WRAL Sports Fan

Bulls

Bulls four HRs not enough; fall to Gwinnett 11-9

Jul 8, 2012

Lawrenceville, Ga. — A five-run Gwinnett first inning was enough to neutralize four Durham homers as the Braves won the rubber game of the series on Sunday afternoon 11-7.

Reid Brignac, Chris Gimenez, Henry Wrigley and Rich Thompson all homered against Braves top prospect Julio Teheran (W, 6-5), but the Bulls (43-49) couldn't surmount the early 5-0 deficit.

Brignac's three-run shot came in the second to draw the Bulls to within 5-3. After Lance Pendleton permitted three more runs in the third, the Bulls hit three homers against Teheran in the fifth. Thompson hit his first of the season to start the inning, followed two outs later by Wrigley's organizational-leading 16th to left field. After a double by Brandon Allen, Gimenez homered to left center to make it an 8-7 Braves lead.

However, Gwinnett (43-49) scored twice in the sixth against Romulo Sanchez on a homer by Tyler Pastornicky, and added another run in the seventh against Ryan Reid.

In the ninth, Gimenez drooped a two-run single with two outs against former Bull Adam Russell, but Russel fanned Brignac as the tying run to end the 11-9 contest.

Gimenez went 4-4 with four RBI to lead the Bulls, while Wrigley delivered his sixth three-hit game in his last 10 starts.

The Bulls enter their three-day hiatus for the International League All-Star Break, and resume action at first-place Charlotte on Thursday night. Jim Paduch (4-6, 5.18) is slated to start the opener of the four-game series with the Knights.