Bulls Open 2025 Season With Win At Norfolk

NORFOLK, VA – Tanner Murray and Eloy Jimenez each drove in three runs, while Ian Seymour tossed five scoreless innings to lead the Durham Bulls past the Norfolk Tides 9-2 on Opening Night at Harbor Park.

Leading 3-0 in the fifth, Murray drilled a two-run homer against Tides reliever Corbin Martin, sparking a five-run inning. Jimenez, playing in his first game in the Rays’ organization, followed later with a two-run double to hike the lead to 7-0. Murray finished 3-5, while Jimenez went 3-6.

Seymour worked five shutout frames on just 77 pitches, winning his 15th career game. The lefty permitted just four hits and a walk, but induced a double play grounder in the third and picked off a runner in the second inning.

Tristan Peters opened the scoring in the first with a two-run, two-out single against Thaddeus Ward.

The Durham (1-0) bullpen tossed four innings of one-run ball, with Paul Gervase surrendering a solo home run to former Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Dylan Carlson.

Chandler Simpson went 3-6 in his Triple-A debut after leading all of minor league baseball in hitting last season (.355) at two different levels for Tampa Bay.

The Bulls, the 2021 & 2022 Triple-A National Champions, who finished last season 72-78, were finally able to beat Norfolk on Opening Night after losses the last two seasons. Carson Williams, rated as the Rays’ top prospect, went 1-3 with two walks in his season debut.

The Tides, the 2023 Triple-A National Champions, closed last season 69-81, opened the new campaign with Baltimore’s top prospect catcher 20-year-old Samuel Basallo, who went 0-4 as the DH on Friday.

How It Happened: Durham capitalized on seemingly every opportunity the Tides offered. After two outs in the first inning on five pitches, the Bulls drew two walks, then saw American League all-star Gunnar Henderson boot a grounder to load the bases. Peters then singled in two runs. In the fifth, after Henderson misfired a throw to first on a would-be double play grounder, Murray drilled a two-run home run to spark a five-run inning.

The second game of Durham’s season-opening series at Harbor Park on Saturday night at 6:35 PM ET. Logan Workman is slated to start opposite Norfolk’s Raul Alcantara.