The Norfolk Tides could have delighted a sellout crowd of 12,164 on a Saturday night of fireworks by clinching a berth in the International League championship series, but the Worcester Red Sox didn’t let it happen.
Boston’s top farm club defeated the Tides 8-6 and 5-2 in seven-inning contests, leaving Norfolk’s IL lead at six games. The second-place St. Paul Saints lost 12-1 at Louisville, so the Tides’ magic number — the combination of Norfolk wins and St. Paul losses — to clinch the IL first-half title enters Sunday at 2.
The Tides (45-22) will close their homestand at 1:05 p.m. Sunday with a Father’s Day rematch against the Red Sox (34-34). If Norfolk wins and St. Paul loses, the Tides will take their first playoff berth since 2015 and will have the home-field advantage in the best-of-three championship series against a team to be named — likely the second-half champion.
In Game 1, Worcester’s Brian Dalbec was 3 for 4 with three runs. The Red Sox scored in four consecutive innings, capped by Dalbec’s homer in the top of the fifth, to go ahead 5-0 off Norfolk starter Drew Rom. The Tides cut the deficit to 5-2 in the bottom of the fifth with Maverick Handley scoring on a Colton Cowser groundout and Ben DeLuzio coming home on a Connor Norby doubled.
In the sixth, the Tides pulled even. Robbie Glendinning hit a two-run double to center, then scored on Cowser’s infield single.
But the Red Sox answered in the seventh off reliever Ryan Watson (3-3) with a go-ahead solo homer by Enmanuel Valdez and a two-run shot by Ronaldo Hernandez.
The Tides’ Heston Kjerstad belted a home run in the seventh, but Ryan Sherriff still earned a save.
GONE! @hestonkjerstad launches his third career Triple-A home run!#RisingTide pic.twitter.com/AehCXww95d
— Norfolk Tides (@NorfolkTides) June 17, 2023
Game 2’s biggest blow, by far, was Emmanuel Valdez’s grand slam off Chris Vallimont (2-4) in the third inning. That gave Worcester a 4-1 advantage over the Tides, who were playing in the nightcap as the Norfolk Squeezers in honor of the orange drink.
Norfolk’s runs came on homers by Norby in the first and Lewin Diaz in the fourth, both off starter Brandon Walter.
.@LewinDiaz4 goes yard left of the batter’s eye, his 12th homer of the season!#RisingTide pic.twitter.com/HRyG72GIHB
— Norfolk Tides (@NorfolkTides) June 18, 2023
Brendan Nail (2-0) and Andrew Politi, who gained his fifth save, combined for 2 2/3 innings of shutout relief.Before the doubleheader, the Baltimore Orioles recalled Spenser Watkins from the Tides and optioned Reed Garrett to Norfolk. Both are right-handed pitchers.
