NORFOLK, Va. — The Norfolk Tides (28-23) defeated the Worcester Red Sox (23-28), 9-8, on Sunday at Polar Park. The Tides accomplished two comebacks on the day to extend their winning streak to five games. They have won eight of their last nine games.
Worcester started fast again today, scoring first in the second inning. They scored three runs on back-to-back-to-back home runs by Jamie Westbrook, Tyler Heineman, and Eddy Alvarez. It was the first time a Tides opponent hit a home run in three straight plate appearances since Durham did it on August 22, 2016.
Norfolk mounted their comeback from there, responding with an RBI single in the top of the third by Terrin Vavra. In the fourth, the Tides loaded the bases and Nick Maton ripped a two-run single to tie the game at 3-3.
In the fifth, Vavra came through with a go-ahead two-run homer. It was his second home run of the season, both coming in this series. Then it was Maton adding to the Tides lead with a solo shot himself, putting Norfolk up 6-3.
The Red Sox were not done scoring, however. They put up two more runs in the seventh wen Alvarez hit his second homer of the day and Chase Meidroth later hit an RBI double to make it a 6-5 game. Sure enough in the eighth, they tied up the game on an RBI single by Alvarez, then took the lead on an RBI triple by Mark Contreras to make it 7-6. Contreras then scored on an error, capping the eighth inning scoring to make it an 8-6 ball game.
At this point, the Tides were down three, took a three-run lead, then found themselves down two runs again entering the ninth. The first two batters of the inning was set down. But the Tides weren’t done, as Daniel Johnson walked, Hudson Haskin singled and Maton was hit by a pitch to load the bases. That’s when Maverick Handley delivered with a two-run single to left to tie the game.
Following Handley was Jackson Holliday, who did not start today but entered as pinch-hitter in the sixth inning. Holliday was able to knock the ball the other way to score Maton from second base as the eventual game winning run. Ryan Watson entered to pitch in the ninth to close down the Tides 9-8 win.
After a scheduled league off day tomorrow, the Tides begin a six-game homestand at Harbor Park vs. Gwinnett. It will be the second series of the season between the two teams. Neither team has announced their probables.
