Bullpen, Betemit Propel Bulls Past RailRiders

MOOSIC, PA - Behind five different pitchers the Durham Bulls earned a 2-1 victory in the final game of their four-game set with the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders Monday afternoon at PNC Field.

After Enny Romero was scratched from his start before the contest, the Durham bullpen combined to limit Scranton/WB to just one run on seven hits to split the series at two games apiece, and finish the road trip 2-6.

The Bulls (22-17) struck first, as Wilson Betemit led off the fourth inning with his eighth homer of the season over the right field wall. In the fifth Durham doubled its lead, as Cole Figueroa doubled and later scored on an RBI single to right field off the bat of Betemit.

The RailRiders (19-17) struck back with a run in the bottom of the fifth inning on an RBI single by Scott Sizemore to cut the lead to 2-1. Then in the sixth the home side looked poised to take the lead, putting runners on second and third with nobody out before Jake Thompson settled down to strike out the side without allowing a run to score.

Thompson (1-0) earned his first career Triple-A victory, tossing two innings and surrendering two hits while striking out three, and Kirby Yates saved his 10th game in as many chances, retiring all four hitters he faced. Brian Gordon (2-3) took the loss for the RailRiders, allowing two runs on seven hits in six innings of work.

The Bulls return home for an eight-game homestand on Tuesday, beginning with the first of four games against the Charlotte Knights. LHP Mike Montgomery (3-1, 4.54) will start for Durham opposite RHP Felipe Paulino (0-1, 14.40) for Charlotte who is on MLB rehab. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.