Durham Blanks Norfolk on Record-Breaking Night
DURHAM, NC - The Durham Bulls shut out the Norfolk Tides 2-0 Saturday night at the DBAP, clinching a winning record for the 14th time in the team's 18-year International League history. With a paid attendance of 10,016 Saturday night, the Bulls brought their 2015 single-season paid attendance to a franchise-record 536,359, surpassing the previous mark of 533,033 set a season ago.
Right-hander Bradin Hagens (5-5) was superb in seven innings of work, allowing just four hits and not walking a batter to earn his fourth win over his last four starts. After his exit Jose Dominguez tossed a scoreless eighth inning, before Robert Zarate picked up his second save of the season by working around two errors and a walk in the ninth.
The Bulls (73-69) jumped out to an early 2-0 lead, scoring a pair in the bottom of the first. With one out the rehabbing Steven Souza Jr. singled, and advanced to second on a walk issued to Taylor Motter. Corey Brown then blooped a single to centerfield to score Souza Jr., and two batters later Cameron Seitzer singled up the middle to score Motter for a two-run advantage.
That was all the support Hagens and the bullpen would need, as the Bulls pitched their 12th shutout of the season and won for the 14th time in their last 17 games.
Souza Jr. was the lone Bull to finish with a multi-hit game, going 2-for-4 with a run scored in the first game of his rehab assignment. Southpaw Chris Jones (8-8) took the loss for the visiting Tides (77-65), allowing two runs on five hits over seven innings.
The Bulls' penultimate game of 2015 will take place Sunday when Durham sends LHP Scott Diamond (11-5, 3.62) to the hill against Norfolk RHP Tyler Wilson (5-5, 3.05). First pitch is scheduled for 5:05 p.m.