Tides Rally But Come Up Short in Extra Innings
Jose Costanza delivered the game-winner for the Braves. With runners on second and third base and Nick Bierbrodt fresh into the game, Costanza's ground out to Brendan Harris at shortstop allowed Daniel Nelson to cross the plate and give the Braves a 6-5 lead. Wilkin Ramirez trotted home a batter later on a Bierbrodt wild pitch.
Mark Worrell (0-1, 4.76) took the loss after being charged with both runs in the final frame. The righty tossed a scoreless tenth frame, but served up a lead-off single to Nelson open the eleventh. The Braves tried to get Nelson into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt from Wilkin Ramirez, but Worrell's unsuccessful attempt to nab Nelson at second base gave Gwinnett two runners on with no outs. Castillo followed with a successful sacrifice bunt of his own to push each runner up a base and set up Constanza's game winner.
The Tides had a chance in the tenth inning to walk off with a win when Brendan Harris reached on a two-out error by third baseman Diory Hernandez that extended the inning and gave Norfolk runners at first and second base, but Craig Tatum followed with a fly out to center field that ended the threat.
The Tides fell behind early as the Braves jumped all over starting pitcher Steve Johnson in his Harbor Park debut. The righthanded pitcher lasted just 3.2 innings on the day, allowing five earned runs on nine hits.
Ramirez was the first Braves hitter to get to Johnson, delivering a one-out two-run double in the second inning that gave the Atlanta affiliate an early 2-0 lead. Gwinnett pushed across two more runs in the third inning, set up by a Jordan Schafer double that gave the Braves runners at second and third base. Ed plated one of the runners with an RBI groundout and Diory Hernandez plated the other with a sacrifice fly to center field. Schafer later added and RBI of his own in the fourth inning that ran Johnson from the game.
But the Tides would make a push in the middle innings to get Johnson off the hook. Rhyne Hughes started the comeback for the Tides in the sixth inning with a one-out solo shot that made the score 5-2 and set the tone for a big seventh inning off Braves reliever Yohan Flande.
Birthday boy Ryan Adams led-off the frame with the third of his game-high four hits. Consecutive doubles by Brandon Snyder and Josh Bell plated two runs and brought the home team to within a run of the Braves. Following a groundout by Hughes that moved Bell to third base, the Braves brought in Cory Gearrin to pitch to Nick Green. Green greeted the reliever with a sacrifice fly to right field that tied the game at 5-5.
Chris George tossed 5.1 innings of one-hit baseball to keep the Tides in the game. The lefty reliever allowed no runs and struck out four batters.
Jose Lugo (1-0, 0.00) picked up the win in relief, pitching a scoreless tenth inning. Juan Abreu pitched a scoreless eleventh inning to get the save.
Todd Redmond started the game for the Braves and allowed just two runs in 5.2 innings.
The two clubs will finish off their four-game set Friday night at 7:15 p.m. The Tides will try to salvage the series when they send LH Mike Ballard (1-1, 3.00) to the mound. The Braves will counter with RH Jacob Thompson (0-0, 8.59).