DURHAM, N.C. — Casey Gillaspie hit a two-run homer in a six-run second inning, leading the Durham Bulls to a 6-4 win Saturday against the Toledo Mud Hens.
After a 55-minute rain delay before the game, Durham scored all of their runs in the second, when the first six Bulls to bat all reached base.
The inning began with a fielding error by Mud Hens third baseman Michael Almanzar, and Casey Gillaspie immediately followed with a two-run home run to right field to put the Bulls up 2-0.
Durham didn’t stop there. Two walks and a single loaded the bases for Johnny Field, who singled home another run. Kean Wong’s grounder finally provided the first out of the inning, but it did score another run, making it 4-0.
With two outs in the second, Jake Bauers hit a two-run single that extended Durham’s lead to 6-0 and knocked Toledo starter Myles Jaye from the game.
Jaye allowed six runs — three earned — on four hits in 1⅔ innings. He struck out one and walked three.
Toledo scored its first run of the game in the fourth inning, cutting the lead to 6-1, when John Hicks hit an inside-the-park home run on a fly ball to center field.
Jason Krizan followed that with a double, but then the rain came again, forcing a brief delay. Once play resumed, Tyler Collins singled to right to drive in Krizan and cut the lead to 6-2.
The Mud Hens then tried to rally in the ninth. Brendan Ryan doubled to lead off the inning, and JaCoby Jones followed with his eighth home run of the season, this one to left field, that cut the gap to 6-4. However, Ryan Garton got out of the jam by sandwiching two strikeouts around a ground out.
The series concludes at 5:05 p.m. Sunday.
First Published July 9, 2017, 4:03 a.m.