Duffy Suffers First Loss Since Last July

Gives up two homers and five RBI to ex-Mustang

WINSTON-SALEM, NC -- Former Cal Poly Mustang Brent Morel entered Sunday’s Carolina League contest with the Winston-Salem Dash batting a weak 229. In nine games last year’s Big West Conference RBI leader had amassed a total of only two (2) RBI.

But in today’s contest against Kansas City’s Wilmington club Morel, the White Sox’ third round draft pick last year, blasted two home runs and plated five RBI, all of them against Lompoc’s DANNY DUFFY.

Nice for Morel whose family back in Bakersfield was cheering. Not so nice for Duffy who came in carrying a 2-0 record and a 2.30 ERA and who seemed a cinch to move up before season’s end.

Duffy gave up three home runs, two to Morel, and six earned runs total, five thanks to the former Mustang.

All that in just six innings. Suddenly Duff’s ERA is 4.35 and he puts his pants on one leg at a time just like everybody else.

He suffered his first defeat since July 3 last year, a span of 12 starts.

Duffy struck out just one, walked two and gave up eight hits.

It all happened in just two innings.

In the fourth and fifth, the Dash blasted three home runs. In the fourth, all nine men batted against Duffy and six straight men reached base. Morel drove in three with a home run to left-center and Christian Marrero followed with a solo shot to right-center. Duffy would strand men at the corners thereafter, but gave up another homer to Morel on a first-pitch swing in the fifth. The two-out blow drove in another pair of tallies for a 6-1 deficit the Blue Rocks could not overcome.

No matter that Duffy led 1-0 after three innings having allowed just two singles. In the fourth two singles preceded Morel’s first blast, then Marrero solo’d, then a single and a walk put two runners on before Duffy retired the side on a fly ball and a strike out.