Five-run eighth propels Tides to comeback win

Russ Canzler's three-run double in the eighth inning lifted Norfolk to a 7-3 comeback victory over the Gwinnett Braves Sunday afternoon at Harbor Park.

Trailing 3-2, Norfolk mounted its rally against former Oriole reliever Luis Ayala (0-1), who was making a rehab appearance for Gwinnett. Luis Exposito opened the inning with a walk, and Xavier Avery followed by beating out a bunt for an infield hit. Jason Pridie then hit a routine fly ball to right fielder Joey Terdoslavich, but Terdoslavich lost the ball in the sun and it fell in for a single, loading the bases for Henry Urrutia. Urrutia worked a 10-pitch walk to knot the score at 3-3, and Canzler followed with a bases-clearing double to left-center field, chasing Ayala and giving Norfolk a three-run advantage. Two outs later, Yamaico Navarro added an RBI single to score Canzler and extend Norfolk's advantage to 7-3.

The win was Norfolk's eighth this season when trailing after seven innings, the second-most in all of minor league baseball. Only Class-A Fort Wayne (10 wins) has won more games when trailing after seven.

Tides starter Josh Stinson worked seven innings for the second consecutive contest, allowing three runs on four hits. Stinson took a one-hitter into the seventh inning before Gwinnett scored two runs on RBI singles by Jose Yepez and Luis Nunez. He finished with three walks and three strikeouts, throwing 58 of his 95 pitches for strikes.

Manny Delcarmen (2-3) worked a scoreless eighth inning to earn the victory.

The two clubs will continue their five-game series Monday night at Harbor Park, with first pitch set for 1:05. Freddy Garcia (4-0, 2.67) is slated to make the start for Norfolk against Braves right-hander David Hale (2-3, 4.39).

Notes: Earlier Sunday, the Orioles acquired outfielder Eric Thames from Seattle in exchange for Double-A infielder Ty Kelly. Thames was optioned to Norfolk and placed on the disabled list with a non-displaced fracture of the second metacarpal of his left hand… Yamaico Navarro finished with two hits and two RBI, and he's now hit .583 (7-for-12) since being outrighted from Baltimore on June 27…Zelous Wheeler went 0-for-3 with a walk, snapping his hitting streak at 10 games…L.J. Hoes singled twice and his now hitting a league-best .392 over his last 21 games.