Bulls Drop Game Four to the Jumbo Shrimp 6-4

DURHAM NC – The Durham Bulls (6-4) came up short to the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp (7-3) 6-4 on Friday night at Durham Bulls Athletic Park. It was a night of the long ball combining four total home runs between the two clubs to go along with 18 total hits. 

David Hess got the nod for the Bulls making his first start of the season. Before that, he made two appearances out of the bullpen posting a 1-0 record in three 2/3 innings and did not allow an earned run. Hess has pitched 114 games in the MLB, with the Baltimore Orioles going 35-32 with a 4.08 ERA.

He had an up and down night pitching four innings, allowing three hits, two earned runs and struck out five. His command was efficient, not giving up a single free pass, but the two runs came off homers, which would be the difference-maker. 

Jason Alexander took the mound for the Jumbo Shrimp, marking his first start of the season. Like Hess, he also made an appearance out of the bullpen, logging in three scoreless innings. He finished the night lasting just three 2/3 innings and was forced to leave the game due to injury. He allowed three hits, three runs (one earned), and struck out six batters. The bullpen for Jacksonville took care of business, surrendering just one run for the rest of the contest.

The Bulls took advantage of costly mistakes by Jacksonville’s in the bottom of the first inning to open up the scoring. MLB’s top prospect Wander Franco who had a multi-hit game recorded the first Bulls hit of the night with a single to right field. Franco would later score advancing off a passed ball, then a throwing error from first basemen Lewin Diaz to give the Bulls an early 1-0 advantage. 

The first of two homers off of Hess came in the third inning, with Jazz Chisolm Jr. sending a pitch over the right-field fence to even the score at one apiece. It was not long until the Bulls regained the lead as they rallied with two outs. Vidal Brujan remained red hot, sending a double to right field, and later scored from an error by Chisolm Jr.

The run exchange continued in the top half of the fourth with Jesus Sanchez of the Jumbo Shrimp, belting his fifth bomb of the year to even the score at 2-2. In the bottom of the fourth, the Bulls instantly gained back their lead thanks to a leadoff dinger from Taylor Walls. It was his first of the season, and he continues to swing a hot batting hitting an impressive .367. The 3-2 lead was the last time the Bulls were ahead for the rest of the evening.

The Jumbo Shrimp put up a three-spot versus Bulls reliever Tyler Zomrbo in the fifth credited to a Brian Navarrreto home run and a Chisolm Jr. RBI single. After the game mainly being back and forth, the Jumbo Shrimp held the lead despite exchanging runs in the bottom of the sixth and the top of the seventh to solidify a 6-4 victory. 

The Bulls have now dropped three out of their first four home games versus Jacksonville. They will attempt to even their six-game series as the two teams are set to face off on Saturday and Sunday.