Noda Powers Tides Past Bulls with Homer, Key Ninth-Inning Catch

Ryan Noda gave Norfolk the kind of road win that holds up anywhere: a homer to start the scoring, an RBI single to widen the gap, and a catch at the wall to finish it. The Tides piled up 12 hits and beat the Durham Bulls 5-2 at Durham Bulls Athletic Park, with four different hitters collecting multiple knocks in a game that never hinged on one swing alone.

Noda opened the night by breaking a scoreless tie with his second home run of the season in the third inning. He came through again in the sixth, lining an RBI single that helped Norfolk push in front 3-2. The Tides scored twice in that frame to break a 2-2 tie, turning a one-run game into a cushion without needing a late rally or a bullpen rescue.

Trey Gibson made the offense matter. The right-hander worked five innings and gave up two runs on two hits, striking out six and never letting Durham string together a serious threat. The only damage against him came on a Justyn-Henry Malloy home run, and even that was more a brief jolt than a turning point. Gibson kept the Bulls from settling in, which was the difference between a tight game and a comeback.

Norfolk also got a sharp boost from the bullpen. Keegan Akin made his first rehab appearance since landing on the 10-day injured list with a strained groin, and he struck out two in a scoreless inning. For a Triple-A club trying to piece together consistency, that mattered as much as any extra-base hit. It added another clean inning to a night when Norfolk’s pitching never had to chase the game.

The biggest defensive play came in the ninth. Victor Mesa Jr. launched a drive that had the crowd ready to celebrate a tying homer, but Noda reached the wall and hauled it in, ending Durham’s last real chance. That was the final stamp on a complete win for Norfolk, one built on contact, steady starting pitching and a run-saving play when the Bulls were one swing from equalizing.