Franco's 4 Hits Not Enough In 6-5 Defeat

Franco matches season-high with 4 knocks, Durham's late rally falls short

Bulls SS Wander Franco matched a season-high with four hits in Durham's 6-5 defeat to Norfolk on Tuesday night. (Paxton Rembis / Durham Bulls)

June 1, 2021

Bulls shortstop Wander Franco recorded four hits and drove in three, however Tides second baseman Malquin Canelo brought home two runs as part of a four-run second frame as Norfolk held off Durham’s late charge in a 6-5 victory on Tuesday evening at Durham Bulls Athletic Park. Tides 1B Ryan

Bulls shortstop Wander Franco recorded four hits and drove in three, however Tides second baseman Malquin Canelo brought home two runs as part of a four-run second frame as Norfolk held off Durham’s late charge in a 6-5 victory on Tuesday evening at Durham Bulls Athletic Park.

Tides 1B Ryan Ripken started the scoring with an RBI double to right and then took third on 2B Mason McCoy’s RBI single before coming across on Canelo’s two-run double to center that opened a 4-0 lead. One inning later, the Bulls cut the margin in half when RF Nathan Lukes scored on Franco’s infield single, before C Brett Sullivan came across on an error.

Norfolk, however, would increase the advantage back to four in the eighth courtesy of SS Ramon Urias’ RBI double and LF Willy Yahn’s run-scoring knock. Franco would later smash his third hit of the night in the last of the eighth, a double to the left-center field wall, before coming across on DH Ryan Boldt’s RBI single to cut the deficit to 6-3. One inning later, Franco clubbed his fourth knock of the evening, a bases-loaded two-run single to left, to make it a one-run game. Durham, however, was unable to bring across a tying run.

It was the second time this season Franco (4-5, R, 2B, 3 RBI) has collected four hits in a game, last doing so on May 16 versus Jacksonville. His four-hit effort Tuesday night raised his batting average 27 points to .299.

Tides reliever Hunter Harvey (1.2 IP, 2 H, 2 K) earned the win with 1.2 shutout frames, while lefty Fernando Abad (0.2 IP, H, 2 K) notched his second save. Bulls starter Luis Patino (1.1 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 4 ER, BB, K) suffered the defeat, with relievers Sean Poppen (2.2 IP, 2 H, 3 K) and Drew Rasmussen (2.0 IP, H, 3 K) combining for 4.2 scoreless innings of support.

The two teams are set to continue the series on Wednesday evening, first pitch scheduled for 6:35pm ET. LHP Dietrich Enns (1-0, 2.35) is expected to get the nod for Durham, while Norfolk is anticipated to counter with LHP Zac Lowther (0-2, 7.15). Tickets for that the remainder of this series, as well as for Durham’s six-game homestand with Charlotte between June 8-13, are now available at durhambulls.com.