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Bulls

Bulls rally not enough as Tides win in extras

By Durham Bulls

Sep 5, 2010

Durham, N.C. — The Bulls tied the game at six in the ninth inning, but Norfolk pulled ahead in extra innings and held on to defeat Durham 7-6. Chris Richard had a game-high four RBI and Kyle Holloway had a pinch hit double in the ninth and scored the tying run, but the Bulls fell for the eighth time in their last 11 games.

Norfolk quickly jumped ahead in the first inning, as they plated four runs off Bulls starter Ramon Ortiz before the right-hander left with an injury. After an error by Ortiz loaded the bases, Scott Moore took the Ortiz offering over the wall in right for a grand slam to put the Tides on top 4-0.

Durham answered back with a pair of runs in the bottom of the first against left-hander and 2010 XM Satellite Radio Futures Game participant Zach Britton. Singles by JJ Furmaniak and Elliot Johnson put a pair aboard for Richard. After a wild pitch by Britton brought the first run across, Richard singled to shallow center allowing Johnson to cut the deficit to two.

The two teams exchanged single tallies, as in the second inning the Bulls cut the lead to one on a passed ball which scored Nevin Ashley. The Tides answered right back, as Moore brought home his fifth RBI in three innings with an RBI double off Dale Thayer to make it 5-3 Norfolk.

The score remained the same until the top of the eighth when Norfolk added an insurance run on a sacrifice fly by Michael Aubrey.

Down three runs in the eighth, the Bulls got to within one after pair of runs in the bottom of the eighth inning off the Norfolk bullpen. Furmaniak singled to put a runner aboard, and one batter later the Tides went to left-hander Alberto Castillo to face the left-hander Richard. The Bulls cleanup hitter took the first pitch he saw from Castillo deep to right for a two-run homer, his 19th of the season to make it a one-run game.

Kyle Holloway led off the ninth inning with a first pitch double off the Blue Monster in left, his second double in his last three at-bats since being called up from Rookie League Princeton on September 1. After a bunt by Fernando Perez moved the runner to third, Furmaniak came through with a single off the glove of a diving third baseman to tie the game at six.

The Tides broke the tie in the 10th, as a wild pitch by Winston Abreu brought home Blake Davis with the go-ahead run. The Bulls got the tying run to second in the bottom of the inning, but Frank Mata shut the door to earn his fifth win of the season. It was the fourth loss of the season for Abreu, who threw 2.0 innings of work for just the second time since June 4.

The Bulls continue their series against Norfolk tomorrow, as RHP Brian Baker (9-5 3.56) looks to become the third bulls pitcher this season with 10 or more wins. He will be matched up against RHP Armando Gabino (7-0 2.29) for Norfolk. Game time is set for 5:05 p.m.