Five-run Comeback Spoiled by RailRiders Late Home Run

MOOSIC, Pa --- The Norfolk Tides (31-28) fell to the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (35-24), 7-6, on Wednesday night at PNC Field. The Tides were down 6-1 at one point but managed to climb back to tie the game on five unanswered runs. A home run in the seventh inning by the RailRiders stopped the Tides’ comeback.

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre exploded for five runs in the first inning. Ben Rice broke the scoring open with an RBI single. Two batters later, Taylor Trammell belted a double with the bases loaded to score three runs. Greg Allen capped their big inning with an RBI single that scored Trammell to put the game at 5-0 early.

The first run scored by Norfolk came in the third inning when Heston Kjerstad knocked a two-out RBI triple. But the RailRiders took that run right back when Jeter Downs knocked an RBI single to make the game 6-1 after three innings.

The Tides started crawling back in the fifth inning with two runs, with both Jackson Holliday and Daniel Johnson hitting RBI singles. Another three runs scored in the sixth to tie the game, with all three happening consecutively. Norfolk loaded the bases with three singles to start the inning, followed by an RBI single by Errol Robinson. Jackson Holliday was next and beat out a double play to get the RBI. Kjerstad knocked in the final run on a sacrifice fly to tie the game at 6-6.

The comeback was spoiled, however. The RailRiders got the go-ahead home run the needed from Rice to eventually top the Tides, 7-6. The loss by Norfolk tonight evens the series at 1-1.

Game three of the series is at 6:35 p.m. tomorrow. RHP Carlos Tavera (Triple-A debut) is on the hill for Norfolk, while LHP Josh Maciejewski (1-0, 2.70) will start for the RailRiders.

POSTGAME NOTES

Holliday Season: Extending his career-high hitting streak to 11 games today was Jackson Holliday, who went 2-for-4 with two runs, two RBI and a walk...it was his 12th multi-hit game...it also extended Holliday’s on-base streak to 19 games...during the on-base streak, which started on May 15, Holliday is hitting .290 (20-for-69) with 20 runs, six doubles, three home runs, 11 RBI and 18 walks while slashing .437/.507/.944.

Cheddar Kjerstad: Going 1-for-4 with an RBI triple and a sac fly RBI tonight was Heston Kjerstad...he leads the league in RBI (48), OPS (1.077) and slugging percentage (.671), while also ranking sixth in average (.323) and tied for fifth in runs (39).

Our Vavra-ite: Also getting multiple hits tonight was Terrin Vavra, who went 2-for-4 with a run...he’s hit safely in three straight games, batting .429 (6-for-14)...today was Vavra’s 75th career game with Norfolk, where he’s hitting .316 (92-for-291) with 21 doubles, six home runs and 38 RBI... in his Triple-A career he has hit better against right-handed pitchers (.340, 70-for-206) than vs. lefties (.259, 22-for-85).