Tides Blanked On Friday Night

NORFOLK, VA --- The Norfolk Tides (38-17) fell to the Gwinnett Stripers (24-31), 16-0, on Friday night at Harbor Park. The Tides could not keep Stripers batters off the basepaths as they allow a season-high in runs in the shutout loss.

Both sides were held scoreless through the opening frames until the top of the fourth rolled around in which Daniel Robertson lined a double into the left-center gap that brought Nick Solak around for the game’s first run. The Stripers jumped out to a 3-0 lead after Eli White and Forrest Wall checked in with consecutive RBI singles later in the inning.

The Stripers continued to rally when Vaughn Grissom knocked a double into right-center to plate two runs. The fourth inning onslaught would continue after Chris Vallimont was relieved as another RBI knock extended the Gwinnett lead to six.

In the top of the fifth, Joe Dunand found himself in a favorable hitter’s count and launched a ball to center field, clearing the wall and adding yet another Stripers run. The Gwinnett momentum would continue into the following frame as an RBI double off the bat of Yolmer Sánchez extended the visitor’s lead to eight runs.

After the 11th walk of the night from Tides pitchers brought in a ninth run for Gwinnett, Michael Mantecón, tonight’s backup catcher, entered the game to take over on the mound. The Stripers would put up eight runs in the eighth and continued to keep the Tides off the board, resulting in a 16-0 loss for Norfolk.

Norfolk looks to get back in the win column tomorrow night against Gwinnett with first pitch scheduled for 6:35 p.m. The Tides are expected to send RHP Grayson Rodriguez (0-0, 4.50) to the mound. The Stripers have yet to announce a starter.

POSTGAME NOTES

Rosa Gold: Continuing to impress in his short time with the Tides so far this season is Joseph Rosa who went 2-for-4 at the dish tonight with a double...it is his fifth multi-hit game of the season and he has collected at least one hit in eight of 10 games with Norfolk this year...in his 10 games with the Tides, he is batting .378 (14-for-37) with five runs scored, six doubles, four RBI and a stolen base...in his seven year playing career in affiliated ball, it is only the second time he has collected at least six doubles in a ten-game stretch, with the most recent being in a stretch of games in 2017 from June 26 - July 7 that year.

Norby Knocks: Hitting out of the leadoff spot for the Tides tonight was Connor Norby who went 1-for-4 at the plate...since game one of a doubleheader on April 28, Norby has not gone back-to-back games without a hit...in that span, he is batting .303 (43-for-142)...among International League batters in that span, he ranks second in hits (43) and is tied for second in doubles (15) with Ronny Mauricio (SYR) while ranking sixth in extra-base hits (18) and tied for seventh in total bases (67) with Davis Schneider (BUF).