Tides Blanked in Loss to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre

MOOSIC, P.A. --- The Norfolk Tides (32-29) lost to the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (36-25), 10-0, on Friday night at PNC Field. In just their second shutout loss of the season, Norfolk registered just five singles, a walk and a hit by pitch and fell to the RailRiders.

Both clubs traded scoreless frames in the first inning, with Norfolk only able to muster run base runner through their first six at bats. In the bottom of the second, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre broke the stalemate with a solo home run from Carlos Narvaez. Then in the bottom of the third, the RailRiders loaded the bases on three straight walks. Ben Rice drove in two runners on a ground rule double to extend Scranton/Wilkes-Barre’s lead to 3-0.

Narvaez continued his hot start at the plate with an RBI double in the third for the RailRiders fourth run of the inning to 5-0. T.J. Rumfield capped off the inning with an RBI single that brought home Narvaez to give Scranton/Wilkes-Barre a 6-0 advantage.

The Tides managed to get runners on in the fourth and fifth innings, with Shayne Fontana even reaching third base in the fifth, but they were not able to bring any runners home to carve into their deficit.

The RailRiders once again scored for the third straight inning when a balk following a walk and a single brought home Elijah Dunham, putting them up 7-0 in the fourth. The RailRiders added on another run in the bottom of the sixth when Rice launched a solo home run to make it 8-0. T.J. Rumfield tacked on two more runs two batters later when he launched a 1-2 pitch over the right field wall for a two-run home run to give Scranton/Wilkes-Barre a 10-0 advantage.

Norfolk was unable to mount a comeback in the top of the ninth after Bryan Baker set down the side in the eighth inning, and they fell to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre for the third time this series and eighth time this season. The Tides have now been swept twice this season, with the first time also coming against the RailRiders on April 13 at Harbor Park.

The Tides will take on the RailRiders tomorrow night in the fifth game of their six-game series. The Tides will start RHP Chayce McDermott (2-3, 3.81), while LHP Edgar Barclay (3-4, 6.35) will take the mound for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. First pitch is 6:05 p.m.

POSTGAME NOTES

Fantastic Fontana: Recording a hit in four at bats in the loss was Shayne Fontana...he has now hit safely in his last three games (since June 2 vs. Gwinnett) and now holds a .318 (7-for-22) batting average against the RailRiders through seven games played this season with four runs, two doubles, two RBI and three walks.

Maton Mashes’: The lone Tides hitter to register a multi-hit game was Nick Maton...he went 2-for-4 with a pair of singles in the loss to break an 0-for-5 skid...Maton has now collected seven multi-hit games with Norfolk this season.

Sweet Luis: The third man out of the bullpen for the Tides tonight was Luis González...in the seventh inning, González allowed two hits while not allowing an earned run and lowering his season ERA to 3.24...González has now worked 13 scoreless outings in 19 appearances this season with the Tides.