NORFOLK, VA (Release via Norfolk Tides) – The Norfolk Tides (66-38) defeated the Charlotte Knights (40-65), 3-1, in 10 innings on Thursday night at Harbor Park. After a fast-paced pitcher’s duel, the Tides had the final say with a walk-off home run.
It was another pitcher’s duel Thursday with neither team scoring through the first four innings. It would be Charlotte that struck first in the fifth when Adam Haseley led off with a single. He scored when Nate Mondou hit a sacrifice fly to put them up, 1-0.
The triple would end up being the only hit for Charlotte thanks to stellar pitching by the Tides staff. In his second career Triple-A start, Cade Povich tossed a quality start, going 6.0 innings and allowed the one run on the one hit and a walk while striking out four.
Chase Solesky, the starting pitcher for the Knights, pitched nearly as well as Povich. Solesky didn’t allow a run throught the first six innings. However, the Tides started getting on him in the seventh, starting with two outs and walked Josh Lester. Lewin Diaz followed with a long single to right center that was booted by Charlotte’s right fielder. That scored Lester from first, tying the game at 1-1.
The Tides bullpen continued to pitch well after Povich’s exit. Keegan Akin and Mychal Givens had their MLB Rehab assignments transferred to Norfolk today and both pitched. Akin followed Povich with a scoreless innings, then Givens retired six-of-seven batters for 2.0 scoreless innings. The game was still tied 1-1 after nine innings and Logan Gillaspie came in the 10th to put the Knights down 1-2-3.
Lester ended up leading off the bottom of the 10th and blasted his 16th home run over the left-center field wall to complete a walk-off victory for the Tides. Norfolk now leads this week’s seven game series, 3-1.
Game five of the series is set for tomorrow night with first pitch scheduled for 6:35 p.m. against the Knights. The Tides are scheduled to throw RHP Ryan Watson (4-3, 5.01) while Charlotte is expecting to send RHP Luis Patiño (0-7, 8.92) to the hill.
POSTGAME NOTES
Povich Pitches: In his second career Triple-A start, Cade Povich tossed his first quality start for the Tides…he went 6.0 innings, allowing one run on one hit and one walk while striking out four…Tides starters have been strong through four games this series, allowing a 0.39 ERA (1 ER, 23.0 IP).
Walk-Off Warriors: Today was the fifth walk-off victory the Tides have earned this season and the third time this year the game was won with a walk-home run…the first was from Daz Cameron on May 16 vs. Syracuse and the second was Ben DeLuzio on May 30 vs. Gwinnett.
Just Joshin’: It was Josh Lester who hit the walk-off home run for the Tides, who finished 2-for-3 with two runs, a double, the two-run homer and a walk…it was his 16th home run of the season, while totaling 65 RBI this season…it was his first home run with Norfolk since July 18 at Gwinnett…in three games vs. Charlotte this series, he’s hitting .300 (3-for-10).