Leftfielder Jason Tyner cut down the potential game-tying run at home plate, as the the Durham Bulls squeaked by the Richmond Braves 2-1 Thursday night.
The Bulls (77-63) and Braves (73-65) managed to sneak a full nine innings of playoff-race baseball despite multiple rain-induced stoppages of play. After an opening 45-minute delay, Bulls starter Luis De Los Santos and Braves counterpart Doug Linton came out and pitched six scoreless innings apiece.
In the top of seventh, a steady drizzle began to fall, and in the bottom of the inning, it soon began raining Durham long balls.
Durham third baseman Russ Johnson, who singled in the fifth, took Linton's first pitch of the half inning and sent it sailing into the right field bleachers. Catcher Paul Hoover then took Linton the other way, smacking a ground rule double off the blue monster in left. Richmond right fielder Bo Porter tracked down Rocco Baldelli's ensuing blast to the corner, but Hoover advanced to third.
Linton, who just two innings before had struck out the side, was done. Raymond Beasley took the mound for the Braves, and Tyner, who doubled in the third, took him for a Texas Leaguer to left, which scored Hoover. Beasley then kept the Bulls' hits confined to the infield, but the two runs had already been scored and charged to Linton.
The players took the field for the eighth, but the drizzle which had been coming down throughout the inning intensified into a legitimate squall. The tarp was rolled out and the fans left, but the players remained in the locker room.
The game resumed an hour later, whereupon Tyner's game-saving throw enabled Durham to hang on to a one-run victory. Braves infielder A.J. Zapp boldly attempted to score from second on Porter's single to left, but Tyner's strong arm prevailed.
Down three games to the Bulls in the International League Southern Division with the loss. But as the rain continued to fall, the Braves were left with just the thinnest hopes of making the playoffs.
Richmond had its best chance at scoring in the fourth when Damon Hollins knocked a two-out double off the wall in center. Next, DH Tim Unroe battled back from 0-2 to draw a walk. The threat soon ended, however, as Richmond catcher Pee Wee Lopez grounded out to short to end the inning, stranding runners first and second.
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