Early runs lead to fourth straight loss Friday

DURHAM, N.C. – The stage was set for Domonic Brown to help provide a fairytale finish to his first game in a Lehigh Valley uniform.

However, the 2010 season has become more of a horror show for the IronPigs.

Batting as the potential tying run in the top of the ninth inning, the much-heralded outfielder, promoted from Double-A Reading earlier in the day, went down swinging Friday night to end a 2-1 loss at Durham, the IronPigs' fourth straight since opening their eight-game southern road trip with a win in Norfolk.

The setback also sent the IronPigs to a season-low 16 games under .500 at 29-45 and dropped their one-run record to a mind-boggling 7-22.

Brown had a line-drive single in his first Triple-A at-bat in the second inning off Jeremy Hellickson (10-2) but went hitless in his last three at-bats as the IronPigs were held to only four hits.

Another newcomer, Greg Dobbs, went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts.

Lehigh Valley had two runners on with nobody out in the second when Brown followed a Cody Ransom single with his hit. But after both runners advanced on a groundout by Melvin Dorta, Hellickson struck out Paul Hoover and got Brian Bocock on a flyout to end the threat.

Dorta's leadoff double led to an unearned run in the fourth when Willy Taveras' ground ball went between the legs of Durham third baseman Joe Dillon, allowing Paul Hoover to score from second and leaving two runners on base. However, Hellickson, who allowed all four hits and just the one unearned run in six innings to lower his ERA to 2.19, struck out Dobbs and John Mayberry Jr. for two of his second strikeouts to end that threat.

Former IronPig R.J. Swindle pitched two scoreless innings behind Hellickson before Winston Abreu got the final three outs for his seventh save.

Durham (44-30) scored the only runs it would need in the first inning against Nate Bump (6-4), who moved up a day after the Phillies recalled scheduled starter Nelson Figueora. The Bulls opened their half of the inning with four straight singles off the right-hander, including RBI singles by Justin Ruggiano and Dan Johnson, and it took a rare 5-4-2 double play, with Dorta throwing home to cut down Ruggiano after getting a force out at second, for Bump to escape further damage.

Bump, who was originally scheduled to get an extra day's rest after being knocked out of his last start by a line drive, allowed just two other baserunners on singles over the rest of his seven innings.

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