Duffy Roughed Up

After three sparkling outings in a row DANNY DUFFY was returned to earth Tuesday night by the Lynchburg Hillcats.

The Cats rapped the Lompoc lefty for four earned runs in three and one-third innings. Duffy departed trailing 4-2 but his Wilmington mates scored big thereafter to win 6-4.

Duffy gave up five hits and one base on balls to the Pittsburgh Pirate farm team.

After 1-2-3 first and second innings Duffy was touched for a walk and then with two outs a single by .248 hitter Jose De Los Santos and a double by .238 hitter Jordy Mercer to score two.

In the fourth the Lynchburg assault continued with two singles and a double by the Hillcats’ 4, 5 and 6-hole hitters to plate two more.

In Duffy’s two previous performances opposite next-to-last place Lynchburg he had handcuffed them, allowing no runs in 10-plus innings.

Duffy’s statistics suffered. His earned run average jumped to 3.51. In the last 10 games that ERA has been 3.98, not in the two range as it had been in April, May and most of June.

Still, in 100 innings, 20 more than he has ever pitched in a season, he has given up only five home runs and his strikeout to walk ratio is 95-31. He was named to the Carolina League All-Star team and performed earlier this month in the MLB Futures Game representing the Kansas City Royals.

And he is still five months short of his 21st birthday.