STAFF REPORTS
The Durham Bulls scored four runs in the eighth inning, for a 6-5 comeback win over the Rochester Red Wings Wednesday night at Frontier Field. The teams meet in an 11:05 a.m. weekday matinee on Thursday.
In the bottom of the second, Mitch Garver gave the Wings an early 1-0 advantage by belting a home run off Bulls starter Ryan Yarbrough. It was Garver’s third homer of the season.
Rochester right-hander Aaron Slegers got the start for the Wings. Slegers struck out the side to begin the game and then rolled through the second inning retiring all three batters on just four pitches
The Bulls took the lead in the top half of the third. Mike Marjama and Michael McKenry hit back-to-back doubles to tie the game 1-1. Ryan Brett and Mallex Smith then followed with back-to-back singles. Smith’s hit scored McKenry to give the Bulls a 2-1 lead. Slegers was able to limit the damage by getting the next three outs.
After giving up two runs in the third, Slegers settled down and retire the next ten batters he faced.
Zack Granite extended his hit streak to 12 games by legging out a softly hit ball back to Yarbrough, whose throwing allowing Granite to speed into third base. Matt Hague doubled down the left field line, scoring Granite to tie the game 2-2. Niko Goodrum followed with a double which scored Hague giving the Wings the lead. Garver kept the inning going with an RBI double scoring Goodrum to make the score 4-2.
Slegers worked into the seventh inning, and allowed a single before being relieved by Alan Busenitz. Three outs later, Busenitz had escaped the jam.
Slegers worked 6.0 innings and allowed six hits and two earned runs without a walk. Slegers threw 91 pitches, 65 for strikes.
Yarbrough also worked 6.0 innings with seven hits and four earned runs allowed. He walked, two, struck out three, and threw 96 pitches – 59 for strikes.
In the bottom of the seventh, a sacrifice fly from Goodrum brought in Engelb Vielma for a 5-2 Wings lead.
Buddy Boshers took over for Busenitz with two out and a runner at first base, and a double by Jake Bauers brought in a run to make the score 5-3. Drew Rucinski replaced Boshers, with league leading hitter Patrick Leonard due up. Leonard drilled a single for his first hit of the game, plating a run and pulling the Bulls within a run at 5-4. When Shane Peterson followed with a two-run homer, the Bulls had pulled ahead 6-5.
The Wings had a great scoring opportunity in their half of the eighth, when they put runners at first and third with none out. But a leaping catch by Leonard took away what would have been a game-tying single by Tommy Field, then Leonard started a double play to keep the lead heading to the ninth inning.
Alex Wimmers worked a scoreless ninth inning for the Wings,
The Red Wings out-hit the Bulls 11-10.
