Extra Innings Fall in Gwinnett's Favor Thursday

NORFOLK, VA --- The Norfolk Tides (9-15) fell to the Gwinnett Stripers (12-11), 2-1, in 10 innings on Thursday at Harbor Park. The game went into extra innings in the pitcher’s duel, where Gwinnett managed to scratch across a run and earned the win.

Connor Norby led the bottom half of the first off with a home run for Norfolk. Gwinnett answered right back in the second with an RBI single by Sebastián Rivero to tie the game at 1-1.

The game was a pitcher’s duel from then. Tides starter Cade Povich struck out the first five batters he faced prior to allowing the RBI knock to Rivero. He would finish with 4.2 innings, allowing the one run on three hits and one walk while striking out seven.

On the other end, Gwinnett’s Dylan Dodd would not allow another hit until the seventh inning. The Tides threatened when Kyle Stowers and Billy Cook led the seventh off with a single, then advanced to second and third on a sac bunt by Ryan McKenna. But Dodd successfully left the inning without allowing a run. He finished with 7.0 innings pitched, and had a similar line to Povich with one run allowed on three hits, one walk and had seven strikeouts.

The bullpen was strong for both teams as well. For Norfolk, Nick Vespi followed Povich with 2.1 innings of scoreless ball and two strikeouts. Bryan Baker also tossed a scoreless eighth with two strikeouts, then Wandisson Charles followed with a scoreless ninth. Gwinnett’s Brooks Wilson and Ken Giles each had a scoreless inning, forcing extra innings.

Into extras, Gwinnett scored one run in the 10th on a wild pitch. Giles continued to pitch well into the 10th and held the Tides down, resulting in a 2-1 loss for the Tides.

The Tides will try to snap their three game losing streak tomorrow night with first pitch at 6:35 at Harbor Park. RHP Kyle Bradish (0-0, 10.80) will make another MLB rehab start tomorrow for the Tides, while LHP Zach Logue (0-1, 1.86) will be on the hill for Gwinnett.

POSTGAME NOTES

Povich Pitches: It was another impressive outing for Tides starter Cade Povich, who tossed 4.2 innings and allowed one run on three hits and one walk while striking out seven...it was his fourth straight game with at least seven strikeouts, the first Tide to do so since DL Hall from July 1 - 17...Povich now has 40 strikeouts through four starts, which leads all of Minor League Baseball...he also leads the International League in ERA (1.03), opponent’s average (.116), opponent’s slugging (.174) and ranks second in WHIP (0.76).