[Via email from the Durham Bulls' broadcaster Neil Solondz.]Rhyne Hughes hit a sixth inning homer on Monday, but it was the only for Durham in a 3-1 loss at Indianapolis.
Hughes homered to right center, his sixth for the Bulls off Daniel McCutchen (9-5), who went the first six innings. While it was the only run for Durham, the Bulls had numerous scoring opportunities.
Durham went 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position, and was only retired in order in one inning. That was the ninth inning, when Chris Bootcheck picked up his 15th save.
Indianapolis got all it would need in the fourth when Lastings Milledge walked against Carlos Hernandez (5-6) and Steven Pearce his a longer homer to left, his 13th, on a 3-1 pitch. Hernandez, who is limited to five innings or 75 pitches in the second half of the season, went 3.2 innings, allowing two runs on two hits, and walked two.
Calvin Medlock did a terrific job relieving Hernandez. Medlock's only blemish in 3.1 innings was a Brian Bixler solo homer to left, his fourth. Joe Bateman followed with a scoreless eighth. Durham was shorthanded in the pen because of a 16-inning game on Saturday and a 13-inning contest on Sunday that saw the pen work nearly 17 innings over two days.
Durham (53-42) remains 1.5 games behind Norfolk in the South Division. The Tides fell 7-6 at Gwinnett. Durham's last seven losses have been by one or two runs.
Jason Cromer (3-2 1.78) will try and get the Bulls on track on Tuesday against Ian Snell (2-1 0.34). Coverage on 99.9 the Fan ESPN Radio begins at 6:55, with first pitch at 7 p.m.
Why is Hernandez limited to such a low pitch count for the 2nd half?
ReplyDeleteI imagine it has to do with the fact that he hasn't pitched this many innings since 2004.
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