IL· Season 2026
Joe Boyle struck out 11 as Durham Bulls shut out Norfolk Tides 4-0 for second straight night, moving within 2.5 games of first in IL East.
Match Analysis
AI SummaryEarly runs off Forret enough behind Boyle's arm
Durham struck in the first inning against Tides starter Michael Forret (L, 0-2). Victor Mesa Jr. reached and advanced as Forret loaded the bases with one out, and Caden Bodine lifted a sacrifice fly to centre to score Mesa for a 1-0 lead.
The Bulls doubled the margin in the second. Xavier Isaac — who finished 3-for-4 — singled, and Nick Madrigal followed with another sac fly. Right-fielder Heston Kjerstad's throw to third deflected off Jack Suwinski and rolled into foul territory, allowing Suwinski to race home from first for a 3-0 lead.
Suwinski added an RBI single to left-centre in the sixth, scoring Isaac from second to complete the scoring.
Boyle's 11 strikeouts one shy of career high
The 6'7" right-hander (W, 2-6) permitted just two singles and two walks while fanning 11 over 5⅔ innings, throwing 62 of 94 pitches for strikes. He did not allow a runner past second after the second inning.
Cole Sulser, Michael Grove, Hunter Bigge and Kodi Whitley combined for 3⅓ hitless innings of relief with three strikeouts, sealing Durham's sixth shutout of the season and second in as many nights. Norfolk managed only seven singles across the entire 18-inning scoreless stretch.
Player of the Match: Joe Boyle
Boyle's 11 strikeouts are the most by a Bulls pitcher this season. He now has a 2-6 record in Triple-A since being optioned by the Rays on 17 August.
Honourable mention: Xavier Isaac collected three of Durham's eight hits — two singles and a double — and scored twice. Caden Bodine went 2-for-3 with a double, a single and a sacrifice fly RBI.
By the numbers
Durham out-hit Norfolk 8-4 and committed no errors; the Tides had two. Forret lasted 5⅓ innings, walking none and striking out seven but permitting three runs on four hits. The Bulls scored all four runs with either two outs or via sacrifice flies, maximising limited opportunities.
What it means
The win improves Durham to 59-70 overall and clinches the season series over Norfolk (13-10 with one game to play). In the second-half IL East standings, the Bulls (32-24) trail Rochester (35-22) by 2½ games. Norfolk falls to 48-79 overall and 21-33 in the second half.
Next up
The series finale is Sunday at 1:05 PM ET at DBAP. Jake Woodford (0-2, 5.40) is scheduled for Durham against Cade Povich (2-4, 5.68) for Norfolk.
Rivalry since 2024
Durham Bulls vs Norfolk Tides Head to Head Results· 50
Durham Bulls and Norfolk Tides have met 50 times — Durham Bulls won 29, Norfolk Tides won 21, with 0 draws. Their rivalry dates back to 2024. Durham Bulls leads the head-to-head with 29 victories from 50 meetings. A combined 465 goals have been scored across these fixtures, averaging 9.30 per match (263 for the home side, 202 for the visitors). Both teams scored in 47 matches (94%). Over 2.5 goals landed in 50 games (100%), making it a fixture that tends to produce goals. The highest-scoring encounter finished 19–9 in 2026.
Statistics are for informational purposes only. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
API data: 31 Aug 2026