Scoring without a hit in the 10th inning, the Norfolk Tides edged Memphis 3-2 Thursday night before 2,130 at AutoZone Park in Tennessee.
The excellent pitching of Justin Armbruester and Nolan Hoffman helped the Tides (42-47, 6-8 in the second half of the International League season) take a 2-1 edge against the Redbirds (46-44, 8-7) in a six-game series that will continue at 8:05 Friday night.
The Tides’ Connor Norby broke a scoreless tie in the sixth with a blast to left field, his 16th home run of the season. Later in the sixth, Coby Mayo blooped a double to center field and scored when Garrett Cooper laced a single to center, putting Norfolk ahead 2-0.
Armbruester struck out a career-high 10 batters in six shutout innings, giving up three hits and lowering his ERA to 7.58.
But Tides reliever Nick Vespi gave up RBI singles to Old Dominion product Jared Young and Arquímedes Gamboa in the seventh as Memphis tied the score at 2.
Hoffman struck out Jordan Walker with the bases loaded to end the ninth inning.
Hudson Haskin began the Tides’ 10th as the automatic runner on second base. He went to third on Shayne Fontana’s groundout and scored easily on Norby’s sacrifice fly to center.
In the bottom of the 10th, Walker, Memphis’ automatic runner, never moved from second base. Hoffman struck out Matt Koperniak, walked Iván Herrera, but induced Luken Baker to ground into a game-ending double play to Mayo at third.
Friday, the Tides’ Chayce McDermott (2-5, 4.00 ERA) is scheduled to start against fellow right-hander Ian Bedell (1-0, 4.02).
