Moosic, PA --- Three Durham Bulls drove in two runs apiece, lifting the Bulls to a 9-4 win over Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and giving manager Charlie Montoyo his 500th career Bulls triumph.
The Bulls (29-19) raced to a 6-0 lead after four innings for winning pitcher Alex Colome (W, 4-5). Brandon Guyer and Wil Myers doubled home runs in the third inning for a 2-0 lead. In the fourth, the Bulls sent eight to the plate, with the first five reaching against starter Graham Stoneburner. By the time the dust settled, the Bulls had taken a 6-0 lead. Tim Beckham singled home a run for a 3-0 lead, while later Jason Bourgeois walked with the bases loaded. Two grounders scored the other two runs.
With tonight's road victory over Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, Charlie Montoyo earned his 500th career win as manager of the Durham Bulls. Now in his seventh season at the helm of Tampa Bay's Triple-A affiliate, Montoyo reached the milestone in his 908th game as Bulls manager which is 8 games faster than International League Hall of Fame skipper Bill Evers. Montoyo is 113 wins shy of Evers' Bulls franchise record of 613 career managerial victories.
Colome held the Rail Riders (21-25) scoreless until the fifth before allowing two unearned runs, but Scranton would not truly threaten the Bulls the rest of the way.
Juan Apodaca, who reached four times, stroked a two-run single in the seventh to bump the lead to 8-2, while Myers drove in his second run of the night on a long sacrifice fly in the eighth.
Colome worked five innings, allowing five hits, two walks and fanning two in winning his third straight start.
Apodaca, Myers and Guyer each drove in two runs apiece. Vince Belnome waited until his final at-bat, but extended his hitting streak to 14 games with an eighth inning single.
With five consecutive division crowns (2007-2011), a Governor's Cup and a Triple-A National Championship (2009) on his impressive Triple-A resume, the 47-year old owns a 500-408 (.551) record as Bulls manager. Overall, Montoyo's career Minor League managerial record stands at 1126-1042 (.519) over 17 seasons. He's been named the International League Manager of the Year (2010) and Baseball America Minor League Manager of the Year (2009). 2012 was the first season in which a Montoyo-led Bulls squad failed to make the playoffs.
The Bulls (29-19), who matched their season-high 10-games over .500, continue their road trip on Saturday night at 7:05 PM ET with JD Martin (5-2, 3.48) pursuing his International League-leading sixth win against Caleb Cotham (0-2, 9.00).
