Courtesy of the Rochester Red Wings
The Red Wings will be in an unfamiliar spot when they wake up on Tuesday morning: on the outside looking in on the International League playoff picture.
The Wings couldn’t carry any momentum from Sunday’s drubbing of Norfolk as they fell to the first-place Durham Bulls, 5-1, Monday night at Durham Bulls Athletic Park.
The loss combined with Pawtucket’s win in Syracuse has dropped the Wings into third-place in the IL North and a 0.5-game behind the Paw Sox in the Wild Card standings for the first time since May 30.
Sean Gilmartin (1-2) turned in his third consecutive quality start allowing four runs (three earned) on five hits and no walks over six-plus innings of work. The southpaw struck out a tied for a career-high nine over his 87-pitch outing but suffered his second loss of the season for the Wings.
The Red Wings (55-48) scattered their nine hits as they had at least one base runner in all nine innings and had at least one hit in each frame from the second inning on. However, a night after going 8-for-19 with runners in scoring position, the Wings went just 1-for-8 in those situations on Monday and left nine on base.
The Wings’ lone run came courtesy of Eric Farris who singled home Nate Hanson in the fifth inning to temporarily tie the game, 1-1.
Hanson collected multiple hits for the second straight night going 2-for-4 with a double and runs scored.
Durham regained the lead in the bottom of the fifth on an RBI groundout from Hak-Ju Lee before putting the game away in the seventh on run scoring doubles from Mike Fontenot and Lee.
Chris Rahl continued his torrid July for the Wings picking up two more hits Monday. In 13 games this month, Rahl is batting .383 (18-for-47).
The Wings have now dropped seven of their last eight road games and nine of their last 12 overall.
Game Two of the four-game series is set for Tuesday night from Durham. RHP Mark Hamburger (1-1, 3.86) will get the ball for the Wings with first pitch set for 7:05 p.m.
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