Hall on point in win over WooSox

Has 10 strikeouts as Norfolk splits series before all-star break

DL Hall struck out 10 in five innings as the Norfolk Tides went into the All-Star break on a high, shutting out Worcester 1-0 Sunday before 5,214 at Harbor Park.

The Tides (44-46) split the six-game series with the WooSox (47-43), Boston’s top farm club.

Hall has fanned at least eight batters in four consecutive starts, equaling the longest streak in the International League this season.

WooSox starter Chris Murphy also pitched five scoreless innings, striking out three, walking one and yielding three hits.

The Tides broke through in the sixth off Geoff Hartlieb (1-4). Yusniel Diaz singled, went to second on Kelvin Gutierrez’s groundout and scored on Jacob Nottingham’s two-out single to right field.

Norfolk relievers Beau Sulser (2-2), Louis Head and Nick Vespi worked the final four innings, giving up four hits and a walk to Worcester while striking out three. Vespi garnered his sixth save of the season; he hasn’t allowed an earned run in 20 innings this year with the Tides.

Saturday, Ronaldo Hernandez hit a two-run homer and Worcester collected 18 hits in a 6-3 victory over the Tides, who played as the Norfolk “Squeezers” before 8,255.

The Tides celebrated the orange crush, a Hampton Roads favorite, by wearing orange Squeezers uniforms. They couldn’t get their offense going, though, managing only five hits and striking out 12 times against Worcester starter Brayan Bello and four relievers.

The Tides were without star shortstop Gunnar Henderson, who played in the All-Star Futures Game Saturday night

at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. Henderson batted leadoff for the National League team, going 0 for 1 with a walk and two runs. The American League stars won 6-4.

Norfolk won’t play again until Friday, when the Tides start a three-game series at Durham. They’ll return to Harbor Park on Aug. 2.