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!
The Durham Bulls are on a hot streak, taking down the Lehigh Valley IronPigs handily across this week’s series of games. Five straight wins should have the Bulls in high spirits heading into a six-game series on the road, and you can read each game’s recap from the past week below!
For every homer we hit at home this year, @BlueCrossNC is donating proceeds to food security programs in the community.
14 home runs = $1400 donated! pic.twitter.com/sHeRUJOolR
— Durham Bulls (@DurhamBulls) April 17, 2023
The series against the IronPigs started with a loss — not exactly setting the stage for the series of wins to come, but providing enough of a challenge to set the Bulls on edge.
Bulls first baseman Kyle Manzardo capped a ten-pitch at-bat with a 421-foot solo home run and first baseman Jonathan Aranda launched a two-run blast, however IronPigs right fielder Jordan Qsar crushed a longball and drove in two runs in Lehigh Valley’s 6-4 victory over Durham on Tuesday afternoon at Durham Bulls Athletic Park.
Qsar drove in his first run with a sacrifice fly in the second. Lehigh Valley would then plate single tallies in each of the fifth, sixth, and seventh frames to extend the advantage to 4-0. Manzardo would then go deep with a solo shot to right in the last of the seventh, capping a ten-pitch at-bat to end the IronPigs’ shutout thoughts.
Lehigh Valley then struck again in the top of the eighth via Qsar’s solo blast to once again make it a four-run contest. Durham then answered with a three-spot in the last of the frame capped by Aranda’s two-run big fly to right-center. The IronPigs, however, would counter with another run in the top of the ninth to make it 6-4.
In the second game of the series, Kyle Manzardo was a standout, exceeding expectations at just about every turn to help the Bulls take home a win to balance out an opening loss.
Bulls first baseman Kyle Manzardo smashed a home run and set a single-game career-high with four hits in four at-bats, while right fielder Ben Gamel homered and drove in three runs in Durham’s 5-3 victory over the Lehigh Valley IronPigs on Wednesday night at Durham Bulls Athletic Park.
Manzardo (4-4, 2 R, 2B, HR, RBI) singled to right in his first plate appearance in the second before eventually scoring on Gamel’s three-run homer to right that put the Bulls ahead 4-1. One inning later Manzardo would go deep for the second straight day with a solo shot to right to make it a four-run contest before bashing a double off the left field wall in the fifth and lacing a single to right in the seventh.
The 22-year-old, rated by MLB.com as the 68th-best overall prospect, had previously collected a career-high of three hits on eight prior occasions before besting that mark tonight. IronPigs DH Esteban Quiroz (2-4, 2 R, HR, RBI) homered and was the lone batter from the road side to tally a multi-hit effort.
The third game saw the Bulls take home a tight 4-3 victory with miss after miss at the plate making for a close contest.
Bulls shortstop Tristan Gray smashed two hits, including the go-ahead two-run home run in the sixth, and drove in three runs, as relievers Josh Roberson and Chris Muller tossed the final three hitless frames in Durham’s 4-3 win over the Lehigh Valley IronPigs on Thursday night at Durham Bulls Athletic Park.
Gray got the Bulls on the board with an RBI double that one-hopped the right field wall in the fourth. That lead would be extended to two later in the frame when C Nick Dini lofted a sacrifice fly to center. The IronPigs would narrow the margin to one courtesy of Quiroz’s RBI double in the fifth before a two-run sixth put the Lehigh Valley ahead 3-2. Gray would answer, though, smashing a go-ahead two-run blast to left-center to give Durham a 4-3 advantage they would not relinquish.
Gray (2-3, R, 2B, HR, 3 RBI) was the lone Bulls batter to record a multi-hit effort, while IronPigs 3B Esteban Quiroz (2-4, 2 2B, RBI) and 2B Vimael Machin (2-4, R) each tallied two knocks for Lehigh Valley. Durham RF Ben Gamel and 1B Kyle Manzardo each reached base twice as well.
In the fourth game of the series, the Durham Bulls found themselves with a second 4-3 victory after a series of close calls following an early lead.
Bulls catcher Rene Pinto smashed two hits, including a three-run home run, and right fielder Ruben Cardenas clubbed a solo blast, while Durham starting pitcher Luis Patino fired five solid innings in a 4-3 victory over the Lehigh Valley IronPigs on Friday evening at Durham Bulls Athletic Park.
The Bulls got on the board early courtesy of Pinto’s first-inning three-run shot to deep left for the early three-run advantage. The IronPigs would later score a single tally in the fourth, however it was Cardenas’ turn to go deep in the sixth with a big fly of his own to extend the margin back to three. Lehigh Valley lessened the Bulls advantage to one with two tallies in the eighth, yet were unable to fully erase their deficit.
