Stowers HR not enough as Tides drop nail-biter to Durham 3-2 in front of 9,500 fans

NORFOLK (Norfolk Tides Press Release) – The Norfolk Tides (4-5, 40-45) fell to the Durham Bulls (4-6, 40-44), 3-2 in 11 innings, on Wednesday Night at Harbor Park. Despite a go-ahead, two-run home run in the bottom of the eighth by Kyle Stowers, the Tides gave up a run in the top of the ninth and ultimately fell to the Bulls in 11 innings.

The Bulls got on the board early Wednesday night, taking a 1-0 lead when the leadoff hitter, Kameron Misner, launched a solo home run over the right field wall. It would stand as the lone run that Bruce Zimmermann gave up in his first start back from injury since May 11 at Memphis. He gave up just two hits and two walks through three innings while striking out four batters.

Brandon Young came out of the bullpen in relief of Zimmermann for his second relief outing with the Tides this season. Through four innings, he held the Bulls to just one hit while issuing one walk and striking out five batters.

The Tides struggled to get runners on, notching just four hits through the first seven innings. Terrin Vavra and Kyle Stowers notched a pair of singles in the bottom of the first, but Norfolk was unable to bring either runner home. The Tides did not see a runner reach scoring position until the bottom of the seventh when Nick Maton and Maverick Handley worked back-to-back walks. Once again, however, Norfolk could not manage to get a runner across the plate and remained behind, 1-0.

Connor Norby led off the bottom of the eighth with a single up the middle, marking Norfolk’s fifth hit of the game. In the next at bat, Stowers took a 1-0 pitch 373 feet over the right field wall for his 16th home run of the season to give the Tides their first lead of the game, a 2-1 advantage over the Bulls.

In the bottom of the ninth, Durham loaded the bases on a pair of walks and after Rene Pinto reached on a strikeout. Then, pinch hitter Bob Seymour collected an RBI single to drive in Jake Mangum to tie the game at 2-2.

After neither team scored in the 10th inning, Durham took a 3-2 lead in the top of the 11th when the automatic runner, Mangum, advanced to third base on a wild pitch and came home to score on a throwing error. The Tides couldn’t bring home the automatic runner in the bottom half of the inning and fell to the Bulls, 3-2.

The Tides will head to Durham tomorrow for their first of three games at Durham Bulls Athletic Park. RHP Justin Armbruester (1-6, 8.36) will start for Norfolk, while the Bulls will throw LHP Joe Rock (4-3, 4.11).

POSTGAME NOTES

Stowers Power: Kyle Stowers finished the win going 2-for-3 with a home run, two RBI, a walk and a run…the long ball marked his 16th of the season, tying him with Heston Kjerstad for the second-most among Tides hitters…since returning to Norfolk on June 22 in Lehigh Valley, Stowers is batting .209 (9-for-43) with two doubles, a triple, five home runs and 14 RBI and has now collected an RBI in seven of 11 games since that date.

Norby Knocks: After finishing 2-for-4 with a run, Connor Norby has now hit safely in six straight games (since June 26 against Charlotte)…the outing marked his 21st multi-hit effort with the Tides this season for Norby, who leads all Orioles minor league batters with 80 hits and ranks second in runs with 58…in 33 career games against Durham, Norby is batting .371 (52-for-140) with nine doubles, a triple, nine home runs and 31 RBI.

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