The Norfolk Tides suffered a rare heartbreaking loss on a warm Saturday night, falling 3-2 in 10 innings to Charlotte after being within one strike of victory before 8,110 at Harbor Park.
The defeat ended the Tides’ three-game winning streak and spoiled an excellent Norfolk home debut by Chesapeake’s Garrett Stallings.
The former Grassfield High and Tennessee Volunteers right-hander, in his second Triple-A start, struck out nine, walked none and gave up four hits in six innings.
The Tides (51-27, 3-1 in the International League’s second half) led 2-1 as reliever Logan Gillaspie (1-1) retired the first two Knights to bat in the ninth inning. But on an 0-2 count, Nate Mondou doubled to right field, and Erik Gonzalez followed with another double to right to tie the score at 2.
Norfolk loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the ninth, but reliever Edgar Navarro (2-1) struck out Josh Lester and induced a groundout to third base by Joey Ortiz.
In the top of the 10th, Charlotte pinch hitter Victor Reyes grounded a single to center field, scoring designated runner Sebastian Rivero from second. In the bottom of the 10th, 2016 MLB All-Star Alex Colome retired Norfolk 1-2-3 to end the game, preventing Ortiz from scoring as the designated runner.
Until Gonzalez’s double, neither team had scored since the first inning, thanks to solid starts by Stallings and Charlotte lefty Nate Fisher, who also lasted six innings. Fisher gave up nine hits but no walks.
The Knights (36-43, 1-3 in the second half) went ahead 1-0 with two out in the first as Oscar Colas socked his third home run in two days, a blast to right-center.
In the bottom of the first, Ryan Mountcastle — still on a rehabilitation assignment from Baltimore as he recovers from vertigo — singled with one out and scored on Lester’s double to center. Plate umpire Anthony Perez ejected Charlotte pitching coach Donnie Veal before Ortiz lined a single to center to score Lester for a 2-1 Norfolk lead.
The six-game series continues with a 6:35 game Sunday night.
