Bulls Blanked by Mud Hens, Drop Fourth Straight

DURHAM, N.C. - The first-place Durham Bulls fell to the Toledo Mud Hens 5-0 at the DBAP Saturday night, dropping their fourth straight game.

The Bulls lost 2-of-3 to the visiting Rochester Red Wings to kick off the homestand, and have now dropped the first two games of the four-game series with the Mud Hens.

Durham (56-50) managed just five hits against Toledo starter Mike Belfiore, and was shut out for the second time in four games. Belfiore (3-5) earned the win by tossing seven innings of five-hit ball, striking out three and walking just one.

Toledo opened the scoring in the fifth when Tyler Collins singled and advanced on a balk by Bulls starter Enny Romero. Collins then scored on a Jordan Lennerton double to give Toledo a 1-0 lead.

Then in the seventh Mike Hessman, who was scheduled to appear in last week's All Star Game and Home Run Derby at the DBAP but was a late scratch, joined the home run party 12 days late with a homer over the Blue Monster. James McCann followed with a double and later scored on Collins' RBI single to give the Hens (54-55) a 3-0 cushion. McCann would strike again in the eighth, adding a two-run double to deep left-center to close the scoring for the visitors.

Southpaw Enny Romero (4-11) took the loss, allowing three runs on nine hits in six innings. Jeremy Moore finished 1-for-3, extending his on-base streak to 16 games.

The Bulls and Mud Hens meet again on Sunday at 5:05 p.m. RHP Matt Andriese (11-5, 3.30) starts for the Bulls against LHP Kyle Lobstein (7-10, 3.98) for the Mud Hens, as Durham looks to snap its four-game skid.