burns gave up three walks, a hit batter, and a single to allow the Mud Hens to walk off with the win. Here are our three takeaways from Monday’s contest:

1.    It was a frustrating end to a pitchers’ duel that saw the Columbus staff allow only two hits and one run through the first eight innings. Clippers’ starter Rorik Maltrud went six quality innings as he tried to improve his record to 2-0 in his tenth start of the season. Daniel Espino and Steven Pérez each added a hitless, scoreless inning of relief. Fans were treated to only three extra base hits on the day – two doubles for Columbus and a home run for Toledo.

2.   Three Clippers accounted for six of the team’s seven hits Monday. Ralphy Velazquez, Kody Huff, and Milan Tolentino each had two hits, with Velazquez and Huff each recording a single and a double. Coincidentally, both Velazquez (.353) and Huff (.309) are hitting over .300 on the season. The other .300+ player in the lineup, Cooper Ingle (.337), was 0-for-3, but knocked in one of Columbus’s two runs with a sacrifice fly in the top of the ninth inning.

3.   Tolentino hit a grand slam Saturday against Louisville before adding a multi-hit game Monday. However, he has had a tough stretch of games lately. Since being named the IL’s Batter of the Week for April 14 through 19 vs. Iowa (10-for-20, four home runs, and 10 RBIs), he was hitting just .173 coming into the Memorial Day contest with one home run and 12 RBIs in 23 games played. In his 27 plate appearances through Saturday’s doubleheader, he had struck out 16 times.