Bulls Suffer Shutout Loss to Open Homestand

The Durham Bulls dropped the first game of an eight-game homestand, losing to Syracuse 5-0, Monday night at the DBAP. It was Durham's first shutout loss of the season.

After heavy rain all day and more showers threatening, long reliever Jim Paduch (1-2, 7.71) made a spot start in place of Chris Archer. Paduch retired the Chiefs in order in the first, giving Durham pitchers 11.2 consecutive hitless innings.

Paduch ran into trouble in the second inning, walking Chris Marrero and allowing a single to Micah Owings. Shortstop Zach Walters then crushed a 2-0 pitch over the right field wall for a 3-run home run. It was Walters' seventh homer on the year and the fifth allowed by Paduch.

The three runs were all Syracuse needed, but the Chiefs added two more in the third, with help from some shaky Bulls fielding. Right fielder Wil Myers misplayed a Jeff Kobernus single, allowing Eury Perez to score from second. 

Later in the inning, former Bull Will Rhymes nearly ran Syracuse out of the inning. He didn't tag at second base on a fly out to left fielder Rich Thompson and would have been doubled off to end the inning, but Thompson's throw was wild, allowing Kobernus to score from third.

Meanwhile, Bulls batters had trouble getting anything started against Syracuse starter and winning pitcher Yunesky Maya (1-3, 5.89). Maya allowed 6 hits in 7.2 innings, easily his strongest outing of the year. Durham scored five runs in 5.2 innings against Maya in his last start on their way to a 7-1 win in Syracuse. Maya got his revenge Monday, striking out 9 Bulls batters.

Shelley Duncan made his Durham Bulls debut, after clearing waivers and being assigned to the team earlier in the day. He batted fifth and went 0-for-4 as designated hitter.

Norfolk won in Buffalo, bumping the Bulls from first place in the IL South for just the fourth day this season. Syracuse and Durham will play the second game of their four-game series at the DBAP Tuesday night at 7:05.