With five home runs and Grayson Rodriguez’s 10 strikeouts, the Norfolk Tides beat Scranton/Wilkes-Barre 8-4 Friday before 5,256 on a fireworks night in Pennsylvania.
Already renowned for offense this year, the International League-leading Tides (42-17) set their season record for homers in a game.
After a 27-minute rain delay, Rodriguez (2-0) won for the second consecutive time since being sent down for refinement by Baltimore. He gave up seven hits but just one walk in six innings, throwing 98 pitches.
Terrin Vavra, also recently demoted from the Orioles, slugged a two-run homer in the third inning off eventual losing pitcher Jhony Brito (1-1). Catcher Jose Godoy added a two-run homer in the fourth against a team for which he played earlier this season, and Connor Norby slugged a solo shot in the fifth.
José Godoy checking with a TATER!🥔🥔
His first home run as a Tide comes against his former team and Norfolk now leads by five!#RisingTide pic.twitter.com/UhDa0vCgb0
— Norfolk Tides (@NorfolkTides) June 10, 2023
The most memorable home run of the night came in the seventh. With the Tides ahead 6-3 in the fifth, Heston Kjerstad — in his second game for Norfolk — hit a fly deep in the outfield.
Center fielder Estevan Florial lost track of it, and it bounced around the warning track. Kjerstad circled the bases for his first Triple-A homer, an inside-the-parker without a throw to the plate.
Off to the races! @hestonkjerstad hits his first Triple-A home run and it’s an inside-the-parker!💨💨💨#RisingTide pic.twitter.com/NfYLAofEc3
— Norfolk Tides (@NorfolkTides) June 10, 2023
Jordan Westburg notched Norfolk’s last home run in the ninth. Godoy scored twice and drew three walks without making an out.
Franchy Cordero homered off Rodriguez and drove in three runs for Scranton, the New York Yankees’ highest farm club.
The series will continue with a 4:05 p.m. doubleheader Saturday.
