Brujan, Bulls Complete Comeback Against Gwinnett

DURHAM, NC – Bulls second baseman Vidal Brujan smashed two hits, including a go-ahead two-run homer, and drove in three runs, designated hitter Alex Jackson crushed a home run, and shortstop Carson Williams scored two runs in his Triple-A debut as Durham defeated the Gwinnett Stripers 8-4 on Tuesday night at Durham Bulls Athletic Park.

After the Stripers jumped ahead with a two-run fourth and an additional tally in the fifth, the Bulls answered back with a three-spot in the fifth. Brujan bashed a ground-rule RBI double to right, while Williams came plateward on a wild pitch, before C Francisco Mejia brought Brujan across by ripping a game-tying RBI single to right.

Two frames later, Brujan blasted his two-run shot over the Snorting Bull sign in left field to push Durham ahead for good. Gwinnett would make it a one-run game with a single tally in the eighth, though the Bulls countered again with a three-run eighth courtesy of Jackson’s opposite-field big fly to right, followed by 3B Tristan Gray’s RBI single and RF Ruben Cardenas’ run-scoring double.

Brujan (2-4, 2 R, 1 2B, 1 HR, 3 RBI) was the lone Durham batter to record a multi-hit effort in the victory, while Stripers DH Jesus Aguilar (4-4, 2 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI) posted a game-high four knocks. Jackson, meanwhile, has homered four times in his ten games since joining the Bulls, while 1B Austin Shenton singled in his first at-bat in the opening frame to extend his on-base streak to a team-best 26 games. Williams, rated the 19th-overall prospect and second-best Rays prospect by MLB.com, joined Durham from High-A Bowling Green earlier in the day on Tuesday.

Tampa Bay Rays right-hander Andrew Kittredge (1.2 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 SO) earned the victory as part of his Major League Rehab Assignment with Durham, while reliever Javy Guerra (1.1 IP, 1 H, 2 SO) notched the save. Gwinnett righty Dylan Lee (1.1 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 1 SO), meanwhile, suffered the loss.

The two teams are set to continue their six-game series on Wednesday evening, with the first pitch scheduled for 6:35 pm. RHP Taj Bradley is anticipated to get the nod for the Bulls and is slated to be opposed by LHP Jared Shuster.