Norfolk Falls to Memphis in One-Sided Affair

NORFOLK, VA --- The Norfolk Tides (86-55) fell to the Memphis Redbirds (67-75), 13-4, on Friday Night at Harbor Park. The visiting Redbirds got out to an early lead and didn’t look back, tagging the Norfolk squad with a loss to even the series at two apiece.

A leadoff walk drawn by Michael Siani in the opening frame created early traffic on the basepaths for Memphis. Siani would eventually come around to score on a Juan Yepez single to right to put the Redbirds in front. They continued to produce in the following frame, scratching their second run of the game on a Moisés Gómez double for the two-run advantage over the Tides. After a few scoreless frames, Gómez struck again with another RBI double to extend the Memphis lead to three in the sixth.

Breaking up the Memphis shutout bid with a solo home run in the home half of the sixth was Coby Mayo who lined a ball down the left field line for a round-tripper that came off the bat at 106.1 MPH with a launch angle of 19 degrees.

A quick response extended the Redbirds lead as Matt Koperniak lined a three-run blast to right-center in the seventh. An RBI single from Yepez in the eighth added another for Memphis. They continued to pile on in the ninth, capping a six-run inning with a Thomas Saggese three-run home run. While the Tides plated three runs in their final turn at bat with Kyle Stowers and Lewin Díaz roping RBI doubles, but the rally would end there and the Tides fell to Memphis by a 13-4 score.

Norfolk is back in action tomorrow night with first pitch scheduled for 6:35 p.m. against Memphis. Scheduled to take the hill for the Tides is LHP Cade Povich (2-3, 6.03) while LHP Connor Thomas (4-4, 5.68) will toe the rubber for the Redbirds.