Durham, N.C. - Curt Casali broke out of his slow start to the season with a three-run home run lifting the Durham Bulls (5-8) to a series-opening 8-2 win over the Lehigh Valley IronPigs (6-7) at Durham Bulls Athletic Park Friday night. Jason Coats led off the second inning with
Durham, N.C. - Curt Casali broke out of his slow start to the season with a three-run home run lifting the Durham Bulls (5-8) to a series-opening 8-2 win over the Lehigh Valley IronPigs (6-7) at Durham Bulls Athletic Park Friday night.
Jason Coats led off the second inning with a triple and scored on a ground out by Casali, putting the Bulls in front, 1-0. That Bulls advantage evaporated in the fourth when Lehigh Valley tallied two runs on four hits, featuring RBI singles from Mitch Walding and Nick Rickles putting the IronPigs on top, 2-1.
The Bulls grabbed the lead for good in the bottom of the third inning. Willy Adames walked to start the frame, and Coats drove his second hit on the night into right field putting two runners on for Casali. Casali worked into a 3-2 count and drilled the pitch from Cole Irvin (L, 0-1) over the Blue Monster in left for a three-run home run and moving the Bulls back in front 4-2
The IronPigs left seven runners on base and went 2 for 11 with runners in scoring position. Four of the Bulls eight hits came from two batters, Coats (3-4, RBI) and Casali (2-3, 4 RBI). Coats recorded his third multi-hit game of the season and Casali his first.
The Bulls added four runs in the eighth inning on an Adames double, a Joe McCarthy triple, a Coats RBI single, and a single from Justin Williams, extending their lead to 8-2 heading to the ninth.
Vidal Nuño III (W, 1-0) earned his first win of the season after tossing 5.0 innings, with five strikeouts, stranding two runners in the third and fourth innings. Jaime Schultz, Ryan Weber, and Ian Gibaut held the IronPigs scoreless over 4.0 innings out of the bullpen, with six strikeouts and three hits combined snapping the Bulls four-game losing skid.
Lehigh Valley has lost its last three games, matching its season-long losing streak from April 8-10 against Scranton W/B. The Bulls four-game skid marked its longest since last season when they dropped four straight to the Pawtucket Red Sox between May 26-29.
Tomorrow night the Durham Bulls send lefty Anthony Banda (2-1, 2.40) to the mound for the middle frame of this three-game series against Enyel De Los Santos (0-0, 2.25), with first pitch scheduled for 6:35 p.m.
