Bulls Open Road Trip WIth 8-0 Win Over Norfolk

Norfolk, VA --- Mike Montgomery worked seven innings en route to his fourth straight win as the Durham Bulls opened a 10-game road trip with an 8-0 victory at Harbor Park over the Norfolk Tides on Monday night.

Montgomery (W, 7-1) became the International League's fourth seven-game winner. He retired 13 straight hitters after a first inning single, and finished the evening allowing only three singles and one walk. CJ Riefenhauser worked the final two frames to close out the Bulls' sixth win in nine games over Norfolk (27-38).

The Bulls (39-27) utilized two longballs for an early lead against Edgmer Escalona (L, 1-1), who was making a major league rehab start, his first start in his career on American soil. Wilson Betemit steered an 0-2 pitch inside the left field foul pole for his 12th home run, giving the Bulls a 1-0 lead in the second. In the fifth, Mike Fontenot, celebrating his 34th birthday, drilled a two-run shot into the stiff breeze over the right field wall to give Durham a 3-0 advantage.

After Escalona left the game following five innings, the Bulls cleared the Tides with five runs in two innings against Nick Additon. Justin Christian, who finished the night 3-4, singled home Cole Figueroa with two outs in the sixth. Durham batted around against Additon in the seventh with Betemit doubling in a pair to highlight the inning.

The Bulls maintained a 4 1/2 game lead in the South over Gwinnett, which also won on Monday night. 

Alex Colome (1-0, 0.00) starts the series finale against Norfolk's Suk-Min Yoon (2-5, 5.86) Tuesday night at 7:05 PM ET.