NORFOLK, Va. - The Gwinnett Stripers scored three runs in the top of the ninth inning to take a 4-2 lead, but the Norfolk Tides tied it with two outs in the bottom of the ninth and won 5-4 in 10 innings Friday night at Harbor Park. D.J. Stewart's walk-off
NORFOLK, Va. - The Gwinnett Stripers scored three runs in the top of the ninth inning to take a 4-2 lead, but the Norfolk Tides tied it with two outs in the bottom of the ninth and won 5-4 in 10 innings Friday night at Harbor Park. D.J. Stewart's walk-off single to center scored Luis Sardiñas for the winning run.
With the loss, Gwinnett dropped to 1-9 in extra-inning games and 2-9 in games decided in walk-off fashion this season.
The Stripers trailed 2-1 heading into the ninth, but Dustin Peterson's opposite-field two-run home run (8) inside the right field foul pole gave Gwinnett a 3-2 lead. Xavier Avery followed with a double, stole third base and scored on a fielding error by first baseman Garabez Rosa to make it 4-2.
The two-run lead wouldn't hold in the bottom of the ninth. Left-hander Michael Mader gave up a leadoff bunt single to Drew Dosch before exiting. Right-hander Jason Hursh (BS, 5) replaced him and struck out the next two batters, but surrendered a two-out double to Mike Yastrzemski and game-tying two-run single to Rubén Tejada before ending the inning to force extras.
In the 10th, the Stripers failed to get Luis Marté home from second base with none out. Tides right-hander Eddie Gamboa (W, 1-0) got Phil Gosselin to ground out to second, struck out Rio Ruiz and induced a fly out from Carlos Franco.
Lefty Rex Brothers (L, 2-4) came on for the bottom of the 10th and promptly served up the single to Stewart.
Prior to the late-inning drama, the game was a pitchers' duel between Stripers southpaw Luiz Gohara and right-hander Asher Wojciechowski of the Tides. Gohara allowed two runs on seven hits and struck out three over 6.0 innings in his longest start of the season, while Wojciechowski tossed 8.0 innings of five-hit, one-run baseball and struck out eight.
Norfolk took a 2-0 lead in the fifth against Gohara as Rosa singled, Yastrzemski doubled, Tejada grounded out to score a run and Cedric Mullins lifted a sacrifice fly.
Gwinnett cut the deficit to 2-1 in the seventh as Peterson and Avery each singled and Jonathan Morales notched an RBI groundout.
Avery led the way offensively for the Stripers, going 3-for-4 with a double, run scored and a stolen base. Peterson finished 2-for-4 with the homer and two RBIs. Austin Riley also went 2-for-4 with a run scored. Ruiz went 0-for-5 to snap his team-best 14-game hitting streak.
Tejada drove in three runs for the Tides, going 1-for-4. Yastrzemski was a perfect 3-for-3 with a double and two runs scored, and Rosa went 3-for-4 with a double and a run scored.
The Stripers (39-52) play game three of the four-game series against the Tides (47-42) on Saturday at Harbor Park. Right-hander Lucas Sims (4-2, 2.04 ERA) is set to start for Gwinnett, carrying a 14.0-inning scoreless streak. Norfolk will counter with left-hander John Means (4-1, 3.23 ERA). First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. Dave Lezotte has the play-by-play call on 97.7 and 93.5 FM "The Other Side of the River" beginning at 6:35 p.m.
