This baseball season, Chapelboro.com is following the Durham Bulls and sharing recaps of each series played. Check in each Monday for details on how the Triple-A team fared against its opponents, either on the road or in downtown Durham!
Another smashing series for the Durham Bulls as games played out across the diamond in Syracuse this past week! With even more wins notched, the Bulls are all set for a triumphant homecoming this week in a six-game series facing off against the Memphis Redbirds. Read below for game recaps from the past series, and keep your fingers crossed for good weather at the DBAP!
On this date 110 years ago, we played our 1st game as the Durham Bulls
How it started: How it's going: pic.twitter.com/JyNeAtYVdr
— Durham Bulls (@DurhamBulls) April 24, 2023
The first game saw yet another win, putting the Bulls up to six consecutive victories!
Bulls designated hitter Tristan Gray and left fielder Ruben Cardenas both homered and combined to drive in five runs, while second baseman Jonathan Aranda’s go-ahead tenth-inning run-scoring double gave Durham a 9-8 extra-inning victory over the Syracuse Mets on Tuesday evening at NBT Bank Stadium.
After the Mets jumped ahead early with a four-run first, Gray went deep with a solo shot, his third big fly of the year, to cut the Bulls’ deficit to 4-1. Syracuse would answer with a single tally in the last of the second prior to a four-run third highlighted by 1B Kyle Manzardo’s two-run double to right and Gray’s RBI single, before CF Kameron Misner’s game-tying sacrifice fly.
One inning later, DH Ben Gamel drew a bases-loaded walk to give Durham the lead before Cardenas lifted a sacrifice fly to make it a two-run advantage. The Mets would answer back, however, plating two runs in the fourth to tie the game before another tally in the fifth gave them an 8-7 advantage. Cardenas, though, would crush his game-tying opposite-field homer in the seventh to once again even the contest and force the extra frame, before Aranda would come through with his clutch opposite-field RBI double.
Aranda (2-4, 2 R, 2B, RBI, 2 BB), Gray (2-5, R, HR, 3 RBI), Manzardo (2-4, R, 2B, RBI, BB), SS Osleivis Basabe (2-6, 2B) and C Nick Dini (2-5, R, BB) all recorded multi-hit efforts in the Durham victory. The win was the Bulls’ sixth consecutive win, and their ninth win over their last 12 contests overall.
With some weather delays once again causing issues in terms of delayed/cancelled games, when play started back up it was a doubleheader, which Durham ended up splitting with Syracuse.
Bulls right fielder Ruben Cardenas and center fielder Kameron Misner each homered and drove in two runs as part of an 8-4 victory in game one for Durham’s seventh straight win, however Mets catcher Michael Perez’s two-run blast in the nightcap proved to be the difference in Syracuse’s 3-1 game two victory as the two teams split their doubleheader on Thursday evening at NBT Bank Ballpark.
The Bulls started the scoring in game one with a four-run second-inning outburst started by Misner’s two-run shot to left-center. 2B Curtis Mead would then follow with an RBI single before Durham took advantage of an error to go up four.
Syracuse would narrow the margin to one with a trio of tallies in the last of the second before Cardenas went yard with a two-run blast of his own one inning later to make it 6-3. The Mets would then score a single run in the last of the third to cut their deficit to two, however the Bulls answered with two more scores in the sixth, highlighted by 1B Kyle Manzardo’s RBI single.
Durham reliever Heath Hembree (1.0 IP, 3 H, BB, SO) earned the victory, combining for Jose Lopez (0.1 IP) and Chris Muller (2.0 IP, H, 2 BB, SO) for the final 3.1 scoreless frames in support of starter Luis Patino (3.2 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 3 ER, BB, 5 SO). Syracuse starter Alex Valverde (3.0 IP, 5 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 3 BB, 3 SO) suffered the loss.
Both teams went scoreless in the nightcap until the fifth, when Perez crushed his two-run homer to put the Mets ahead. Pinto would narrow Durham’s deficit to one with an opposite field solo shot to right in the sixth, however Syracuse would once again make it a two-run contest with a single tally in the sixth.
An incredible showing saw a complete shutout in game four, a 5-0 final score with the Bulls leaving the Mets scoreless.
Bulls catcher Rene Pinto smashed two home runs, left fielder Niko Hulsizer and third baseman Curtis Mead also went deep and starter Elvin Rodriguez threw seven scoreless innings in Durham’s 5-0 victory over the Syracuse Mets on Friday evening at NBT Bank Stadium.
Pinto started the Bulls offense off with a homer in the top of the fourth, followed by Hulsizer’s solo shot in the following inning. 2B Tanner Murray then doubled on a line drive to center field to score RF Ruben Cardenas, extending the Bull’s lead to 3-0 in the seventh, before Mead’s solo home run. Pinto’s second homer of the night in the eighth inning then solidified the victory.
Pinto, Mead and Murray each recorded two hits to lead the Bulls offensively. Pinto matched a single-game career-high with his two home runs, while Durham’s four home runs were a season-high.
Rodriguez (7.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 8S0). earned the win with seven strong innings, adding eight strikeouts while allowing only two hits. Durham reliever Trevor Kelley (2.0 IP, 1 H, 1 SO) tossed the last two frames to complete the shutout, while Mets starter Humberto Mejia (6.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 5 SO) suffered the loss.
Game five was an intense back-and-forth, with a 4-4 tie turning into a relatively narrow 7-4 victory for the Bulls.
Bulls first baseman Kyle Manzardo mashed two home runs, while second baseman Curtis Mead, right fielder Ruben Cardenas, shortstop Tristan Gray and second baseman Ben Gamel each had solo homers in Durham’s 7-4 victory over the Syracuse Mets on Saturday afternoon at NBT Bank Stadium.
Mead started the Bulls offense off with a longball in the top of the first. After Syracuse score a run in the last of the firth, Cardenas and Gray then followed with back-to-back solo home runs in the second to make it 3-1. One inning later, Manzardo crushed a 455 foot blast to make it a three-run game.
The Mets would come back to tie the game at 4-4, however Mead’s RBI single scored CF Kameron Misner to give the Bulls the 5-4 lead in the sixth. Gamel gave the Bulls their fifth solo shot in the top of the eight, extending the Bulls’ lead to 6-4, before Manzardo solidified the Bulls’ victory with his second homer of the day in the top of the ninth.
Manzardo (3-4, 2 R, 2 HR, 2 BRI, 1 BB), Cardenas (3-5, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 HR, 1 RBI) and 3B Osleivis Basabe (3-5, 1 2B) each recorded a game-high three hits. Manzardo matched a career-high with his two home runs, while Durham’s six roundtrippers were a season high.
Bulls reliever Ben Heller (2.0 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 1 SO) earned the victory and Jose Lopez (1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 SO) notched his first save. Syracuse relief man Stephen Nogosek (1.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 SO) suffered the loss.
The last game of the series was also a success for the Durham Bulls, with another win notched and some appropriate celebration on social media:
Niko Hulsizer recorded 4 hits, including 3 doubles
Rene Pinto smashed a home run
Evan McKendry tossed 5 strong frames
Tristan Gray ripped a go-ahead RBI single in the 10th
We got our 10th victory in 11 games with a 7-6 10-inning win in Syracuse today
— Durham Bulls (@DurhamBulls) April 23, 2023
The Bulls are back home this week, with a six-game series against the Memphis Redbirds kicking off Tuesday, April 25.
(featured image via Ava Pukatch)
You can follow the Bulls on Twitter and Instagram for updates and news directly from the team, and tickets for all 2023 Durham Bulls home games can be purchased at DurhamBulls.com, or by calling 919.956.BULL
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