The seemingly inevitable Major League Baseball strike couldn't dampen the mood at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park Wednesday evening as Durham hosted the Norfolk Tides (69-69) for a doubleheader. The Bulls (76-63), who began the day leading the South Division by a game and a half over the Richmond Braves, swept the Tides, 2-1 in the first game and 4-1 in Game 2, thanks to two late inning rallies.
The biggest action began in Game 2 in the bottom of the sixth as the Bulls finally brought some offensive potency to their lineup. They managed to score three times with two outs in the inning. Outfielder Damian Rolls got things going with a single to right field. Then, a sacrifice bunt from first baseman Matt Luke advanced Rolls to second, and a groundout from right fielder Ryan Freel moved him to third base.
Shortstop Jason Smith got his second hit of the day and his 26th RBI of the year with a line drive to right field that gave him a standup double. Russ Johnson, on a rehab assignment from Tampa Bay, was subsequently walked, and catcher Mike Figga, who had been hitless on the day, ripped a shot into deep center field for a two-RBI double.
Rick Croushore took over the pitching duties for the Bulls in the top of the 7th--the final inning in a double header according to Triple-A rules--striking out the first and third batters to give the Bulls the win.
"The pitching was great tonight," infielder Jason Smith said. "That's what we're going to need if we're going to make it deep into the postseason."
Most of the crowd of had 4,620 stuck around for of the nightcap, and even early on the Bulls did not disappoint. They took an early lead in the bottom of the first when Smith knocked a single to right field and drove in Luke.
Norfolk the responded in the top of the fourth as the Tides' Ty Wigginton belted a line drive homer off Durham starting pitcher Jason Standridge.
The Bulls threatened to score in the bottom half of the inning, advancing runners to first and third, but Johnson hit a weak fly ball that was not deep enough to plate a run and Figga grounded out to end the inning for Durham.
Defensive stalwartness saved Standridge several times, including in the fifth when Bulls second baseman Brooks Badeaux threw a no-look, backhanded shovel pass to shortstop Smith, who whipped a single-bounce bullet to first baseman Luke for the double play and the end of the inning.
Jason Jimenez came on in relief for Standbridge in the middle of the 6th inning, striking out the first Tide he saw to end the inning and keep the game knotted at one.
"Fundamentally, we did some real good things tonight," Bulls head coach Bill Evers said. "We got our bunts down and got some big hits."
In the first game of the doubleheader, the Bulls prevailed 2-1 due to heroics from Rocco Baldelli and Damian Rolls. Trailing 1-0 in the bottom of the 7th, Baldelli tied the game with an RBI triple. Rolls then whacked a single into center field to bring in Baldelli and the victory for Durham.
"We had a chance to fold in the first one, but we pulled it out," Evers said.
Evers credited consistent play as the key to the Bulls' back to back wins, the beginning of a seven-game homestand that will take them through the end of the season. Durham plays the first game in a pivotal series when they square off against the Richmond Braves tonight at 7 p.m. The Bulls currently hold a two-game lead on Richmond in the International League Southern Division.
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