Tides Belt Five Home Runs in Second Straight Win

MEMPHIS, TN --- The Norfolk Tides (18-17) beat the Memphis Redbirds (17-17), 12-3, on Wednesday night at Autozone Park. The Tides launched four home runs in the win and are now 13-7 through their first 20 games away from Harbor Park.

The Tides loaded the bases in the top of the first inning thanks to three straight walks. Then, Kyle Stowers drove in Jackson Holliday on a sacrifice fly out to give Norfolk a 1-0 lead. The next batter, Billy Cook, also collected a sacrifice fly out to bring in Connor Norby and extend the Tides lead to 2-0.

Memphis tied the game up in the bottom half of the inning on a two-run homer from Cesar Prieto, but Norfolk quickly retook the lead in the following frame when Holliday launched a solo home run, his third of the season, to give the Tides a 3-2 advantage.

In the top of the fourth, Nick Maton launched his second home run in as many games to give the Tides a 4-2 lead. Then with two outs in the top of the fifth, Norby hit a 2-0 pitch over the left field wall for his eighth home run of the season to give Norfolk a 5-2 lead.

Continuing the home run barrage in the sixth, Daniel Johnson hit his fifth home run of the season, another solo shot that traveled 433 feet and put the Tides up 6-2. It was the fourth straight inning that the Tides hit a solo home run. After Memphis added a run back in the bottom half of the inning, Holliday roped an RBI single in the top of the seventh to score Shayne Fontana and extend the Tides lead to 7-3.

The Tides tacked on two more runs in the top of the eighth, extending their lead to 9-3 following an RBI fielder’s choice by Fontana and a ground ball from Holliday that brought home Maton. Johnson capped off the offensive evening with his second home run of the night, a three run shot that gave the Tides a 12-3 win.

The Tides will take on the Redbirds tomorrow night in the third game of their six-game series. RHP Chayce McDermott (1-1, 2.89) is slated to start for Norfolk, while LHP Zack Thompson (1-0, 0.00) will take the mound for Memphis. First pitch is 12:05 p.m.

POSTGAME NOTES

Holliday Season: In the win, Jackson Holliday went 2-for-4 with a home run, two RBI, a walk and two runs...the long ball was his third of the season and second on the road...the Tides are now 3-0 when Holliday hits a home run.

The Jet Takes Off: Going 2-for-4 with two home runs, four RBI, a walk and three runs tonight was Daniel Johnson...the performance was his first multi-home run effort since May 10, 2019 with Akron at Reading...Johnson is now batting .302 (13-for-43) with nine runs, a double, a triple, four home runs, 14 RBI and seven walks in road games this season.