The Pride of Pigtown blasts the Tides’ Streak to Four
The Norfolk Tides won their fourth straight game with a 7-6 comeback win over Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Tuesday night with a phenomenal performance from their catcher, The Pride of Pigtown, Steve Clevenger. Clevenger went four-for-four with three doubles, five RBI and one run scored.
Before Tuesday night’s performance, Clevenger was 0-11 in three games with Norfolk since being optioned from the Orioles May 30. Fittingly enough, Clevenger batted in the first and last runs of the game, both with doubles.
Chris Marrero scored in the first inning when Clevenger doubled to center field with two out. In the third inning Julio Borbon hit a solo homerun to right field, increasing Norfolk’s lead to 2-0.
Norfolk held the lead until the sixth inning. Norfolk starter Josh Stinson allowed two base runners in the first inning and then retired the next 14 before he walked centerfielder Antoan Richardson to start a disastrous sixth inning from the Tides’ perspective.
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre sent 11 batters to the plate in the bottom of the sixth, scored six runs on four hits, two doubles and two triples, and three walks. Stinson was charged with three runs while reliever Chris Jones was charged with the other three in no part of an inning worked. Stinson on the night gave up three hits, two coming in the sixth, walked two and struck out six.
Stinson threw 89 pitches Tuesday night and disregarding that sixth inning, he pitched very well. At the end of the sixth inning, Norfolk’s lead had vanished and trailed 6-3.
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre’s three-run lead would not last long however. Norfolk scored one run in the top of the seventh by a sacrifice fly from Steve Clevenger, cutting the lead by two.
Norfolk’s relief pitchers Tim Alderson and Heath Bell pitched 2.2 scoreless innings to give the Tides a chance to win the game in the ninth. The ninth inning was very much like the rest of the game, dramatic.
Julio Borbon led the inning off with a ground out to the second baseman. Quintin Berry followed Borbon up with a ground out to the shortstop for the second out in the inning.
The next batter, Chris Marrero, singled to centerfield followed by a walk to Xavier Paul to bring Clevenger to the plate. A wild pitch then allowed Marrero to advance to third with Paul staying on first.
The next pitch, Clevenger belted a double to centerfield scoring both Marrero and Paul and giving Norfolk a 7-6 they would hold on to. Evan Meek entered the game in bottom of the ninth and recorded a one-two-three inning for his third straight save.
Norfolk and Scranton/Wilkes-Barre go again in the middle game of a three-game series tonight in Scranton. Kevin Gausman (1-3 2.40) starts for the Tides opposite Joel De La Cruz (1-3 3.03) for the RailRiders.
