Tides Stifled In Series Opening Loss

NORFOLK, VA --- The Norfolk Tides (84-54) fell to the Memphis Redbirds (66-73), 3-2, on Tuesday night at Harbor Park. A pitcher’s duel in the series opener favors the visitors as an early Memphis home run proves to be the difference in the game.

Kicking off the final home series of the season for the Tides with a scoreless frame to open play was Justin Armbruester who worked around a leadoff walk while recording a strikeout to end the top of the first.

It was Memphis who got on the board first this evening with Kramer Robertson taking a 2-2 pitch the other way for a three-run blast that landed in the party deck, giving the Redbirds the early lead.

The Tides responded in the third when Daz Cameron put a ball in the air to center field with the bases loaded to scratch a run on a sacrifice fly to put Norfolk on the board.

An inning later, Norfolk tacked on another with Coby Mayo singling through the left side of the infield to bring Jackson Holliday around from second for the second run of the game for the Tides, pulling within one run of the Memphis lead in the fourth.

A bullpen combination of TJ McFarland, Mike Baumann, and Tyler Wells kept Memphis out of the hit column, racking up four strikeouts over the last three innings to keep the Tides within striking distance. Norfolk was unable to rally, and the Redbirds came away with the 3-2 series opening win.

Norfolk looks to get back in the win column tomorrow night with first pitch scheduled for 6:35 p.m. against Memphis. Scheduled to take the hill for the Tides is RHP Austin Voth (0-0, 4.32) while RHP Jake Woodford (0-1, 2.55) will toe the rubber for the Redbirds.

POSTGAME NOTES

Extra Mayo: Staying hot at the dish tonight was Coby Mayo who went 1-for-3 with an RBI and a walk...in 23 games since August 17, he has hit safely in 18, batting .317 (26-for-82) with 16 runs, four doubles, seven home runs, 26 RBI and 21 walks while slashing .467/.622/1.089 over that span.

Here Comes The Bemboom: Checking in with a multi-hit game out of the eight-hole tonight was Anthony Bemboom who went 2-for-4 at the plate...he has now hit safely in each of his last four games with the Tides, including three multi-hit efforts, and is batting .471 (8-for-17) with a double and an RBI in those games.

Armbruester’s Ice Cream: Turning in a quality start on the mound tonight was Justin Armbruester who tallied six innings while allowing three runs on two hits with five walks and six strikeouts...it was his first quality start as a Tide...he has now punched out at least six batters in each of his most recent four starts.