By Durham Bulls

NORFOLK, VA — The Norfolk Tides scored six times in the eighth inning to break a 2-2 tie en route to an 8-2 win over the Durham Bulls on Sunday afternoon at Harbor Park.

Luis Vazquez tripled in two tie-breaking runs against reliever Joey Gerber (L, 0-2), then Gunnar Henderson drilled an opposite-field three-run homer to lift the Tides (1-2) to their first win of the season.

Durham (2-1) took a 2-0 lead in the third inning thanks to a Tanner Murray double grounded over the third base bag. The inning was set up by two-out singles from Bob Seymour and Carson Williams, and compounded by a throwing error by Vazquez from third base. 

Joe Rock tossed five innings of two-run ball in his debut start of the season. Coby Mayo connected for a game-tying home run against Rock in the third.

What It Means: Durham’s unbeaten start to the campaign at 2-0 ended, winning its first two games for the first time since 2021. 

Key Moments:  With the game tied 2-2 and the Tides leading run at third with one out, reliever Eric Orze induced a flyball to left-center field that Chandler Simpson caught, but then threw out Tides catcher Maverick Handley at the plate on a bang-bang play to preserve the 2-2 game.

Solid Start: Tanner Murray had three hits in Sunday’s defeat, capping the series 7-for-14.  Murray doubled home two runs Sunday in the third, singled to left in the second and singled on the infield in the sixth, only to be called out by first base umpire Austin Snow for allegedly rounding into fair territory on a wild throw.  Video evidence did not appear to show Murray in fair territory. 

DBAP Opener: Joe Boyle, a three-game winner for the Oakland Athletics last season, is slated to start the DBAP home opener on Tuesday night at 6:35 PM ET.

On Deck: The four-time Triple-A National Champion Durham Bulls host the reigning national champion Sugar Land Space Cowboys for the first time in franchise history.  The six-game series opens the Bulls’ home slate in a rare IL-PCL cross-league match-up.  The Space Cowboys, Triple-A affiliate of the Houston Astros, feature one former Bull player on their roster, with catcher Joe Hudson (2023) making his return to the DBAP.  Sugar Land is 1-1 through two games, pending its outcome of Sunday’s game against Oklahoma City.

Source: wralsportsfan.com