Tides Open Season With Three Game Sweep at Durham

DURHAM, NC --- The Norfolk Tides (3-0) defeated the Durham Bulls (0-3), 7-4, on Sunday night at Durham Bulls Athletic Park. The Tides swept the Bulls in a three-game series, outscoring them by 14 runs, 26-12.

The Tides scored right off the bat in the top of the first when Jordan Westburg belted a two-run homer, his first of the season. Durham did respond with a run themselves in the bottom-half when Jonathan Aranda hit a sacrifice fly, making it a 2-1 game.

The second home run of the night for the Tides came in the third when Ryan O’Hearn belted a two-run shot to put the Tides up 4-1. He hit the home run on a 3-0 pitch, belting it 426 feet.

Durham came within in one run in the fifth after Osleivis Basabe hit an RBI triple, then scored on an RBI groundout to bring the game at 4-3. Tides starter Spenser Watkins would finish the fifth and earned the win. He allowed three runs on five hits and three walks while striking out five. He’s the lone Tides starter of the weekend to earn a win in the sweep.

Norfolk added two more in the sixth when Connor Norby belted his second home run of the season, a two-run shot. The Bulls would respond with a home run themselves, a solo shot by Kyle Manzardo, hit first career Triple-A home run, to make it a 6-4 game.

The Tides would add one more insurance run in the ninth when Josh Lester knocked an RBI single, followed by Nick Vespi closing out the game for his first save of the season.

With the Tides winning 7-4, they carry a 3-0 record into their home opener on Tuesday April 4 with first pitch at 6:35 p.m vs. Gwinnett. Norfolk will throw LHP DL Hall (0-0, -.--), while the Stripers have RHP Michael Soroka (0-0, -.--) going for them.

POSTGAME NOTES

NORFOLK BOMBERS: The Tides hit three more home runs in tonight’s game, bringing their season total to nine...that leads the International League and only trails Las Vegas (10) in Triple-A...the Tides also rank first in the International League in OPS (.940) and second in slugging (.527) to Lehigh Valley (.534)...all three home runs were two-run shots, with Jordan Westburg hitting his first of the season in the first innings, Ryan O’Hearn hitting his first homer in the Orioles organization in the third and Connor Norby hitting his second homer of the season in the sixth.

NASTY NICK VESPI: Finishing the game was Nick Vespi, who earned his first save of the season...he totaled two scoreless innings this past weekend with four strikeouts....he hasn’t allowed a Triple-A earned run since September 18, 2021 vs. Jacksonville when he allowed a two-run homer to Joe Dunand.