Cumberland Hits Milestone Home Run in Norfolk Loss
NORFOLK, Va., --- The Pajaritos de Norfolk (11-6) fell to the Cervezas de Durham (6-11), 7-5, on Saturday night at Harbor Park, in front of a crowd season-high crowd of 8,075. Both teams took the field in their Copa de la Diversion identities, a season-long event series specifically designed to
NORFOLK, Va., --- The Pajaritos de Norfolk (11-6) fell to the Cervezas de Durham (6-11), 7-5, on Saturday night at Harbor Park, in front of a crowd season-high crowd of 8,075. Both teams took the field in their Copa de la Diversion identities, a season-long event series specifically designed to embrace the culture and values that resonate most with participating teams' local U.S. Hispanic/Latino communities.
Durham jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first, highlighted by a three-run homer from Tristan Gray. Norfolk responded with two runs in their first time up, through an RBI-walk from Robert Neustrom and an RBI-single by Brett Cumberland. The Cervezas scored three more runs in the second, taking a 7-2 lead that would hold the rest of the night.
The Pajaritos would attempt to mount a late rally by scoring three times in the sixth to cut the lead to 7-5. Cumberland sparked the offense by blasting a two-run shot to right field. That home run was the 5,000th home run by Norfolk as a Triple-A franchise. Two batters later, Cadyn Grenier launched a solo shot, his first of the year.
Despite the loss, the Norfolk bullpen did not allow a run over 7.2 innings, combining for eight strikeouts. Kevin Smith worked 4.0 innings in relief, allowing two hits while fanning two. Smith has not allowed a run in his last 9.0 innings, spanning three games. He has allowed one earned run or fewer in all four of his outings this season.
Tyler Nevin went 3-for-4 with a run and a double, his second-straight game with three hits.
Norfolk takes on Durham in the series finale tomorrow afternoon, with first pitch slated for 1:35 p.m. RHP Cody Sedlock (2-0, 5.40) is set to take the mound for the Tides, with the Bulls starter yet to be announced.
POSTGAME NOTES
❖ MR. 5000: In the sixth inning of tonight’s game, Brett Cumberland launched a two-run home run, his third of the year, marking the 5000th home run that the Tides have hit as a Triple-A franchise...Cumberland has launched all three of his long balls this season in this series, after homering twice on Thursday.
❖ THREE-HIT TYLER: Tyler Nevin went 3-for-4 with a run and a double to post his second-straight game with three hits...over his last eight games, he has three, three-hit performances...he is the only Norfolk batter this season to have more than one three-hit game this season.
❖ KEVIN!: Kevin Smith worked 4.0 scoreless innings in relief tonight, yielding just two hits while striking out two and walking one...over his last 9.0 innings, dating back to April 10 vs. Charlotte, Smith has not given up a run, while allowing just five hits over his last 36 batters faced...he has whiffed eight batters compared to three walks issued during that span.