PAWTUCKET -The 3,492 fans who braved the rain and ventured to McCoy Stadium Tuesday night witnessed a pitcher's duel between Pawtucket ace Clay Buchholz and Durham gunslinger Carlos Hernandez.

And they also saw an unlikely hero step up and come through with a clutch hit with the game on the line.

Pawtucket catcher Dusty Brown, who had only one hit in his previous 21 at-bats, drove home the game-winning run with a single to deep left field that plated pinch-runner Freddy Guzman in the bottom of the ninth inning to lift Pawtucket to a 2-1 victory over Durham.

"It was huge," Pawtucket manager Ron Johnson said of the hit. "First (Aaron) Bates got his first hit (a double) and then Brownie came through big. It was exciting there at the end. We had some guys on base who made some things happen. Once again the pitching staff was phenomenal to give up the one run and that's it and give us an opportunity to get two. It's a good way to go into an off-day."

Both Buchholz and Hernandez left the game with the score tied at 1-1, resulting in a no-decision for both of them.

Buchholz didn't have his best stuff, but he battled all night long and only allowed one run on five hits over five innings plus two batters.

"It's coming around for me," Buchholz said. "I'm putting more starts together back-to-back instead of having a good start and then coming back with three bad ones and then having a mediocre start. I feel like I'm putting above average starts together and stringing them together and that's what builds confidence."

Hernandez matched him by scattering six hits over six innings, giving up one run and two walks with five strikeouts.

John Jaso gave the Bulls a 1-0 lead in the top of the fourth inning when he blasted a 3-1 93-mile-per-hour Buchholz pitch over the fence in right field, but Pawtucket evened the score in the bottom of the fifth when Travis Denker hit an RBI groundout to first base. Angel Chavez scored from third base on the play.

Durham threaten to score in the top of the sixth inning after Jaso singled and Buchholz walked Rashad Eldridge, but Marcus McBeth relieved Buchholz and got the next three batters out to end the threat.

In the top of the eighth, Durham put runners on second and third base with one out, but Pawtucket escaped unscathed once again. Hunter Jones got Ray Olmedo to ground out to Hunter before striking out Chris Nowak.

In the top of the ninth, Jonathan Van Every, in his first start since going on the 7-day disabled list on June 1 (retro May 30), saved a run with a spectacular diving catch on a two-out, Ray Sadler shot to deep center.

That helped set up Brown's clutch hit in the bottom of the ninth. Bates, promoted from AA Portland, sparked Pawtucket's bats in the final inning by getting his first AAA hit, a double he ripped down the left field line. After the Bulls intentionally walked Jonathan Van Every, Brown won the game.

"I was really pleased with a lot of things that went on today," Johnson said.