With a crowd of 9,537 assembled for fireworks on the eve of Independence Day, the Norfolk Tides suffered a far-from-typical loss Wednesday night as a Durham backup catcher made a rare pitching appearance and got a save.
The Bulls (40-44, 4-5 in the International League’s second half) won 3-2 in 11 innings despite having a depleted bullpen. After using four pitchers in the first 10 innings, Durham manager Morgan Ensberg brought out 34-year-old catcher Rob Brantly in the bottom of the 11th to make his second pitching appearance since 2018, his sixth as a pro.
Incredibly, Brantly got a three-out save on three pitches. First baseman Bob Seymour caught Kyle Stowers’ line drive, left fielder Jake Mangum made a running, lunging catch of a Coby Mayo liner and Garrett Cooper popped out to Seymour in foul territory.
Durham’s Kameron Misner began the game by slugging a homer, but Norfolk starter Bruce Zimmermann, Brandon Young — who pitched four scoreless innings — and Matt Krook were effective thereafter.
So was Bulls starter Jeffrey Springs, who struck out six and gave up no runs and three hits in a four-inning rehabilitation assignment from the Tampa Bay Rays.
Down 1-0, Norfolk (39-44, 3-5) moved ahead in the eighth in the finale of its second-half-opening homestand. Connor Norby singled to center with one out, and Stowers followed by slugging a two-run homer to right.
The Bulls came back in the ninth. René Pinto reached base by striking out on a wild pitch by Matt Krook, who retired the next two batters before walking Heriberto Hernandez and Tristan Peters. Tides manager Buck Britton brought in reliever Nolan Hoffman, and Durham pulled even on Seymour’s infield single as Tides second baseman Terrin Vavra’s throw to shortstop Niko Goodrum was barely too late to make the game’s final out.
In the 11th, Mangum, who started the inning at second base, scored as Luis González threw a wild pitch and catcher Connor Pavolony committed a throwing error.
Brantly then came in, quickly getting three outs to leave Norby stranded at second.
The teams were to meet again in Durham on Thursday night to, depending on one’s point of view, start a three-game series or continue a six-game series.
