First-place Norfolk deepens Durham’s deficit
Dariel Alvarez and Steve Clevenger homered to lead first-place Norfolk past Durham 6-3 in the opener of an important home-and-home International League baseball series Monday night at Harbor Park.
Durham (56-60) scored twice during the third against starter Chris Jones (7-6) thanks to doubles by Ryan Brett and Leonardo Reginatto, followed by a looping RBI single by Boog Powell, but 3-2 would be the closest the Bulls would get.
Trailing 5-2 in the eighth, the Bulls loaded the bases with one out against Pedro Beato, but they only scored on a fielder's choice off the bat of Luke Maile.
With the defeat, Durham trails the Tides by 101/2 games with 28 to play, and dropped 71/2 games behind wild-card leading Columbus.
As for the Nofolk offense, Alvarez drilled a first-pitch fastball from Bulls starter Bradin Hagens (1-4) with two aboard in the first inning get the Tides (66-49) started.
The score remained 3-2 until the sixth when Hagens yielded to Dylan Floro, who made his first relief appearance since Sept. 4, 2012. Floro allowed two runs in his inning, with Jhan Marinez serving up Clevenger's homer in the eighth.
The first half of the series will conclude with a 7:05 p.m. game Tuesday. Drew Smyly (0-1, 10.80 ERA) is scheduled to make his third rehab start with the Bulls against Elih VIllanueva (2-1, 5.40).
Monday’s box score
Durham | ab | r | h | bi |
Elmore, 1B | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Powell, CF | 5 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
Rickard, DH | 5 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
Motter, SS | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Mahtook, LF | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Maile, C | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Brett, 2B | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Brown, RF | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Reginatto, 3B | 4 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
Totals | 39 | 3 | 12 | 3 |
Norfolk | ab | r | h | bi |
Urrutia, DH | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
Navarro, 2B | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Walker, 1B | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
Alvarez, RF | 4 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
Clevenger, C | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Halton, LF | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
Almanzar, 3B | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Borbon, CF | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Janish, SS | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Totals | 32 | 6 | 9 | 6 |
Durham | 002 | 000 | 010 | — | 3 | 12 | 1 |
Norfolk | 300 | 002 | 01X | — | 6 | 9 | 2 |
E — Brett, Jones, Janish. DP–Durham 2. LOB–Durham 10, Norfolk 5. 2B–Powell, Brett, Reginatto, Rickard, Almanzar. HR—Alvarez (15), Clevenger (4). SB–Borbon (17).
DurhamIP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | |
Hagens (L, 1-4) | 5 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 3 |
Floro | 1 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
Bellatti | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Marinez | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
NorfolkIP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | |
Jones (W, 7-6) | 7 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
Beat | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
Drake (S, 19) | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
This story was originally published August 10, 2015 at 10:49 PM with the headline "First-place Norfolk deepens Durham’s deficit."