The Norfolk Tides captured a split of a day-night doubleheader, beating Durham 3-1 in seven innings before 9,375 Saturday night at Durham Bulls Athletic Park.

Catcher Gary Sanchez, on a rehabilitation assignment from the Baltimore Orioles, and Vimael Machín belted home runs in the fourth and sixth innings, respectively. It was Machín’s 18th Triple-A homer of the season. Norfolk’s other run came as TT Bowens scored on Livan Soto’s sacrifice fly in the fourth off starter Santiago Suarez.

Machín, playing right field, threw out Hummel at the plate. That, along with 11 runners left on base, were among the reasons the Bulls scored just once despite 12 hits.

The seven-game series will conclude with a 1:05 p.m. Sunday game in which Logan Ragsdale (2-2, 3.47 ERA) is scheduled to pitch for Norfolk (30-37 in the International League’s second half, 60-80 overall). The Bulls (36-31, 81-61) have won four of the set’s first six contests and plan to go with pitcher Joe Boyle (8-4, 1.88).

Tides pitcher Scott Blewett and Western Branch High graduate Colin Selby each gave up two hits but no runs in an inning apiece during rehab assignments before Thaddeus Ward (9-6) got the victory by pitching four innings. He yielded seven hits but struck out six and walked none.

Keagan Gillies gained his first Triple-A save, surviving a hit and a walk in the seventh for the Tides, who ended a 1-6 stretch.

The Bulls won the afternoon game 6-2. Cooper Hummel hit a three-run double to cap a four-run sixth inning that broke a 2-2 tie.

Durham starting pitcher Jesse Scholtens (2-2) pitched six strong innings, allowing two runs on two hits with 12 strikeouts and no walks. Reliever Mason Montgomery finished with a scoreless seventh inning.

Norfolk scored its runs on solo homers by Machín in the fourth inning and José Barrero in the fifth, but it was their only hits of the game.

Tre’ Morgan gave the Bulls a 1-0 lead with a solo homer in the third, and Tres Barrera’s RBI single in the fourth put them ahead 2-1.

Tides reliever Jose Espada (2-1) walked Hunter Stovall and Barrera to begin the bottom of the sixth inning. Kameron Misner then reached on a fielder’s choice, and Stovall scored after a throwing error by catcher Silas Ardoin. Morgan then reached on a fielding error by first baseman Ryan Noda to load the bases for Hummel.

https://www.pilotonline.com/2025/09/13/tides-win-night-game-for-doubleheader-split-at-durham/