Durham Bulls split series versus Nashville

From June 18-23, the Durham Bulls played a six-game road series versus the Nashville Sounds.

The 35-34 Sounds had a better record heading into the series than the 33-36 Bulls, but the Sounds had one of the best scoring differentials in the league with +30. Meanwhile, the Bulls had a poor negative four scoring differential.

The Bulls split the series with the Sounds 3-3, moving to 36-39, bringing them from No. 6 in the east to tied for No. 5. The Sounds moved up in the west and now sit tied for No. 4 and half a game out of No. 2.

Despite splitting the series and falling below the Sounds in record and scoring differential, the Bulls outscored the Sounds by two in the series.

Game one

The Bulls narrowly took the win in the first game, trailing 4-3 heading into the ninth inning.

The Bulls began the top of the ninth with two outs and two walks, putting the game in jeopardy while moving a runner in scoring position.

On the next at-bat and with the Bulls holding a 7.8% win probability, Bulls shortstop C.J. Hinojosa singled a grounder to third for a single, loading the bases with Kameron Misner up to bat. Misner struggled at the plate throughout the game, failing to get a hit or walk on his first four at-bats and striking out on two. However, Misner showed up when it mattered, singling a line drive to center field to send home two runners.

Austin Shenton had an RBI walk to add one more on the board, sending home Misner to take the 6-4 lead. The Bulls closed out the bottom of the ninth to secure the narrow victory 6-4.

Game two

The Sounds took game two of the series 9-4 despite outhitting the Bulls by just one, 10-9.

Misner, the hero of game one, led the way at the plate in game two, getting two hits and a walk on four at-bats, putting up a team-high in runs (two) and RBIs (two).

Michael Gomez was the only Bulls pitcher with a pitching performance that was not poor, striking out two and allowing no hits or walks in one inning pitched.

Game three

The Bulls bounced back from their loss with a win in game three, but against taking the victory by the skin of their teeth.

After nine innings, no team found home, sending the game to extra innings.

Misner got the Bulls on the board first, hitting an RBI single to right field in the top of the 11th.

The Sounds responded with an RBI single of their own in the bottom of the inning, sending the game to 12.

Bulls catcher Logan Driscoll opened the 12th inning with a homer to right, sending himself and runner Austin Shenton home.

Four at-bats later, Hinojosa singled on a line drive to right field, sending home Tristan Peters before being caught trying to take second.

The three runs the Bulls scored in the top of the inning were just enough to earn them the victory as Erasmo Ramírez and the Bulls’ defense managed to hold the Sounds to two in the final frame.

Game four

Both teams had seven hits in game four, but the Sounds made the most of theirs, earning seven runs and the 7-4 victory.

The Sounds got on the board first with three runs in the second and after the Bulls narrowed the deficit to one, the Sounds dropped another three coming in the bottom of the sixth.

Bulls centerfielder Jake Mangum was the only Bull responsible for more than one run, earning one run and one RBI of a hit and walk.

Game five

The fifth game of the series saw the Bulls taking the 14-4 victory. The 10-run win marks one of just two double-digit Bulls victories since April with the other coming as a 12-1 win over the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp on May 29.

All 14 runs for the Bulls came between innings three through five, all before the Sounds could even get on the board.

Shenton led the team in RBIs with three while Heriberto Hernandez and Hinojosa were just behind him with two. This was far from all Hinojosa brought to the game, however, as he also added a team-high three runs.

Driscoll and René Pinto both had home runs in the win, with Driscoll hitting a three-run homer over the centerfield wall in the top of the fourth while Pinto hit a two-runner in the following inning.

Game six

The Sounds took game six to even the series, this time taking the narrow win instead of the Bulls.

Durham led 4-2 after four innings and after a run by the Sounds in the bottom of the fifth, still led 4-3 heading into the eighth.

The Sounds scored two runs in the eighth off home runs to take a one-run lead and secured the win with a double play to finish the top of the ninth.

Curtis Mead and Hernandez looked solid at the plate for the Bulls, both getting a run and two RBIs off one hit. These both game from two-run homers for each of them.

Up next

After a break on the 24th, the Bulls will return home and begin their six-game series versus the Lehigh Valley IronPigs on June 25.

The IronPigs sit No. 9 in the east, 1.5 games above Charlotte in last.

The Bulls and IronPigs faced off earlier in the season, splitting the six-game series in April, 3-3. The Bulls outscored the IronPigs by 14 runs in the series, in large part to a 28-10 victory to open the series.

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