Bats Go Quiet for Norfolk in Series Opening Loss

NORFOLK, Va --- The Norfolk Tides (7-3) fell to the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (5-4), 5-2, on Tuesday night at Harbor Park. Coby Mayo launched his third home run of the season in the loss, while Jackson Holliday collected his seventh extra base hit of the year.

Neither team scored until the third inning when Josh VanMeter broke the scoring open for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on an RBI single. Two batters later, Everson Pereira knocked a two-run single to put them up 3-0.

That would be the only hiccup for Tides starter Justin Armbruester. He finished his night with 5.2 innings of work, allowing three runs on three hits and two walks while striking out six. He threw 85 pitches, 52 for strikes.

The Tides gave Armbruester only one run of support while he was pitching. In the fourth, Mayo launched a home run 429 feet to center field to break up the shutout. It was his third home run of the season to bring the score to 3-1.

Edgar Barclay was a problem for the Tides as the RailRider’s starter. He went 5.0 innings and only allowed the home run with seven strikeouts. Cody Morris replaced him in the sixth and tossed 3.0 scoreless innings himself. The RailRiders supported their staff’s efforts further in the eighth on a two-run homer by Everson Pereira to go up, 5-1.

Yerry De Los Santos entered the game in the ninth to finish the game for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, but the Tides were able to load the bases on him. Down to their last strike, Connor Norby knocked an RBI infield single to keep the game alive, but Norfolk was unable to pull off the comeback in the ninth, falling 5-2 in the opening game of the series.

RHP Chayce McDermott (0-0, 3.52) will start on the hill for the Tides tomorrow, while the Rail Riders will throw RHP Tanner Tully (0-1, 6.00) in the second game of the series. First pitch at 6:35 p.m.

POSTGAME NOTES

Mayo Puts Some Mustard on it: Tides third baseman Coby Mayo launched the lone home run of the night for Norfolk...coming off the bat at 106.7 MPH, the home run traveled 429 feet, making it the fourth-longest home run by a Tide this season...it’s also the furthest home run he’s recorded since a 441-foot blast off Worcester’s Oddanier Mosqueda on September 1, 2023.

Just(in) Throwin’ Strikes: Striking out six batters through 5.2 innings in his second start of the season was Justin Armbruester...the righty has now fanned 75 batters through 16 starts with Norfolk while holding opposing hitters to a .245 average.

Connor Can Do It!: Extending his hitting streak to seven games tonight was Connor Norby, who finished 1-for-2 with an RBI and three walks...since the start of his streak (April 2 at CLT), Norby is slashing .400/.500/.800/1.300 with 11 runs, three doubles, three home runs, 11 RBI and six walks...three free passes is the most that Norby has worked in a game since August 23, 2023 vs. Durham...he currently ranks fifth among all Triple-A hitters with 15 RBI, is tied for second with Heston Kjerstad in runs (13) and is tied with Peyton Burdick for the second-highest on-base percentage among Tides hitters (.472).