Home Runs Lift Tides to Series Victory at Memphis

MEMPHIS, Tn --- The Norfolk Tides (20-19) defeated the Memphis Redbirds (19-19), 8-5, on Sunday at AutoZone Park. The Tides hit four home runs, all of which were go-ahead homers in a back-and-forth series finale. Norfolk prevailed and clinched a 4-2 series win at Memphis, and complete an 8-4 two-week road trip. In all, they’ve won 11 of their previous 15 games.

Billy Cook was hot the entire road trip, and kicked the game off with a two-run homer in the first inning. Memphis didn’t respond until the third inning, when Alfonso Rivas III and Jordan Walker knocked RBI singles to tie the game up at 2-2.

The back-and-forth scoring starting in the fifth inning when Norfolk’s Maverick Handley belted a go-ahead solo homer. Memphis responded in the bottom-half when Walker hit a sacrifice fly to tie it up. Sure enough, the Tides took the lead in the sixth when Coby Mayo belted his 13th home run of the season to put Norfolk up 4-3.

Luken Baker, the reigning International League MVP, had a great series and hit a home run in the seventh. It was the second consecutive game he’s homered. Like clockwork, Norfolk hit their fourth go-ahead home run of the game when Shayne Fontana belted a solo shot in the eighth.

The Tides didn’t stop there, scoring three more runs in the eighth. Kyle Stowers knocked a two-run single. Terrin Vavra, who turned 27 today, played his first game of the season with Norfolk and knocked an RBI single to put the score at 8-4.

Memphis would score a run in the ninth, but could not mount a comeback as the Tides won, 8-4. After a league off-day tomorrow, the Tides will host the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs for a six-game series. The Iron Pigs are the affiliate for the Philadelphia Phillies. First pitch is 6:35 p.m. Tuesday, with neithe team announcing their probables.

POSTGAME NOTES

Extra Mayo: Going 2-for-4 with two runs, a double and a solo home run today was Coby Mayo...it was his 13th home run of the season, which leads the International League...he also leads the league in hits (48), RBI (37), and extra-base hits (25)...Mayo is on pace to hit 50 home runs with the Tides this season.

Stay Cookin’: Staying hot today was Billy Cook, who went 1-for-4 with a two-run homer...his on-base percentage is .400 between Norfolk and Bowie, good for third-highest in the Orioles farm system so far behind Jackson Holliday (.456) and Dylan Beavers (.402)...Cook played in 11 of the 12 games this road trip, hitting .270 (10-for-37) with 10 runs, three doubles, a triple, two home runs, eight RBI and 10 walks while slashing .462/.568/1.030.