The Norfolk Tides earned a split of a six-game series with Jacksonville, holding off the Jumbo Shrimp 5-4 Sunday before 6,247 at Harbor Park.
Down 1-0, the Tides (49-52, 13-13 in the International League’s second half) took control with a three-run third inning and a two-run fourth off starter Valente Bellozo (2-3). Terrin Vavra tripled off the wall in center field in the third, scoring Coby Mayo and Kyle Stowers. Vavra then came home on Daniel Johnson’s sacrifice fly to left.
Billy Cook laced a triple off the wall in the fourth, bringing home Mayo and Stowers for a 5-1 lead. Cook enjoyed his fourth consecutive multi-hit game.
Justin Armbruester (3-6) survived a season-high six walks to last five innings for the victory. Far better in recent starts, he improved his season earned-run average to 7.05. The right-hander gave up just two hits and a run to Jacksonville (49-52, 14-12) while striking out four.
In the sixth. the Shrimp’s Jhonny Pereda doubled off reliever Luis González and scored on José Devers’ single, making the score 5-2.
Colin Selby, a Western Branch High graduate recently assigned to the Tides, had a more adventurous ninth inning than he would have liked.
He retired the first two batters before yielding a single to Javier Sanoja, and Troy Johnston clubbed a homer far over the right-field wall to cut Norfolk’s lead to 5-4.
Selby recovered, striking out Deyvison De Los Santos swinging at a breaking pitch to end the game.
The Tides are off Monday before heading to Charlotte to face the Knights.
At 5:45 p.m. Tuesday, the Tides and Knights plan to resume a 4-4 game that was suspended June 30 at Harbor Park because of rain, with Norfolk runners at first and second base and two out in the bottom of the ninth. The teams then will complete a quasi-doubleheader that night and are scheduled to play every day through Sunday, Aug. 4.
