DURHAM — Durham Bulls lefty David Price didn’t get the win.
But he didn’t look bad in the Bulls’ 3-0 loss to the Gwinnett Braves at Durham Bulls Athletic Park Thursday.
The Bulls didn’t have a hit until after he left the game. They had only three hits.
Price, the Tampa Bay Rays’ top prospect, gave up one unearned run and four hits in five innings and threw six strikeouts and walked one.
He was pulled after throwing 66 pitches. The Rays are limiting Price to five innings or 75 pitches, whichever he gets to first, according to a Bulls manager Charlie Montoyo.
"That's probably what saved us," said Gwinnett manager Dave Brundage, whose bullpen was depleted the day before in a 13 inning marathon, on top of losing his starter just before the game.
Price's unearned run came in the second inning. The other two runs, which were earned, were charged to Bulls reliever Randy Choate.
Gwinnett third baseman Van Pope hit a one-out double and moved to third after a throwing error on Bulls third baseman Adam Kennedy. Pope scored in the next at-bat when Joe Borchard flied to right field. It's no coincidence that the second was his least effective inning as a result.
He threw 25 pitches in the inning and would have otherwise ended the inning in nine pitches.
"It's all about efficiency," Price said.
Price ended his outing on two strikeouts, the first on three pitches that all caught Gregor Blanco looking. The third pitch was clocked at 98 miles an hour by the ballpark’s radar gun.
Gwinnett pitcher James Parr, who was scheduled to start, was called up by the Atlanta Braves before the game. He’ll start Friday against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
In his place was Vladimir Nunez, who no-hit the Bulls in three innings.
Price took the second loss of his professional career. His first loss was last year in a Bulls uniform.
Javier Serna has covered sports for The News & Observer since 2007. He previously covered growth for the North Raleigh News, and sports at The Truth in Elkhart, Ind. E-mail 
