Offense Paces Bulls Past Mud Hens

TOLEDO, OH - The Durham Bulls snapped a three-game losing streak Wednesday morning, beating the Toledo Mud Hens 5-3 at Fifth Third Field.

After the Mud Hens (19-25) scored the game's first run in the first inning, Durham tied the game in the fourth frame when Dayron Varona hit his fifth homer of the season.

In the fifth the Bulls (19-28) took the lead, as Nick Franklin doubled home Jaff Decker. Richie Shaffer then cracked a two-run homer to left field to put the visitors in front by three.

Toledo scored two in the bottom of the sixth, as Chad Huffman doubled home a pair to make it a one-run game. The Bulls countered with a run of their own in the ninth though, when Decker's double scored Cameron Seitzer.

Justin Marks (2-4) earned the win by tossing 5 1/3 innings of one-run ball, scattering seven hits and striking out three, while Dylan Floro earned his first save since 2012 by tossing a scoreless ninth inning. Drake Britton (0-2) suffered the loss for the home side, allowing three runs to score in one inning of relief.

Decker, Franklin, Varona and Daniel Robertson all finished with two hits for the Bulls in their 11-hit attack, with five of those hits going for extra bases.

The teams square off in the series rubber match Thursday at 10:35 a.m. LHP Blake Snell (2-3, 3.29) and LHP Matt Boyd (1-3, 2.06) toe the rubber for Durham and Toledo, respectively.