Big inning helps Tides sink Bulls

David Adams hit a two-run home run to key a four-run inning and Kevin Gausman turned in a strong outing as Norfolk knocked off Durham 6-3 on a blustery Sunday afternoon at Harbor Park.

With the score knotted at 1-1 in the sixth, Norfolk plated four two-out runs against Durham starter Enny Romero (2-2), the #4 prospect in the Rays organization. Jemile Weeks ignited the rally with a one-out triple, and one out later Caleb Joseph singled to left to give the Tides a 2-1 lead. Chris Marrero followed with a single to right, and after a passed ball allowed Joseph to score from third, Adams lofted an opposite field homer into the right field party deck to extend Norfolk's lead to 5-1.  

The home run was the second of the season for Adams, who extended his hitting streak to five games in the win. Over that span, the 26-year-old has hit .375 (6-16) with a home run, three doubles and four RBI.

The sixth-inning outburst made a winner out of Chris Jones (1-2), who allowed one run over two innings in relief of Gausman. Brock Huntzinger followed Jones with an inning of relief, and Preston Guilmet stranded two inherited runners in the ninth to earn his second save of the season.

Gausman, the #2 prospect in the Orioles system, did not factor in the decision despite turning in his best outing of the 2014 campaign. The 23-year-old yielded four hits over five shutout innings as he walked two and struck out four. He threw 48 of his 74 pitches for strikes, lowering his ERA to 3.24 through four starts this season.

Over the last four games, Norfolk's starting pitchers have now posted a 1.54 ERA (4 ER, 23.1 IP) with 21 strikeouts and five walks.

Entering the contest, Harbor Park had yielded eight home runs in nine games, but the two clubs combined for four homers Sunday - all of which went into right field. In addition to Adams' blast, Alexi Casilla belted a solo homer for Norfolk, while Jerry Sands and Cole Figueroa connected on solo shots for the Bulls.

With the win, Norfolk (5-12) snapped a three-game losing skid while handing Durham (13-5) its first road loss in eight games this year.

The Tides will wrap up their four-game homestand Monday afternoon with a 12:05 contest against the Bulls. Eddie Gamboa (0-1, 4.00) takes the hill for Norfolk against left-hander Mike Montgomery (2-0, 4.38).

Notes: Jemile Weeks finished a home run shy of the cycle, as he doubled in the first, singled in the third and tripled in the sixth. The last Tides player to hit for the cycle was Timo Perez, who accomplished the feat on June 9, 2000…With his sixth inning RBI single against Enny Romero, Caleb Joseph is now hitting .500 (8-16) with four RBI against left-handed pitching this year…Jemile Weeks has reached base safely in all 14 games in which he's appeared…Julio Borbon stole his team-leading sixth base of the season.