Pinto (2-4, R, 2B, HR, 3 RBI), Cardenas (2-4, R, RBI) and 3B Curtis Mead (2-4, R, 2B) each recorded two knocks in the victory. IronPigs LF Simon Muzziotti (3-4), meanwhile, posted a game-high three hits, with DH Dustin Peterson (2-2, R, 2 BB) reaching base four times with two hits and two walks.
Game five went off without a hitch, and the score ratcheted up to a solid 8-6, ending in the Bulls’ favor. This game clinched the series for Durham, but there was still more baseball to play.
Bulls catcher Nick Dini smashed two hits, including a home run, and drove in a game-high four runs, while center fielder Kameron Misner also went deep to help secure Durham’s 8-6 win over the Lehigh Valley IronPigs on Saturday evening at Durham Bulls Athletic Park.
The Bulls got ahead early with a big four-run second frame started by 1B Kyle Manzardo’s RBI double to the left-center field wall. Dini would then double to left to bring across Manzardo before Misner mashed his second homer of the year, a two-run blast.
After the IronPigs narrowed the margin to two in the top of the third, Durham plated three more tallies when Dini delivered his three-run blast to center to make it 7-2. Lehigh Valley would then plate a pair of scores in both the seventh and eighth innings to make it a one-run game, however Manzardo in the last of the eighth lofted a sacrifice fly to up the Bulls advantage to 8-6.
Dini (2-4, 2 R, 2B, HR, 4 RBI), and DH Tristan Gray (2-3, 2 R, 2B, BB) each recorded two knocks for the Bulls. Four different IronPigs batters posted multi-hit efforts, including 2B Esteban Quiroz (2-5, 2B, 2 RBI), RF Dalton Guthrie (2-4, BB), SS Scott Kingery (2-4, 2 R, RBI) and DH Jordan Qsar (2-4, 2 R, 2B, RBI). The victory was the Bulls’ fourth straight win, clinching a series victory.
Yet another 4-3 victory for the Bulls closed the series, as the IronPigs fought for the final round against a fairly dominant Bulls diamond, centering on a fantastic performance from starting pitcher Elvin Rodriguez.
Bulls starting pitcher Elvin Rodriguez set down each of the first fourteen batters he faced and did not allow a hit until the sixth inning, while Durham first baseman Ben Gamel drew a game-winning bases-loaded walk to cap a three-run ninth-inning in a 4-3 comeback victory over the Lehigh Valley IronPigs on Sunday evening at Durham Bulls Athletic Park.
Entering the last of the ninth down two runs, CF Kameron Misner bashed an RBI double off the left field wall to make it a one-run game. SS Osleivis Basabe would then draw a game-tying bases-loaded walk before Gamel reached on his game-ending base on balls to extend the Bulls win streak to five.
Basabe got the scoring started with an RBI double off the left field wall. The score would remain the same until the sixth, when Frescia lofted his game-tying solo shot to left. Lehigh Valley would then plate two more runs, starting with Peterson’s go-ahead RBI single to right before LF Simon Muzziotti came plateward on a balk.
Rodriguez (6.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 4 SO) was perfect into the fifth inning before yielding a two-out walk to Muzziotti. Frescia’s home run one inning later would end the no-hit bid, as well as Durham’s shutout hopes. Rodriguez did not factor in the final decisions, while reliever Heath Hembree (1.0 IP, 1 BB) earned the victory. Lehigh Valley righty Trey Cobb (0.2 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 4 BB, 2 SO) suffered the loss.
Following an off day on Monday, the Bulls begin a six-game road series in Syracuse, with the series opener set for Tuesday, April 18. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35pm ET. RHP Hector Perez is anticipated to get the nod for Durham and be opposed by RHP Tony Dibrell.
After a road series in Syracuse, the Bulls return to Durham Bulls Athletic Park on Tuesday, April 25 to start a six-game homestand against the Memphis Redbirds, the Triple-A affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals. Tickets for that game and all 2023 Durham Bulls home games are available, and you can click here to view the Bulls’ full 2023 schedule!
We can't wait to see y'all back at the DBAP again next week!
Education Day – 4/25
Kids Eat Free Wednesday – 4/26
Dollar Dog Night – 4/27
Friday Night Fireworks – 4/28
Star Wars Night – 4/29
Kids Run The Bases – 4/30— Durham Bulls (@DurhamBulls) April 17, 2023
(featured image via Durham Bulls)
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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