Marcus Johnson makes Triple-A debut as Durham falls on walk-off homer

Marcus Johnson’s Triple-A debut gave Durham a first read on a right-hander who looks built for more than Double-A. The 6-foot-6, 200-pound Duke product worked 4 1/3 innings in the Bulls’ 5-4 loss at Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, allowing two runs on six hits with three walks and three strikeouts.

That line was not overpowering, but it mattered. Johnson, born Dec. 11, 2000, in Whittier, California, has long carried a starter’s frame and a reliever’s pedigree. The Miami Marlins took him in the fourth round of the 2022 MLB Draft with the 112th overall pick, and he later joined the Rays organization after a college run at Duke that included a place on the leadership council in 2021 and a captaincy in 2022. Duke also used him in high-leverage spots, where he made 30 appearances, posted a 3.05 ERA and saved seven games as the Blue Devils’ closer.

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre jumped on him early, scoring twice in the first to seize a 2-0 lead. Johnson settled in enough to keep Durham within range, and the Bulls answered in the fifth. Dom Keegan tripled and scored on a sacrifice fly, then Victor Mesa delivered the swing that changed the game for a moment, a two-run double that put Durham ahead 3-2.

The lead did not last. The RailRiders pushed back in the sixth, then the game turned into a late exchange of small advantages and one big mistake. Durham tied it in the top of the ninth when Carson Williams, already a big-league shortstop at 22, drew a walk, took third on a throwing error on a pickoff attempt, and scored when Jacob Melton grounded out. Melton, another player with major-league experience, added two stolen bases and has yet to be caught this season, a jolt of athleticism that keeps showing up on the basepaths.

Then came the finish. With two outs in the bottom of the ninth, Ali Sánchez, born Jan. 20, 1997, turned on a pitch from Chris Clark and sent a walk-off homer into the night to hand Durham the loss. For a Bulls club that entered at 2-9, the night was less about the record than the evaluation: Johnson looked close enough to matter, even if the command still needs tightening before Tampa Bay starts thinking in earnest about a promotion.