Norfolk completed a five-game series sweep in Rochester with a 9-5 win over the Red Wings Sunday afternoon at Frontier Field.
Norfolk completed a five-game series sweep in Rochester with a 9-5 win over the Red Wings Sunday afternoon at Frontier Field.
Cedric Mullins continued his torrid hitting with three hits to help pace the Tides, as Norfolk matched its season-high by registering its sixth consecutive win. The Tides outscored Rochester 21-10 over the five-game set, as Norfolk picked up a series sweep of four games or more over the Red Wings for the first time since 2001 - when the Tides were a Mets affiliate and Rochester was the top farm club of the Orioles.
Pedro Álvarez and Jaycob Brugman both homered in the win, while Luis Sardiñas added a three-run double. Breyvic Valera - acquired by Baltimore from Los Angeles in the Manny Machado trade Thursday - had two hits and drove in two.
Sean Gilmartin (1-0) earned the win with 1.2 innings of shutout relief in back of Jimmy Yacabonis, who surrendered one run and struck out three over 4.1 innings of work. The run allowed by Yacabonis was the only run a Tides starter surrendered in the series, as Norfolk's starters posted a 0.37 ERA (1 ER, 24.1 IP) in the five-game set.
With the win, the Tides pulled within 3.0 games of Durham in the IL South division, and Norfolk is now tied with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre for the IL Wild Card lead - pending Scranton's Sunday night result at Columbus.
After an off day Monday, the Tides return to Harbor Park on Tuesday to kick off a seven-game, six-day homestand. On Tuesday, Norfolk hosts the Syracuse Chiefs in a doubleheader, with first pitch slated for 5:05.
