Norfolk Sweeps Doubleheader from Durham
April 23, 2016 - International League (IL1)
Norfolk Tides News Release
Xavier Avery homered and eight Norfolk pitchers combined to hold Durham to three runs on 10 hits as the Tides swept a doubleheader from the Bulls Saturday night at Harbor Park. Norfolk blanked the Bulls 1-0 in the first game before edging Durham 4-3 in game two.
In the opener, Ariel Miranda, Pedro Beato and Oliver Drake combined on a two-hit shutout as Norfolk blanked the Bulls, 1-0.
Miranda turned in a solid outing, allowing two runs over 4.1 shutout innings of work to lower his ERA to 3.00 through three starts this season. The 27-year-old southpaw struck out six while walking just two, but he needed 86 pitches to navigate his outing. The only trouble he ran into came in the first frame, when he worked out of a second and third, nobody out jam by getting two strikeouts and a popup.
Beato (1-1) earned the win by tossing 1.2 innings of shutout relief before giving way to Drake, who struck out one in a perfect seventh to earn his third save of the season.
Norfolk plated the only run of the contest in the third frame, as Francisco Pena opened the inning with a double, moved to third on a single by Paul Janish and scored on a sacrifice fly by L.J. Hoes.
Janish singled twice in the opener to extend his hitting streak to six games, over which he's hit .571 (12-21) with five multi-hit games.
In the nightcap, the Tides jumped out to a quick lead and held off a late Bulls rally in a 4-3 win.
Norfolk jumped on Durham starter Chih-Wei Hu (0-1) in the first inning, as Henry Urrutia singled home two runs just three batters into the game. Avery singled to open the contest before Christian Walker moved him to third with a double, and Urrutia followed by grounding a single into center field for a 2-0 Tides advantage.
One inning later, Avery lined a two-out, two-run homer into the right field party deck to extend Norfolk's lead to 4-0. It was the first homer of the season for Avery, who is now hitting .303 with three RBI through 11 games after his two-hit performance Saturday.
Norfolk used five relievers in the nightcap, as Andy Oliver, Cesar Cabral (1-1), Richard Rodriguez, Zach Phillips and Chaz Roe combined on the victory.
The Tides led the contest 4-0 entering the sixth inning before an RBI single by Mayo Acosta pulled the Bulls within three runs. Durham then nearly tied the game in the seventh, as Dayon Varona hit a two-run single to pull the Bulls within a run. Durham had runners on first and second with nobody out, but Roe retired the final three batters - including the last two by strikeout - to pick up his first save of the season and complete the doubleheader sweep.
The Tides will welcome the Louisville Bats to Harbor Park on Sunday for the opener of a three-game set. In a battle of right-handers, Odrisamer Despaigne (0-2, 6.28) gets the start for Norfolk and will be opposed by Robert Stephenson (0-1, 1.50), with first pitch slated for 4:05 pm.
Sunday is Bark in the Park at Harbor Park, as fans can bring their dogs to enjoy the game. Dog tickets are $5, with all proceeds donated to the Norfolk Animal Care Center and the Norfolk SPCA. The first 4,000 fans will also receive a collectable photo of Tides catcher Francisco Peña, courtesy of Sprint and 92.9 The Wave.
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