The Norfolk Tides’ winning streak ended at two as the Memphis Redbirds scored in the bottom of the ninth for a 3-2 victory Thursday afternoon before 6,383 at AutoZone Park in Tennessee.
With two out, Memphis’ César Prieto, who played 27 games for the Tides last season before Baltimore traded him to St. Louis, reached on a single to shortstop as Victor Scott II came home from third with the winning run.
The Tides (18-18), who hit six home runs in the series’ first two games, endured a highly unusual offensive day, collecting just four hits off three pitchers but drawing 10 walks. Jackson Holliday scored both Norfolk runs.
Tides starter Chayce McDermott gave up five hits and a walk in five innings and struck out eight. The runs off him came on solo home runs in the second by Gavin Collins and in the fifth by three-time St. Louis MLB All-Star Matt Carpenter, 38, who is trying to make a comeback in the Cardinals’ organization.
In between, the Tides scored in the second without a hit. Holliday coaxed a leadoff walk from left-hander Zach Thompson. Two outs later, Holliday stole second and third base. He crossed the plate when ball four to Daniel Johnson, the third walk of the inning, was a wild pitch.
Thompson walked seven, but gave up no hits in three innings.
In the seventh, the Tides pulled even at 2. Holliday walked with one out and went to third on Connor Norby’s single. Coby Mayo then lined out to shortstop Arquímedes Gamboa, who threw the ball away while trying for an inning-ending double play, allowing Holliday to score.
In the ninth, Memphis (18-17) won without hitting the ball beyond the infield. Tides reliever Matt Krook walked Collins, and Scott came in as the pinch runner. Former Old Dominion standout Jared Young sacrificed Scott to second base, Nick Dunn walked and Gamboa’s groundout to Krook moved the runners to second and third. Prieto’s grounder then gave the Redbirds their first win of the series. Memphis reliever Jacob Bosiokovic (2-0) pitched two hitless innings for the victory.
The six-game set resumes at 1:05 p.m. Friday.
