Tides endure tough day amid excellent start
After two nights of double-digit runs and roaring crowds to start the season, the Norfolk Tides saw reality hit Sunday afternoon.
The Durham Bulls pounded John Means for six runs in one inning in a rehabilitation start and went on to win 17-5 before 5,154 at Harbor Park, salvaging one victory in a three-game series opening the International League season. Logan Driscoll’s four hits and Ruben Cardenas’ four RBIs led the Tampa Bay Rays’ top farm club.
The Bulls had 19 hits, including five against Means on 32 pitches in the first inning, the only time he took the mound.Junior Caminero slugged a home run with one out, Osleivis Basabe walked, and Niko Goodrum reached on an infield single. The runners moved up on a throwing error by shortstop Jackson Holliday, baseball’s consensus top prospect.
Ronny Simon’s double to center field brought in a run, and Driscoll lined a single to right field to knock in two more. After a strikeout, Cardenas pounded a two-run homer to left-center to make it 6-0.
Baltimore Orioles manager Brandon Hyde recently said the length of Means’ rehab assignment will be “close to 30 days,” so he’s likely to pitch for Norfolk again soon. His left elbow flared up before the Orioles’ loss to eventual World Series champion Texas in an American League Division Series last season, and he didn’t pitch for Baltimore in any Grapefruit League games in Florida.
The Tides’ bullpen didn’t fare much better. Nolan Hoffman gave up three runs and three hits in one inning, and Albert Suarez yielded six runs (five earned) and seven hits in five innings.
Durham starter Jacob Lopez (1-0) held Norfolk to a run and three hits in five innings, striking out five.
In the fifth, Holliday grounded out to drive in Diego Castillo with the Tides’ only run off Lopez. In the ninth, two-run homers by Coby Mayo and Peyton Burdick gave the fans who remained something to cheer. Castillo and Billy Cook had two hits each.
The Tides now will hit the road for a six-game series at Charlotte, starting Tuesday night. They’ll next be home April 9 to start a series against the New York Yankees’ top affiliate, the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders.