Justin Turner's Baseball Blog

Orioles Minor League Game- August 22, 2009

Recap:

Rochester scored four runs in the bottom of the ninth to knock off Norfolk , 5-4. Alberto Castillo suffered his second blown save and his third loss after he was charged for all four Red Wings runs on four hits in only 2/3 of an inning. Jim Miller faced only one batter and allowed the winning run on a Matt Tolbert single up the middle that scored Matt Macri.

The loss spoiled a great start by Chris George who allowed only a solo home run and five hits over seven innings. George struck out four, walked none and threw 73 pitches, 58 for strikes.

The Tides had seven hits and began their scoring in the top of the third when Justin Turner drove home Freddy Guzman on a sacrifice fly and Brandon Snyder singled to left moments later to score Joey Gathright. In the ninth, back-to-back RBIs from Guzman and Robby Hammock gave Norfolk a three-run lead heading into the bottom half of the inning. Gathright finished 2-for-5 while Snyder, Hammock and Guzman each finished 1-for-4.

Boxscore

Orioles Minor League Game- August 21, 2009

Recap: Justin Turner had three hits and David Pauley tossed six strong innings as Norfolk knocked off Gwinnett 3-2 in front of 9,722 fans at Harbor Park Friday night.

Turner singled three times and walked in the contest, giving him a team-high 30 multiple hit games this season. He also plated Norfolk’s final run of the contest with a fourth inning infield single off of Braves starter Jonny Venters (3-6) that plated Freddy Guzman and gave the Tides a 3-1 lead.

The Tides had fallen behind 1-0 after the first inning, but run-scoring doubles by Rhyne Hughes and Guillermo Rodriguez put Norfolk on top, 2-1.

After the Braves pulled within a run in the eighth inning, Gwinnett shortstop Diory Hernandez led off the ninth with a double to left field off of Tides closer Alberto Castillo. After a strikeout and groundout moved Hernandez to third with two out, Castillo fanned Antonio Perez to lock up the win and register his 13th save of the season.

Tides starter David Pauley (9-10) picked up the win, as he surrendered just three hits and one run in six innings of work. After yielding the first inning run, Pauley faced just two batters over the minimum over his next five frames, helping the Tides earn a split of their four-game series with the division-leading Braves.

The Tides now sit six games back of Gwinnett in the IL South and are three games behind Durham in the IL Wild Card chase.

Norfolk will travel to Rochester Saturday for a four-game series with the Red Wings, Norfolk ‘s last games against a non-divisional opponent. Chris George (1-1, 5.47) will make his second start in a Norfolk uniform against right-hander Kevin Mulvey (5-7, 4.16), with first pitch slated for 7:05.

Boxscore

Orioles Minor League Game – August 18, 2009

Recap:

Gwinett scored five runs in the top of the ninth inning off Norfolk as the Braves stole a 7-4 game away from the Tides.

Tides closer Alberto Castillo (2-2) took the loss as he blew his first save of the season as he allowed five unearned runs in the ninth inning.

Melvin Dorta went 3-for-3 and Justin Turner went 3-for-4 to lead the offense as Jeff Fiorentino, Guillermo Rodriguez and Blake Davis had two hits apiece.

Boxscore

Orioles Minor League Game – August 16, 2009

Recap:

All nine Tides starters reached base safely Sunday, as the Tides collected nine hits and defeated Charlotte at Knights Stadium by a 4-3 final.

Joey Gathright and Justin Turner paced the Tides offensive attack with two hits apiece, while Michael Aubrey, Blake Davis, and Robby Hammock all drove in a run as the Tides picked up the victory 4-3. Norfolk infielder Brandon Pinckney scored the go ahead run for the Tides in the top of the seventh on a wild pitch by Charlotte ‘s Justin Cassel, after reaching on fielder’s choice.

Tides starter David Pauley tossed five strong innings allowing just four hits and two runs, while striking out three. Pauley was followed by three Norfolk relievers, who allowed only one run over the games final four innings as the Tides picked up their first win in their last three games.

The same to teams will square off again tomorrow night at Knight Stadium, before the Tides return home to take on the south division leading Gwinnett Braves on Tuesday. First pitch for Monday nights contest in Charlotte is set for 7:15 p.m.

Boxscore

Orioles Minor League Game – August 10, 2009

Recap:

Justin Turner had three hits but Andy Mitchell was rocked for five runs in a 6-1 Norfolk loss to the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees. Only four runs were earned against Mitchell who worked 5 2/3 innings with five walks and seven strikeouts. Mitchell threw 100 pitches, 59 for strikes.

Turner finished 3-for-4 and was responsible for the Tides’ only run with a RBI single that scored Joey Gathright in the bottom of the first. The 24-year-old Turner is currently riding a five-game hitting streak during which he is batting .400 (8-for-20) with three RBIs and five extra base hits. Melvin Dorta, Guillermo Rodriguez and Freddy Guzman rounded out the Norfolk attack as each finished 1-for-4 from the bottom of the order.

In relief, Jim Miller allowed one run over 1 1/3 innings while Kam Mickolio and Alberto Castillo both worked a scoreless frame to finish the game.

Boxscore

Orioles Minor League Game  – August 8, 2009

Recap:

Six solid innings from Jake Arrieta helped Norfolk to a 7-3 win over the Pawtucket Red Sox at Fenway Park. Arrieta began the game by retiring the first six batters he faced before allowing two runs in the third inning. The 23-year-old right-hander scattered six hits, struck out four and walked none to earn his fourth victory of the season. He threw 82 pitches, 49 for strikes and lowered his ERA to 4.74.

RBIs from Brandon Snyder and Robby Hammock tied the game at two in the fourth before a two-run double by Blake Davis in the sixth gave the Tides the lead. Davis would score moments later on a single to left by Brandon Pinckney while Joey Gathright sliced a two-run single to right for good measure in the eighth. Gathright finished 2-for-5 while second baseman Justin Turner went 2-for-4 with two doubles in an eleven-hit Norfolk attack.

Dennis Sarfate earned his second hold with two strikeouts and a walk in the seventh before Bob McCrory and Josh Perrault rounded out the effort with a scoreless inning each. The Tides will enjoy a scheduled day off on Sunday before returning to Harbor Park on Monday against the Scranton-Wilkes Barre Yankees. Andy Mitchell (9-3, 5.00 ERA) will make the start for Norfolk while the Yankees have yet to announce a starter.

NOTES:

• Snyder finished 2-for-3 with two walks and two runs scored.
• Michael Aubrey went 2-for-5 with a double.
• The Orioles signed outfielder Freddy Guzman to a contract and transferred him to Norfolk prior to the game. Guzman made the start in left, batting second and finished 0-for-4 with a walk.

Boxscore

Orioles Minor League Game  – August 6, 2009

Recap:

Norfolk scored three seventh inning runs as they rallied to top the Pawtucket Red Sox 5-3 Thursday night.Trailing 3-1 entering the seventh frame, Norfolk pulled within a single run on a double by Brandon Pinckney that plated Robby Hammock from first base. An RBI single by Justin Turner later in the frame tied the contest, and Brandon Snyder continued his torrid stretch at the plate with a two-out run-scoring single that gave the Tides the lead.

The Tides would add an insurance run in the 9th inning on an RBI double by Jeff Fiorentino.

David Pauley (8-9) earned the win for the Tides as he allowed three runs on eight hits in 6.1 innings against his former team. Alberto Castillo worked a scoreless ninth to earn his 10th save of the season.

Joey Gathright had three hits to lead Norfolk, which won for the third straight contest.

The Tides and Pawsox will meet again on Friday night, with first pitch from McCoy Stadium scheduled for 7:05 p.m.

Boxscore

Orioles Minor League Game Summaries – July 31, 2009

Recap:

Despite allowing seven runs in the sixth inning, Norfolk rallied for five runs in the bottom of the seventh as the Tides rolled to a 10-9 win over Indianapolis .

Victor Diaz went 2-for-3 with three RBI as Brandon Snyder went 1-for-3 with two runs scored and two RBI. Joey Gathright went 3-for-5 with two runs scored as Justin Turner and Jeff Fiorentino had two hits and scored two runs.

Troy Patton started for the Tides and allowed two runs in the first 5.0 innings of work. Dennis Sarfate was shelled as he gave up five runs in just .2 innings of work before Ross Wolf allowed two runs in an inning’s work. Josh Perrault (1-0) earned the win with 2.1 scoreless innings.

Orioles Minor League Game Summaries – July 30, 2009

Recap:

Indianapolis slugged three home runs and pounded out 15 hits in an 11-3 win over the Tides Thursday afternoon.

Shelby Ford went 5-for-5 with a home run and two runs batted in to lead the Indians, while Neil Walker slugged two two-run homers as part of his three hits.

Andy Mitchell (9-3) had his five-game win streak snapped, as he allowed eight runs on nine hits in four innings of work. Mitchell walked one and struck out three.

Brandon Snyder paced Norfolk ‘s seven-hit attack with two singles and a run batted in, while Justin Turner and Jeff Fiorentino each added a single and an RBI. Snyder has now hit safely in eight straight games, hitting .419 (13-for-31) with seven RBI over that stretch.

The Tides and Indians will conclude their season series on Friday night, with first pitch scheduled for 7:15. Troy Patton (1-3, 6.00) will take the hill for the Tides.

Orioles Minor League Game Summaries – July 29, 2009

Recap:

Jeff Fiorentino had four hits including a walk-off single in the bottom of the ninth to lead Norfolk to a 6-5 win over the Indianapolis Indians. Fiorentino had two RBIs  and reached base five times, going 4-for-4 with four singles and working a walk off Indians pitcher Eric Hacker.

Michael Aubrey and Melvin Dorta both had RBI singles in the bottom of the second while Justin Turner and Brandon Snyder contributed RBIs in the seventh and eighth innings, respectively. Norfolk ’s offense had 14 hits including two each from Turner and Joey Gathright.

Starting pitcher Jake Arrieta allowed five runs on ten hits over six innings. Arrieta walked one and struck out six while throwing 96 pitches, 60 for strikes. Alberto Castillo picked up his second win with a scoreless ninth inning.

Orioles Minor League Game – July 25, 2009

Norfolk slugged 12 hits but left 11 men on base as they fell to the Durham Bulls 5-3 Saturday afternoon.Michael Aubrey led Norfolk’s offense with three hits, including an RBI double – his 26th of the season. The Tides pounded out five doubles in game, but went just 5-for-18 with runners in scoring position and left 11 men on base as they dropped their sixth straight contest.

Brandon Pinckney, Justin Turner and Carlos Rojas each had two hits in the contest.

Fredy Deza (1-1) took the loss for Norfolk in his first start at the Triple-A level. Deza, who was promoted from Double-A Bowie earlier Saturday, yielded three earned runs on five hits in five innings of work.

Boxscore – Game One

Andy Mitchell allowed two earned runs in six innings of work, pitching the Tides to an 8-4 win over Durham Saturday night.With the win, Mitchell (9-2) moved into a tie with Jake Arrieta for the second-most wins among Orioles minor leaguers this season, trailing only the 10 victories for Double-A Bowie’s Brian Matusz. Mitchell walked one and struck out three as he lowered his ERA to 3.82.

The victory snapped Norfolk’s six-game losing skid and pulled the Tides back within a half game of Durham for first place in the IL South division.

Brandon Pinckney, Victor Diaz and Justin Turner each had two hits apiece for Norfolk, while Brandon Snyder and Carlos Rojas each added two runs batted in.

Orioles Minor League Game – July 23, 2009

In what could be Chris Tillman’s last start in the minors, Tillman was roughed up by Gwinett as the Braves fought off the Tides 5-1.

Tillman (8-6) lasted just 3.2 innings, allowing four runs on four hits as he walked four and struck out four as he tossed 84 pitches, 45 for strikes. Josh Perrault allowed a run in 2.1 innings as Jim Miller and Ross Wolf worked scoreless innings.

Justin Turner went 3-for-4 with a double and an RBI as he is now batting .304 on the season. Turner has rebounded from a rough June to hit .356 in July as he is batting .333 (12-for-36) over his last 10 games.

Jeff Fiorentino went 2-for-4 as Brandon Pinckney went 1-for-3 with a run scored.

Orioles Minor League Game – July 18, 2009

The Tides homered twice during a seven-run second inning as they cruised to an 8-5 win over Charlotte Saturday night at Harbor Park.Trailing 1-0, Norfolk sent 10 men to the plate in the second frame as they collected six hits and set a season-high with seven runs in the inning. Brandon Snyder got the Tides on the board with a two-run homer off Jeffrey Marquez (2-8), and Jeff Fiorentino capped the scoring with a three-run blast with two outs in the inning to give the Tides a 7-1 advantage.

Marquez is now 0-4 with a 13.21 ERA in four starts against the Tides this season.

The run support was more than enough for Tides starter Jake Arrieta (3-3), who earned the victory after yielding three runs – one earned – on six hits in five innings of work. