Durham Downs Charlotte for Second Straight Win

DURHAM, NC - The Durham Bulls won their second straight game Tuesday morning with a 4-2 victory over the Charlotte Knights at the DBAP. The back-to-back victories marked the first time in 2015 the Bulls captured consecutive wins.

Durham (6-7) struck for the game's first run, when Eugenio Velez crushed a two-out, solo homer over the right field wall in the third, his first dinger of the season. Charlotte struck back in the top of the fourth inning though, when Dan Black led off the frame with a solo home run of his own.

In the bottom of the fourth the Bulls took the lead for good, striking for a pair of runs. Mikie Mahtook led off with a walk, and Joey Butler followed with a triple to right field to put Durham ahead. Two batters later JP Arencibia hit a sacrifice fly to center field, scoring Butler and increasing the lead to 3-1.

Charlotte (7-5) got a run back in the sixth though, when Leury Garcia singled to lead off the frame, and scored two batters later on a double from Jeremy Dowdy. In the eighth the Bulls added an insurance run, as Arencibia struck again with an RBI single to left field, scoring Butler.

Southpaw Jim Patterson (1-1) earned the win in relief by allowing one run in 2 2/3 innings, in relief of RHP Alex Colome, who made his first rehab start with the Bulls. Kirby Yates, Bryce Stowell and Jim Miller combined to blank the Knights through the final three innings to preserve the victory. Chris Beck (0-1) suffered the loss, allowing three runs on four hits over six innings.

The four-game set continues Wednesday when the Bulls send RHP Matt Buschmann (1-1, 2.84) to the hill opposite RHP Scott Carroll (1-1, 3.00) for the Knights. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.