Rochester uses the long ball to rally past the Durham Bulls.
DURHAM, N.C. — An early lead was not enough for the Durham Bulls as a four-run eighth inning lifted the Rochester Red Wings to a series-opening 11-8 win on Tuesday night at the DBAP.
Durham fell behind 1-0 after Rochester took the lead on an RBI single by Kenneys Vargas in the top of the first.
The Bulls answered back with a five-run bottom of the first. Jason Coats homered to lead off for the home side, and Justin Williams later earned as bases-loaded walk for a 2-1 lead. Jeremy Hazelbaker then followed with a three-run double, scoring Jake Bauers, Curt Casali and Williams for a 5-1 advantage after an inning.
In the third, the Red Wings cut the Bulls’ lead to 5-4 with a three-run shot by Vargas, his sixth home run of the season.
Rochester moved back in front 6-5 on a two-run home run in the fourth by Taylor Featherston, and extended its lead to 7-5 in the top of the fifth on a Jake Cave lead-off solo-home run.
Following a leadoff double by Willy Adames in the fifth, back-to-back grounders scored Adames and the home team cut the deficit to one 7-6.
Durham tied the game 7-7 in the sixth on a solo home run by Andrew Velazquez, his fifth of the season.
A four-run eighth put the Red Wings in front for good, as RBI singles from Cave, Chris Carter, and Featherston capped an 11-8 comeback victory.
The Bulls (29-21) host the Red Wings (25-23) for the second of a three-game series Wednesday afternoon at 1:05 p.m. Chih-Wei Hu (0-2, 3.00) is scheduled to face Aaron Slegers (5-2, 3.27) at the DBAP.
*NOTES — In a roster move Tuesday, RHP Myles Jaye was traded to Cleveland for cash considerations…Rochester’s bullpen has pitched to a 2.19 ERA (43 ER, 177.0 IP) so far this season while surrendering 58 total runs on 146 hits and 59 walks with 227 strikeouts. The bullpen as a whole is averaging 11.54 strikeouts per nine innings. Five current relievers – Nick Anderson, Luke Bard, Alan Busenitz, John Curtiss and Tyler Duffey – all have earned run averages under 1.64…The Red Wings are second in the International League with a .864 winning percentage (19-3) when scoring first this season, trailing only Buffalo (.905, 19-2). Rochester had won 13 straight games when plating the game’s first run before falling last Monday after leading 1-0 in the 1st inning at Lehigh Valley.