The Norfolk Tides ended a three-game losing streak Friday night, hanging on for a 9-8 victory over Durham before a crowd of 7,479 at Harbor Park.
The International League East-leading Bulls still lead the series 3-1 with games remaining Saturday night and Sunday afternoon. The Tides, who saw three of their players promoted to Baltimore earlier in the day, ended a tailspin during which they had lost six of seven games.
Jordan Westburg clubbed a three-run homer in a four-run fifth inning for the Tides (52-62) and finished with four RBIs. Gunnar Henderson, Cadyn Grenier and Greg Cullen scored twice each, and Cullen had two of the Tides’ seven hits.
Norfolk’s Mike Baumann produced a solid start, holding Durham to two runs and six hits in five innings.
He gave up a go-ahead homer to Ruben Cardenas in the top of the fifth, but the Tides answered in the bottom of the fifth. A Cullen single brought home Anthony Bemboom with the tying run, and Westburg’s drive over the wall in left-center put the Tides ahead 5-2.
Alexander Wells gained the win despite yielding three earned runs and four hits in 2 2/3 innings. Jim Haley’s three-run homer in the sixth accounted for the damage.
But in the seventh, Grenier hit a solo home run and Robert Neustrom produced a two-run single.
Trailing 9-5, Durham (65-50) roughed up reliever Logan Allen with three hits in the ninth, culminating with Rene Pinto’s three-run homer to left-center. After Allen walked Grant Witherspoon, Tides manager Buck Britton brought in Cole Uvila, Norfolk’s fifth pitcher of the night.
Uvila gave up a single to Xavier Edwards but, with the potential tying run at third, struck out Haley for his 10th save of the season.
Before the game, the Orioles recalled outfielder Kyle Stowers, infielder Richie Martin and left-handed reliever Nick Vespi from Norfolk and optioned right-hander Logan Gillaspie back to the Triple-A Tides after his brief promotion earlier in the week.
Also, Baltimore placed infielder Terrin Vavra, a recent call-up from the Tides, on the paternity list.
Norfolk 9, Durham 8
Durham 100 013 003 – 8 14 1
Norfolk 001 040 40x – 9 7 1
W-Wells (1-0). L-Chargois (1-2). S-Uvila (10).
E-Durham, Pinto (5, pickoff); Norfolk, Cullen (3, fielding). HR-Durham, Cardenas (8), Haley (16), Pinto (10); Norfolk, Westburg (10), Grenier (3). LOB-Durham 9, Norfolk 3. SB-Durham, Brujan (14), Raley (3). CS-Durham, Brujan (10). WP-Durham, Chirinos, Moats; Norfolk, Allen. HBP-Cullen (by Chargois). T-3:10. A-7,479.
