Marcus Johnson Makes Bulls Debut in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 9, 2026
Email: [email protected]

Moosic, PA --- Ali Sanchez swatted a game-winning home run with two outs in the last of the ninth to lift Scranton/Wilkes-Barre past the Durham Bulls 5-4 on a frigid Thursday night at PNC Field.

The Bulls (2-9) had tied the game in the top of the ninth thanks to a Jacob Melton groundball that scored Carson Williams from third base. Williams had walked against reliever Yovanny Cruz (W, 3-0), then advanced to third on a two-base throwing error on a pickoff attempt. After Dom Keegan bounced out against a drawn-in infield, Melton hit a 2-2 pitch to second baseman Jonathan Ornelas, whose throw home was late in an attempt to cut down Williams.

But in the bottom of the ninth, Bulls reliever Chris Clark (L, 0-1), who had already thrown two scoreless innings on 35 pitches, came back out to strike out the first two batters before serving up the home run over the left field wall by Sanchez.

The RailRiders (8-3) took a 2-0 lead in the first inning against Marcus Johnson, who was making his Triple-A debut. Johnson saw the first three reach, but escaped major damage as the RailRiders used a pair of ground balls to bring home runs.

Brendan Beck retired the first 11 Bulls before Durham finally broke through in the fifth. Melton doubled to center, then took third on a single to right by Blake Sabol. After a foul out, Cooper Bowman walked on a 3-2 pitch with Sabol running. Sanchez made the throw to second base, which allowed Melton to break for the plate and score. Victor Mesa then doubled in a pair to put Durham ahead 3-2.

Scranton scored twice against Andrew Wantz in the sixth to nose back ahead.

The RailRiders lead the series 2-0 with four to play. Two of the remaining games will be Friday at 4:35 PM ET in a doubleheader to make up Tuesday's postponement.

Brody Hopkins is slated to start the first game for Durham, with a bullpen game following.

Notes: Marcus Johnson, a three-year pitcher and one-year captain for the Duke Blue Devils, made his Triple-A debut for the Bulls. Johnson worked 4 1/3 innings, permitting two runs on six hits, three walks and three strikeouts. Johnson's lone appearance this season came last Friday at Pensacola, pitching for one inning in relief for the Montgomery Biscuits. Johnson threw 82 pitches tonight... Melton swiped two bases on Thursday night and leads all of professional baseball with nine steals. Melton has yet to be thrown out... The loss dropped the Bulls to 2-9, the worst record in Triple-A.... Former Durham relievers from 2025 - Garrett Acton and Eric Orze each factored in the decision for the Minnesota Twins on Thursday. Acton notched his first major league win, earning the victory in a 3-1 decision over the Detroit Tigers. Orze collected his first save as a Twin, and the fourth of his career... Former Bulls reliever Duncan Davitt, who spent last July in the Durham bullpen before being traded to the Chicago White Sox in the Adrian Houser deal, was recalled by the White Sox earlier Thursday. It is Davitt's first major league call-up.

About Capitol Broadcasting Company

Capitol Broadcasting Company, Inc. is a diversified communications company which owns and/or operates WRAL-TV, WRAZ-TV, WRAL-FM, WRAL-HD2, WNGT-CD, WCMC-FM, WCMC-HD1, WDNC-AM, WCMC-HD2, WCMC-HD3, WCLY-AM, WCMC-HD4, Microspace, and WRAL Digital in Raleigh, NC; WILM-TV, WILT-LD and Sunrise Broadcasting in Wilmington, NC; The Durham Bulls Baseball Club, Bull City Hospitality, and Coastal Plain League in Durham, NC; The Holly Springs Salamanders in Holly Springs, NC; The Zebulon Devil Dogz in Zebulon, NC; the American Underground startup hub in Durham, NC; and real estate interests including the American Tobacco Historic District in Durham, NC; Rocky Mount Mills in Rocky Mount, NC; MoJud Lofts in Greensboro, NC; and The Thread in Rock Hill, SC.