BULLS CLAIM RUBBER MATCH

Bulls Claim Rubber Match

Diaz Drives in Three, RailRiders Post Winning Road Trip

Durham, N.C. – The SWB RailRiders (Triple-A/New York Yankees) never knew a lead as the Durham Bulls (Tampa Bay Rays) took their rubber match on Wednesday afternoon, 4-3. The RailRiders (30-23) went 3-2 on their rain-shortened road trip while the Bulls (22-32) won a series for the first time since taking two of three from last-place Norfolk May 6-8. All three of those Norfolk games required extra innings. The Bulls had lost six straight sets.

Jaff Decker’s two-out single scored Nick Franklin for a 1-0 Durham lead in the opening inning. Jonathan Diaz tied it with a bases-loaded walk in the second before a picket fence gave the Bulls the lead for good.

Johnny Field’s two-out single drove Jake Goebbert home for a 2-1 edge in the fifth. An inning later, Decker connected on a sac fly to plate Franklin for a 3-1 margin. J.P. Arencibia greeted reliever Mark Montgomery with a leadoff homer in the seventh to make it 4-1.

SWB made it interesting with four straight hits off closer Dylan Floro in the ninth, the last of which was a two-run Diaz single drilled of the glove of third baseman Juniel Querecuto.  However, Floro rebounded by retiring Ben Gamel on a fly to left and Aaron Judge on a swinging strikeout to record his fourth save.

The RailRiders’ Chad Green (4-4) took the loss despite a sixth straight quality start. He had won each of his prior four nods. Durham starter Jaime Schultz (4-2) earned the win, overcoming a season-high five walks.

The RailRiders return home for an eight-game homestand on Thursday, June 2. It starts with the first of four against the Columbus Clippers (Cleveland Indians) at 6:35 p.m. The Thirsty Thursday presented by Budweiser features $1 Bud Lights and Pepsi products. For tickets or more information, please call 570-969-BALL (2255) or visit swbrailriders.com.

OFF THE RAILS:

Kyle Higashioka went 2-for-4 with a pair of runs scored.  The RailRiders lost for the first time with Higashioka behind the plate. Each of his first three starts with SWB this season had been shutout victories.

Jonathan Diaz drove in three runs and went 1-for-3 with a walk. He played his college baseball at N.C. State, just a 30-minute drive from the Bulls’ stadium.

Durham’s Jaff Decker had one RBI over a dozen games entering the series. He drove in three scores in two games played on the set and snapped an 0-for-15 slide with his run-scoring single on Wednesday.