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!
It’s a while yet until the Durham Bulls return home on May 16 to start a six-game series against the Nashville Sounds, and their recent series against the Norfolk Tides saw the Bulls taking some tough losses. Nevertheless, with an on-the-road bounce-back in play before coming home, the Bulls are still looking to be in good shape.
The shooter ➡️ the shots
We gave Luis Patiño our camera during this past homestand & these were some of the results. pic.twitter.com/7JkxWXuXEk
— Durham Bulls (@DurhamBulls) May 11, 2023
Read the descriptions of the Bulls vs. Tides games from the past week below, as they were shared on the Durham Bulls website and MiLB.com.
The Durham Bulls saw an unfortunate start to the series, with the Norfolk Tides earning a strong 12-8 victory.
Bulls shortstop Osleivis Basabe clubbed two hits and drove in two runs, while four other Durham hitters posted multi-hit efforts, however Tides shortstop Joey Ortiz, center fielder Colton Cowser and right fielder Josh Lester combined for six hits and ten runs driven in as part of Norfolk’s 12-8 win over Durham on Tuesday evening at Harbor Park.
After the Tides got on the board with three runs over the first two innings, Basabe put the Bulls on the board with a two-run single to left in the third. Norfolk would then plate a trio of tallies in the third to make it 6-2, though Durham would claw their way back thanks in part to RF Ruben Cardenas’ RBI single in the fourth and CF Kameron Misner’s run-scoring double in the sixth.
LF Niko Hulsizer evened the contest in the seventh with a single to right-center, however the Tides answered right back with five runs in the last of the seventh to open up a five-run advantage. 1B Kyle Manzardo’s sacrifice fly would narrow Durham’s deficit to four, however the Bulls were not able to narrow that margin any further.
The Bulls suffered a follow-up 9-1 loss to the Tides, putting the Durham team firmly on the backfoot as games continued.
Bulls first baseman Kyle Manzardo recorded two hits, including a triple to left the the sixth, and an RBI double in the eighth in Durham’s 9-1 loss to the Norfolk Tides on Wednesday evening at Harbor Park.
The Tides established the lead in the bottom of the first when SS Jordan Westburg smashed a three-run homer. RF Daz Cameron also bashed a three-run homer as part of a four-run fourth, bringing the score to 7-0. Norfolk would add one run in each of the fifth and sixth innings before Manzardo’s RBI double in the eighth.
Norfolk starting pitcher Drew Rom (6.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 11 SO) earned the win, striking out 11 batters in six innings. Durham starter Elvin Rodriguez (4.0 IP, 8 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 3 BB, 5 SO)suffered the loss.
Game three was a close contest, a welcome change from the second outing, but still saw the Bulls not quite able to take home a win — and instead seeing a final score of 5-4 in favor of Norfolk.
Bulls right fielder Niko Hulsizer tallied a two-run double, center fielder Kameron Misner collected two hits and left fielder Ruben Cardenas knocked a homer as Durham fell to the Norfolk Tides 5-4 on Thursday afternoon at Harbor Park.
The Tides established the lead in top of the fourth when SS Joey Ortiz smashed a homer. Hulsizer’s two-run double and Misner’s RBI single gave Durham a 3-1 lead in the sixth, however RF Jordan Westburg also bashed a homer in the bottom of the sixth, followed by 1B Lewin Diaz’s RBI single to make it 4-3. After Cardenas’ game-tying homer in the top of eighth, Norfolk finished the job in the bottom of the eighth with when Diaz’s homer put the Tides back in the lead, bringing the score to 5-4.
Norfolk starting pitcher DL Hall (5.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 4 BB, 8 SO) earned the win, striking out 8 eight batters in five innings. Durham starter Joe La Sorsa (4.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 SO) suffered the loss.
The Bulls managed a win in game four, taking home a narrow and hard-fought 2-1 victory.
Bulls designated hitter Rene Pinto recorded two hits, including a homer, while Tampa Bay Rays right-hander Tyler Glasnow struck out four batters in two and two-thirds innings in Durham’s 2-1 victory over the Norfolk Tides on Friday evening at Harbor Park.
Glasnow (2.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 4 SO) struck out four batters, including three in his first inning of work, yielding two hits and two walks in his first appearance with the Bulls as part of his Major League Rehab Assignment. Durham righty Evan McKendry (4.2 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 4 SO) earned the victory with his 4.2 scoreless innings while Josh Roberson (1.0 IP, 2 H) notched the save. Norfolk starter Cole Irvin (7.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 4 SO) suffered the defeat.
The Bulls broke the scoreless draw in the sixth courtesy of 2B Vidal Brujan’s run-scoring single. Pinto would then leave the yard one inning later to make it 2-0. The Tides would narrow the margin to one in the eighth before putting the tying and winning runs on base in the ninth, however Roberson shut the door to complete Durham’s victory.
Unfortunately, the taste of victory was short-lived, as the Tides came back strong to take the Bulls in a 5-0 shutout.
Bulls right fielder Ruben Cardenas and third baseman Osleivis Basabe each recorded two hits, however Tides second baseman Connor Norby drove in two runs and third baseman Jordan Westburg homered in Norfolk’s 5-0 win over Durham on Saturday evening at Harbor Park.
The Tides got their first score in the second on a sacrifice fly before Wesburg’s solo shot in the fourth made it 2-0. Norby would then rip a two-run single as part of a three-run fifth inning to extend the advantage to five.
Cardenas (2-4, 2B) and Basabe (2-5, 2B) both collected two knocks, including a double each, while Westburg (2-4, 2 R, HR, RBI) tallied a multi-hit effort. Bulls 2B Vidal Brujan also reached base four times, all via bases on balls. The shutout defeat marked the first time this season Durham has failed to score a run in a game.
Norfolk southpaw Nick Vespi (1.0 IP, H, 2 BB, 2 SO) earned the win and Chris Vallimont (4.0 IP, H, 2 BB, 6 SO) notched the four-inning save. Durham starter Taj Bradley (4.2 IP, 2 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 4 BB, 1 SO) suffered the defeat.
The sixth and final game in the series saw yet another defeat to the Tides, with the Bulls losing a 5-4 heartbreaker to close out the series.
Bulls second baseman *Jonathan Aranda *knocked a two-run double and first baseman *Kyle Manzardo *recorded his 15th RBI of the season, however Tides right fielder *Ryan O’Hearn *drove in two runs and left fielder *Connor Norby *homered in Norfolk’s 5-4 win over Durham on Sunday at Harbor Park.
The Tides got their first score in the first off O’Hearn’s single before his double in the seventh would spark Norfolk’s comeback. Norby’s two-run homer tied the game at 4-4, and 2B Terrin **Vavra’s** single in the 10th solidified the win.
Aranda and Manzardo collected two knocks, including a two-run double, while center fielder Kameron Misner knocked in a double.
Norfolk’s *Bruce Zimmerman *(6.0 IP, 5 H, 2 BB, 9 SO) earned the win while Durham starter *Cooper Criswell *(4.2 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 4 SO) suffered the defeat.
The season continues in a series of away games against fellow North Carolina team the Charlotte Knights before the Bulls return home on Tuesday, May 16 to start a six-game series against the Nashville Sounds!
We'll be back home before you know it on Tuesday, May 16!
Tacos & Tallboys Tuesday
Bark in the Park
Dollar Hot Dogs
Friday Night Fireworks
Military Appreciation
Wool E. Bull's Birthday— Durham Bulls (@DurhamBulls) May 3, 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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