Durham Bulls claim road series from Gwinnett with 5-3 victory
The Durham Bulls took the rubber match of a three-game set with the Gwinnett Braves, 5-3 Wednesday night at Coolray Field.
The Braves struck for a runs in the first and second innings to take a 2-0 lead. The Bulls (8-6) plated three unearned runs in the third. Daniel Robertson scored on a throwing error, and Dayron Varona knocked a two-run double for to give Durham the lead for good.
Richie Shaffer padded the advantage with a double to score Robertson, who had doubled to lead off the Durham fifth inning. Nick Franklin then hit a sacrifice fly, scoring Taylor Motter to extend the lead to 5-2.
Gwinnett (10-4) got an unearned run in the eighth to cut the Durham lead to 5-3, but Tyler Sturdevant picked up his second save of the season with a 1-2-3 ninth inning.
Right-hander Austin Pruitt (2-0) picked up the win, going six innings and allowing two runs on six hits. He struck out five and walked one to earn his second straight victory, and Pruitt now has struck out 27 batters through three starts and walked just one. Gwinnett right-hander Tyrell Jenkins (1-1) gave up five runs (two earned) on eight hits over six innings for Gwinnett.
The Bulls finished with 11 hits, with Jaff Decker going 3-for-5 evening. Varona went 2-for-4 with two RBIs and Robertson added a pair of hits.
Durham's 10-game road trip will continue with a 6:35 p.m. game Thursday in the opener of a three-game series at Harbor Park against the Norfolk Tides. Left-hander Adam Wilk (0-1, 4.22 ERA) is scheduled to start for the Bulls against right-hander Terry Doyle (0-1, 6.35).
Wednesday’s box score
Durham Bulls | ab | r | h | bi |
Decker, CF | 5 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
Robertson, SS | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
Motter, 2B | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
Shaffer, 1B | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Franklin, DH | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Varona, RF | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
Goebbert, LF | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Leonard, 3B | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Acosta, C | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Totals | 35 | 5 | 11 | 4 |
Gwinnett Braves | ab | r | h | bi |
Bonifacio, 2B | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
d’Arnaud, CF | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
Brignac, SS | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
Moore, 1B | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Tuiasosopo, LF | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Mustelier, DH | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
Ruiz, 3B | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
Snyder, RF | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Schiehuber, C Lalli, PH | 3 1 | 0 0 | 0 0 | 0 0 |
Totals | 34 | 3 | 7 | 2 |
Durham | 003 | 020 | 000 | — | 5 | 11 | 2 |
Gwinnett | 110 | 000 | 010 | — | 3 | 7 | 1 |
E — Motter, Robertson, Moore. DP–Durham: 1, Gwinnett: 1. LOB–Durham: 8, Gwinnett: 8. 2B–Varona, Robertson, Shaffer, Brignac, Mustelier, Ruiz. SF–Franklin, Moore. SB–Bonifacio, d’Arnaud. PO—Jenkins 2.
Durham IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | |
Pruitt (W, 2-0) | 6 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 5 |
Gamboa | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
Sturdevant (S, 2) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Gwinnett IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | |
Jenkins (L, 1-1) | 6 | 8 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
Krol | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Peterson | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
This story was originally published April 20, 2016 at 7:30 PM with the headline "Durham Bulls claim road series from Gwinnett with 5-3 victory."