Tides fall to Jacksonville in 2021 Home Opener

Norfolk welcomes over 4,700 fans in return to Harbor Park

May 18, 2021

The Norfolk Tides made their return to Harbor Park Tuesday night, falling to the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp in their 2021 Home Opener by a final score of 4-0. Tides starter Spenser Watkins (6.0 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 4 K, 1 HR) took the loss in his third

The Norfolk Tides made their return to Harbor Park Tuesday night, falling to the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp in their 2021 Home Opener by a final score of 4-0.

Tides starter Spenser Watkins (6.0 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 4 K, 1 HR) took the loss in his third start of the season. Watkins struck out three of the first five batters he faced and allowed just one hit until the fourth inning, when Jacksonville right fielder Jesus Sanchez (1-for-4, HR, RBI, 2 SO) hit an inside-the-park home run off the center field fence to open the scoring. It marked the first inside-the-park home run against the Tides since Louisville’s Reggie Taylor hit one on April 17, 2004.

Jacksonville starter Elieser Hernandez (3.0 IP, 0 H, 2 BB, 4 K) took the no-decision after tossing 3.0 hitless innings. Hernandez was replaced by Nick Neidert (6.0 IP, 6 H, 4 K) in the fourth, who earned his second win of the season after tossing 6.0 scoreless innings of relief to finish the game.

Tides designated hitter Brett Cumberland (2-for-3, BB, SO) collected two hits and drew a walk in his offensive effort, as he has now hit safely in eight of his last nine games since May 7, with five multi-hit performances over that span. Second baseman Ramon Urias (2-for-4, SO) also collected two hits, as he made his Tides debut after being optioned to Norfolk from Baltimore on Sunday.

Norfolk also got scoreless relief outings from Fernando Abad (0.2 IP, 1 BB, 1 K), Dusten Knight (1.0 IP, 1 K) and Isaac Mattson (1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 K) on the evening, as Tides reliever Manny Barreda (0.1 IP, 2 H, 1 ER) surrendered his first earned run of the season in the seventh after having tossed 7.0 scoreless innings of relief over his first three outings of the season.

Before the game, Tides President Ken Young welcomed the 4,760 fans in attendance back to Harbor Park and the Tides held a moment of silence for all of those affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. It was the first home game for the Tides in 624 days.

The Tides and Jumbo Shrimp square off in game two of their six-game set on Wednesday, May 19, with first pitch set for 6:35 pm from Harbor Park.