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NORFOLK, Va. — It’s just so hard to sweep both games of a doubleheader.
The Tides found that out on Wednesday night and less than 24 hours later the Herd learned it, as well. The two sides split a doubleheader for the second time in as many days Thursday at Harbor Park as Buffalo won 3-0 before Norfolk rebounded for a 2-1 victory.
With a rainout last week in Buffalo and another on Tuesday night in Virginia, the clubs were forced to schedule back-to-back doubleheaders since they will no longer meet during the 2017 regular season. Thursday’s results almost mirrored Wednesday as the first twinbill between the sides ended with a Tides shutout win (4-0) before a 2-1 victory by the Bisons.
Buffalo did come close to a sweep as they held a 1-0 lead in the fifth inning of game two. Chad Girodo struck out five batters over three innings in just his second career start and Jake Elmore gave the Herd a lead with a two-out RBI-single in the fourth inning.
But in the fifth, the Tides finally broke through after 11 shutout innings by Bisons pitchers. Logan Shaffer tripled on a ball that dropped just between centerfielder Ian Parmley and right fielder Dwight Smith Jr. Johnny Giavotella then singled in the game-tying run off Herd reliever Wil Browning before stealing second base and scoring two-batters later when Robert Andino chopped a ball through the left side of the Bisons infield.
That was the only inning the Tides scored in on Thursday as Mike Bolsinger and John Stilson combined for the three-hit shutout in game one. Bolsinger fanned six over five frames without issuing a walk while John Stilson became the seventh different Bisons pitcher to record a save this year by retiring all six batters he faced.
Rowdy Tellez drove in all three runs for the Bisons in game one. He got the Herd on the board in the first with a sacrifice fly before singling home a run in the fifth. Two innings after that, the first baseman powered an opposite field home run to left.
The Bisons are now off to Durham for a three-game set against the Bulls. Buffalo returns home for a six-game homestand against Rochester and Lehigh Valley on Tuesday.
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