In their first game home after returning from a seven game road trip, the Columbus Clippers (6-7) got outstanding pitching from right-handed starter Jarrett Grube (1-0) Toru Murata, and Tommy Hunter en route to a 2-0 win in front of 4,825 in attendance at Huntington Park on Thursday night.
Grube pitched four and 1/3 innings, giving up two hits and striking out five batters. Murata tossed three and 2/3, giving up just three hits and Hunter closed out the ninth.
Toledo southpaw Josh Turley (1-1) went seven innings, walking a pair and punching out three Clippers on strikes.
In the bottom of the first inning, Clippers third baseman Michael Martinez took the first pitch he saw from Turley and drove it down the left field line past a diving Casey McGehee at third base. Martinez would move to third on a passed ball and shortstop Erik Gonzalez brought him home on a groundout to short.
That would prove to be the difference as catcher Adam Moore’s solo home run in the seventh added insurance. Moore was 1-for-24 on the season at the dish heading into the at bat.
Right-hander Tommy Hunter came on in the ninth and collected his first save of the season.
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