While Milli Vanilli once famously blamed it on the rain, perhaps the Trenton Thunder can blame their two-hit, four-error Opening Day performance on the cold.

With the first pitch temperature at 38 degrees, and less than half of the announced crowd of 5,830 actually at Waterfront Park, 2006 Florida State League Pitcher of the Year Chase Wright made his Double-A debut for Trenton.

Wright was efficient and effective, needing just 76 pitches to strike out nine Bowie Baysox batters in seven innings of work, allowing just two hits along the way.

"It took me an inning or so to settle in with the weather the way it was," Wright said. "I was nervous out there at the start, but after that I think I settled down well."

First-year Thunder pitching coach Scott Aldred found himself marveling at what Wright was able to accomplish.

"I'd say if he can do that about 25 more times, he'll be all set," Aldred joked.

But Baysox starter Beau Hale, himself a former first round draft pick of the Orioles, was also up to the task, holding Thunder batters to one hit through six innings of work.

"I'm not used to this cold weather," said Hale, a Texas native. "But once I got loose and got in the game, it was just a matter of throwing strikes and hitting your spots."

With the game scoreless through seven innings, the game would come down to the bullpens. New Brunswick's Val Majewski scored the game's only run in the ninth off of Thunder reliever Gerardo Casadiego when right fielder Matt Carson couldn't cleanly field a ball hit by Nolan Reimold.

Baysox closer Jim Hoey returned to the stadium where he'd routinely win at the "Speed Pitch" stand on the concourse as a youngster, and got an eventful save in front of his hometown fans.

With two runners on in the bottom of the ninth, Thunder infielder Ramiro Pena had unsuccessfully tried to bunt the previous two pitches. When he stepped out of the batters box to check the signs with manager Tony Franklin, the home plate umpire immediately signaled a third strike, citing a recently added rule that states a batter can't step out of the batter's box on a bunt attempt.

"Something like that really, really hurts at that point in the game," Franklin said. "(The umpire) said he stepped out of the box, and he did. And for that reason, I can't fault him. But what hurts is that it happened to us in such a critical point in the game."

Thunder fans can only hope that the 1-0 loss wasn't an indication of things to come. If it is, it's going to be a long, long season.

Thunder Notes: Trenton hasn't won a home opener since 2003, when they beat Portland, 4-1. The 2007 edition of the Thunder did win their next two games however, including a 6-4 victory on Friday.

That night, all eyes were on Kevin Whelan, who at number eight, is the best prospect the Thunder have according to Baseball America. Pitching in temperatures colder than Opening Night, Whelan was on fire, striking out five batters in two innings of work to collect his first Double-A save.

"I felt good tonight, even in this weather," Whelan said. "But once you get warm and get your adrenaline going, you don't even feel it out there. I was pleased with tonight."