Norfolk Tides power past Durham Bulls, 6-3

The Norfolk Tides (54-29) defeated the Durham Bulls (45-40), 6-3, on Friday night at Durham Bulls Athletic Park.

It didn’t take long for the Tides, the Triple-A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles, to score the first run of the game as César Prieto found his way on with a two-out knock to left. Joey Ortiz followed him with a double down the left field line that brought Prieto all the way around from first to give Norfolk a 1-0 lead.

Leading off the home half of the second with a walk was Ruben Cardenas. He would eventually come around to score the tying run on a Greg Jones sacrifice fly that brought the game to 1-1.

The Tides recaptured the lead in the fourth when Ryan McKenna got a hold of a 1-1 pitch that he took the other way that hugged inside the right field foul pole for a solo home run.

A pair of singles and a walk loaded the bases for Durham, the Triple-A affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays, in the sixth and while Cardenas grounded into a double play, he tied the game in the process. Garrett Stallings was able to prevent further damage and finished his sixth inning of work with the game deadlocked at two apiece.

Maverick Handley led off the top of the seventh with a walk and a double off the bat of Shayne Fontana put ducks on the pond for Connor Norby who blasted a ball to left field, clearing the blue monster for a three-run shot that put Norfolk ahead 5-2.

The Bulls responded with a Tristan Gray solo home run on an 0-2 count that cut the Norfolk lead to two in the seventh.

Adding an insurance run for the Tides in the ninth was Prieto as his bomb increased the Norfolk lead to three. That was more than enough for Easton Lucas to slam the door on the Bulls to earn the save, and the Tides came away with a 6-3 victory.

The Tides look to get back in the win column tomorrow night against Durham with first pitch scheduled for 6:35 p.m. The Tides have yet to announce a starter while the Bulls are expected to send RHP Nathan Wiles (2-0, 5.28) to the hill.

Game Notes

César Prieto went 3-for-5 with two runs scored and a solo home run…he’s collected at least two hits in four of his last five games…since joining the Tides on June 21, he is batting .358 (19-for-53) with nine runs scored, five doubles, two home runs and 13 RBI while slashing .397/.566/.963.

Joey Ortiz went 3-for-5 with a double an RBI and two stolen bases…it is his sixth multi-hit performance in his last nine games and is batting .375 (15-for-40) with nine runs, six doubles, eight RBI, five walks and six stolen bases while slashing .444/.525/.969.