Tides Swept in Doubleheader to Open Road Trip in Charlotte

The Norfolk Tides were swept by the Charlotte Knights in a doubleheader Wednesday night to open up a six-game road trip. They lost on two walk-offs in a, 9-5, game one loss and a, 6-5, loss in eight innings for game two. This spoiled Adley Rutschman’s big game one, where he went 3-for-4 with two runs, and his first Triple-A homer of the season.

Rutschman’s home run came right off the bat in the first inning of game one. He hit it to center for his 19th homer overall this season. The Tides would get another run in the second inning when Tyler Nevin hit an RBI double to score Jahmai Jones from first, giving Norfolk an early, 2-0, lead.

The moment we've all been waiting for! @RutschmanAdley lasered his first career Triple-A home run over the center field wall to start tonight's game! Tides up, 1-0, in Charlotte. pic.twitter.com/YRYRjyYd9R

— Norfolk Tides (@NorfolkTides) August 18, 2021

Charlotte didn’t score until the bottom of the fourth inning, tying the game with back-to-back home runs. Mikie Mahtook hit the first solo home run and then Micker Adolfo followed with one himself to tie the game at 2-2.

Jones broke that tie in the top of the fifth with a three-run blast. Robert Neustrom walked and Rutschman singled before Jones plated everyone on a homer. Norfolk was up, 5-2, after that.

Tides take the lead! @jamjones7 crushes this pitch for three runs! It's Jahmai Jones' ninth home run of the season.

Tides lead, 5-3, in the bottom of the 5th. pic.twitter.com/cqA6a8AsUN

— Norfolk Tides (@NorfolkTides) August 18, 2021

The Knights’ offense didn’t slow down afterwards. They clawed back within one run when they hit two more homers in the fifth inning. The first came from Zach Remillard, his 11th of the season. Then Yasmani Grandal hit the second one two batters later, his first with Knights since playing on MLB rehab.

Charlotte tied the game in the bottom of the sixth when Remillard had an RBI groundout with the bases loaded. They ended up winning the game in the bottom of the seventh when Mahtook hit his second home run of the game, a grand slam, to give the Knights a, 9-5, game one win.

The Tides started game two with a run after Neustrom scored on a throwing error. But Charlotte came right back, scoring two runs in the bottom-half. They tied the game with a sacrifice fly by Gavin Sheets. Jake Burger followed with a go-ahead sacrifice fly to take the, 2-1, lead.

In the bottom of the third, Adolfo hit his second home run of the day to go up, 4-1. But Norfolk responded with a solo home run themselves by Rylan Bannon. Bannon, the reigning Triple-A East player of the week, has 10 home runs this season and six in his last six games.

Bannon does it again! The reigning Triple-A East Player of the Week @RBannon4 hits a solo home run, his ninth of the season and the sixth in his last six games. 💪💪 pic.twitter.com/KRCT9p9vEm

— Norfolk Tides (@NorfolkTides) August 19, 2021

After trailing, 4-2, entering the fifth inning, Ryan McKenna tied the game with a two-run homer to tie the game, 4-4. McKenna then hit the go-ahead RBI in the top of the sixth to go up, 5-4.

ALL TIED UP!!! @Ry\_mac35 blasts a two-run homer to tie the game at 4-4 in the top of the 5th. It's McKenna's 7th home run with the Tides this season, pic.twitter.com/BSOlF4DaYc

— Norfolk Tides (@NorfolkTides) August 19, 2021

Felix Bautista entered to close the game for the Tides. He ended up blowing the save, allowing one run on three hits and a walk. Charlotte ended up winning game two, 6-5, in the bottom of the eighth inning after a second walk-off of the day. This time, it was Laz Rivera to seal the deal with an RBI double.

Game three of the series starts tomorrow night at 7:04 p.m. in Charlotte, with Norfolk throwing RHP Ofelky Peralta (2-0, 6.32) against Charlotte’s LHP John Parke (1-0, 1.29).