Norfolk Loses Fourth-Straight Game Against Memphis

NORFOLK, Va. --- The Norfolk Tides (15-20) suffered their fourth-straight loss to the Memphis Redbirds (19-16), 7-2, on Saturday night at Harbor Park.

Both teams scored in the first inning. Memphis plated a run after Conner Capel ripped an RBI single to give the Redbirds an early lead. Norfolk responded immediately when Kyle Stowers knocked in Richie Martin on an automatic double to make it a 1-1 game.

Memphis pulled ahead again in the second by putting up three runs. Cory Spangenberg hit an RBI double to retake the lead. They added two more runs in the inning when Paul DeJong knocked them in with a double. It was DeJong’s first hit in Triple-A this season, making it a 4-1 game for the Redbirds. They then scored one more run in the fourth on an error to make it 5-1.

Neither team would score from the fifth through seven innings. Logan Gillaspie followed Tides starter Blaine Knight with two scoreless innings. Ofelky Peralta followed him and threw a scoreless seventh, but gave up two runs in the eighth when DeJong recorded his third RBI of the night with a single and later gave up an RBI fielder’s choice to make it 7-1.

Norfolk did score a run in the bottom of the eighth thanks to an RBI single by Brett Cumberland but that would be it, as the Tides lost, 7-2. After being originally scratched from his start due to the potential of bad weather, Connor Thomas entered to pitch for Memphis in the fourth inning and was dominant. He earned the win after finishing the game. Tomorrow is the series finale, where LHP DL Hall (0-0, 3.00) will pitch for the Tides while RHP Aaron Brooks (0-1, 4.91) will pitch for Memphis. First pitch at 1:05 p.m.

POSTGAME NOTES

• SPEEDY MARTIN: The team leader in stolen bases is Richie Martin, who stole his eighth bag of the season tonight in what was his 22nd game this year...in 27 games with the Tides last season, Martin had five stolen bases while caught three times, where he’s only been caught once this season...on the night, Martin went 1-for-5 with a run scored.

• RUTSCHMAN REPORT: Last night, Adley Rutschman went 0-for-3 with a walk...dating back to September 19, 2021, Rutschman holds an 19-game on-base streak, which is now the third-longest active on-base streak in the International League (Charles Leblanc went 0-for-4 at Jacksonville tonight). Victor Reyes (24 games, Toledo) and Aristides Aquino (23 games, Louisville) were still playing at the conclusion of tonight’s game.

• The GRASS IS GRENIER: In a 1-for-3 effort with a double and a walk tonight, Cadyn Grenier extend his base on balls streak to three games...that such streak is tied for the third-longest by a Tide this season...Robert Neustrom has the longest such streak with five, from April 12 - 19.

• KID GUTI: Reaching safely twice again was Kelvin Gutiérrez, who went 1-for-3 with a run, a double and a walk...he’s reached base safely multiple times in each of the five games vs. the Redbirds...the five-game on-base streak of reaching safely at least twice matches the second-longest streak for the Tides with Yusniel Díaz (5, April 5 -9) and trails Jahmai Jones (7, April 6 - 14).

• SIT ‘EM DOWN: Tides pitchers struck out eight hitters tonight...in the month of May, Norfolk pitchers have struck out at least eight batters in 11 of 12 games, totaling 115 in the month (9.58 per game).