The Lehigh Valley IronPigs (45-33) dropped the series opener to the Columbus Clippers (41-37) by a score of 5-3 on Monday night at Coca-Cola Park.

The Clippers took a 1-0 lead with a run in the first when Abraham Almonte led off with an infield single, advanced to third on a single and scored on Jesus Aguilar's sac fly.

Darin Ruf's (2-3, HR, RBI, R) solo shot off of Columbus starter Ross Detwiler tied things at one apiece in the home half of the second for the IronPigs. The home run was Ruf's ninth of the season.

Michael Choice's two-run shot off of Pigs starter Ben Lively opened up a 3-1 lead for Columbus in the top of the fourth.

In the top of the fifth, Aguilar came through with a two-run single to extend the lead for the visitors to 5-1.

Lively (3-1) allowed the five runs on seven hits while walking one and fanning four over six innings of work.

The Pigs cut the lead to 5-3 with Emmanuel Burriss' (2-5, 2 RBI) two-run single in the bottom of the seventh.

Detwiler (2-4) gave up three runs on five hits to go along with three walks and seven strikeouts in 7.1 IP. RHP Shawn Armstrong (1.0 IP, BB, K) tossed a scoreless ninth to pick up his fourth save of the year.

RHP Dalier Hinojosa (1.0 IP, H, BB, K), RHP Colton Murray (1.0 IP, K) and RHP Michael Mariot (1.0 IP, K) all had a scoreless outing in relief for manager Dave Brundage's squad.

The series continues on Tuesday at 7:05 p.m. as LHP James Russell (2-3, 5.01) will be on the bump for the IronPigs against Clippers RHP Adam Plutko (1-1, 3.09).