STAFF REPORTS
The Norfolk Tides built an early lead, then held on for a 7-5 win over the Rochester Plates Thursday afternoon at Frontier Field. Nick Gordon hit a first inning homer, and Jaylin Davis hit a two-run single that tied the game in the eighth inning.
The Indianapolis Indians (Pirates) come to town for a three-game series that begins Friday night at 7:05 p.m. (gates open early at 5:30 p.m.); it’s our Roc the ROC celebration of all things Rochester, with fireworks after the game.
Rochester’s starting pitcher DJ Baxendale found himself in a jam in the top of the first. He walked the first two batters, then Ryan Mountcastle delivered a three- run home run to give the Tides a 3-0 lead. The very next batter Baxendale faced, Mason Williams, also homered and the Tides lead 4-0. The Tides collected three more hits and another run for a 5-0 lead.
Nick Gordon got the Plates on the board in the bottom of the first with a solo home run, off Norfolk starter David Hess, cutting the Tides lead to 5-1.Gordon’s home run, his fourth of the season, marked his first homer against a left-handed pitcher this season.
Baxendale came back out for the top of the second and he settled things down. He retired the first two batters he saw, but then allowed a two-out single. Baxendale battled back and struck out Austin Hays to end the second. After a rough start to the game Baxendale retired six out of the last eight batters he faced up to this point.
Norfolk began the top of the third with a solo home run from Zach Vincej, extending their lead to 6-1.
The Plates got back on the board in the bottom of the third. Zander Wiel reached base safely with a two-out double to left to start a rally. Alejandro De Aza came up to bat and hit a bloop single to left that allowed Wiel to score from second, making it a 6-2 ball game. With De Aza at first Wynston Sawyer came up to bat and smacked a double off the center field wall. De Aza came all around to score from first making it a 6-3 game.
Baxendale’s day was over after 3.0 pitched allowing eight hits, six earned runs, and two walks. He struck out three, and yielded three home runs on 64 pitches – 41 for strikes.
Hess worked 5.0 innings for Norfolk, allowing seven hits, three runs all earned, one walk, seven strikeouts, and one home run. He threw 86 pitches, 57 for strikes.
Reed’ took over for Baxendale and added three scoreless relief innings with one walk and two strikeouts. He threw 41 pitches, 27 for strikes.
Zack Littell worked the seventh and eighth innings, with Norfolk using a wild pitch, throwing error, and a sacrifice fly to give the Tides a 7-3 lead.
In the bottom of the eighth Wiel led off with a walk. De Aza singled to left and Sawyer walked to load the bases. Jimmy Kerrigan hit into a fielder’s choice with a slow ground ball to third, which allowed Weil to score making it a 7-4 game. Caleb Hamilton picked a nice time to have his first Triple-A hit, a single scoring De Aza from third making it a 7-5 Tides lead. Gordon drew a five-pitch walk to load the bases for the second time in the inning. Jaylen Davis delivered with a single to left field, scoring Sawyer and Hamilton to tie the game at 7-7.
Littell’s day was over after two innings pitched, giving up one hit, one run which was unearned, one walk and one strikeout.
Gabriel Moya started the ninth inning for the Plates. He gave up back to back home runs, with Mountcastle hitting his second home run of the day and the Tides pulling ahead 9-7.
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