Host Norfolk Tides pull off doubleheader sweep Durham Bulls, 1-0, 4-3

The Durham Bulls were swept in a doubleheader Saturday night against the Norfolk Tides, falling 1-0 and 4-3 at Harbor Park to drop the second and third games of the three-game set.

After Friday’s contest was postponed because of rain, the Bulls dropped the first game of the day 1-0. In a game that featured just six total hits, Norfolk scored the game’s only run in the bottom of the third inning, when Francisco Pena led off the frame with a double and scored three batters later on a sacrifice fly by LJ Hoes.

Durham managed just two hits in the contest, as three Tides pitchers combined to shut out the Bulls for the first time in 2016. Pedro Beato (1-1) earned the win for the home side with 1 2/3 scoreless innings of relief, while Oliver Drake earned his third save of the year. Matt Andriese (1-2) was the tough-luck loser for the Bulls, allowing one run while tossing all six innings, striking out six and walking two.

The Bulls (9-8) dropped the day’s second game as well, falling 4-3. Norfolk jumped out to an early lead in the night cap, plating a pair of runs in both the first and second innings.

In the first frame the Tides (6-10) scored twice on an RBI single by Henry Urrutia, and in the second inning Xavier Avery cracked a two-run dinger for a 4-0 lead.

Durham finally managed to scratch a run across in the sixth inning. With two outs and no one on Jake Goebbert and Cameron Seitzer worked back-to-back walks, before Mayo Acosta singled to center field to plate Goebbert and cut the deficit to three.

In the seventh the visitors threatened to tie, as the first three batters of the inning reached base safely. A Dayron Varona single scored two to make it a 4-3 game, but Chaz Roe came in and retired all three hitters he faced to earn his first save and preserve the Norfolk victory.

Norfolk used a combination of relievers to quiet the Durham bats in game two, with Cesar Cabral (1-0) picking up the win with two scoreless innings of relief. Chih-Wei Hu (0-1), promoted from Double-A Montgomery to take the place of Blake Snell, absorbed the loss after surrendering four runs on seven hits in 4 2/3 innings.

The twin bill brought an end to Durham’s 10-game road trip through the South Division, in which the Bulls went 5-5. After splitting a four-game set in Charlotte to open the trip, Durham took 2-of-3 from Gwinnett before dropping the final two games of its series with Norfolk.

The Bulls open a six-game homestand on Sunday when they welcome the Indianapolis Indians for a 5:05 p.m. first pitch. RHP Jaime Schultz (1-1, 5.06) takes the hill for Durham opposite RHP Wilfredo Boscan (1-1, 2.77) for Indianapolis.

This story was originally published April 23, 2016 at 7:30 PM with the headline "Host Norfolk Tides pull off doubleheader sweep Durham Bulls, 1-0, 4-3."