Terrin Vavra broke a tie with a three-run double Friday night in the seventh inning as the Norfolk Tides came out of the All-Star break with a wild 12-11 triumph against Nashville before 7,130 at Harbor Park.
The three-game series will continue at 6:35 Saturday night, but it will be hard for the Tides (45-48, 9-9 in the International League’s second half) to top what they did offensively.
Jackson Holliday, baseball’s former No. 1 prospect, continued his bid to return to the parent Baltimore Orioles. He slugged a home run to right-center field in Norfolk’s first at-bat of the night and socked a three-run homer to a similar spot in the second inning off former MLB starter Joe Ross, helping tie the game at 4 after the Sounds (49-45, 11-8) had scored four runs in the first off the usually effective Chayce McDermott.
Hudson Haskin was 2 for 3 with two stolen bases, three runs and two RBIs for the Tides, while Shayne Fontana was 3 for 4 and scored twice. Coby Mayo had two hits, and Garrett Cooper was 1 for 4 with a run and two RBIs.
For the Sounds, Milwaukee’s top affiliate, Isaac Collins was 3 for 5 with three runs and an RBI, Owen Miller was 2 for 5 with two runs, Joey Wiemer was 3 for 5 with a run and two RBIs and Chris Roller hit a three-run homer.
Luis González, the Tides’ fifth pitcher of the night, gave up a run and a hit in one inning. but gained the victory.
Western Branch High graduate Colin Selby, a former major leaguer making his Tides debut, got the save despite yielding a balk, a run and two hits. He struck out two and induced Yonny Hernández to ground out to short with the potential tying run at second base.
The Tides are set to start right-hander Brandon Young (2-1, 3.86) Saturday, while the Sounds plan to use right-hander Devin Williams, who is on a rehabilitation assignment from the Brewers. Williams has a 26-10 career MLB record, 54 saves and a 1.89 ERA in 214 innings, all for Milwaukee.
