Chiefs Finish Season Sweep of Bulls

DURHAM, N.C. - The first-place Durham Bulls dropped their season-high seventh straight game Monday afternoon at the DBAP, as the Syracuse Chiefs finished a four-game sweep of the Bulls with a 7-4 win.

Syracuse swept the season-series between the sides, winning all eight games by a combined score of 64-24, marking the first time in the Charlie Montoyo era Durham was swept in a season series. The sweep also marked the first time the Bulls were swept at the DBAP since June of 2012 when they dropped four against Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

For the seventh time in the eight games between the two teams, the Chiefs (47-30) scored in one of the first two innings, taking a 1-0 lead in the second on two walks and two ground balls.

The Bulls (43-36) bounced back, however, scoring three runs in the third inning to take their first lead of the series. In fact, a scoreless first inning was only the second time in the series that an inning ended with the score tied.

Cole Figueroa singled in two runs in the third to put the Bulls on top. When Mike Fontenot singled in Figueroa later in the inning, it gave the Bulls their first two-run lead in eight days since a June 15 win at Louisville.

Starter Mike Montgomery departed after five innings and just 77 pitches, allowing just one run on two hits. The Chiefs rallied against reliever Josh Lueke, however, as the first three Syracuse batters reached in the sixth, and Brandon Laird's two run double tied the score.

Brandon Gomes (0-1) took the loss, allowing four runs in just 2/3 of an inning, while Jake Thompson gave up a bases loaded single to the first batter he faced later in the inning in relief of Gomes.

Figueroa and Fontenot each finished with two hits, tallying half of the team's eight on the day.

The Bulls welcome the Indianapolis Indians to the DBAP for four games beginning Tuesday at 7:05 p.m.. LHP Enny Romero (3-7, 5.35) starts for the Bulls against RHP Nick Kingham (1-0, 0.64) for the Indians.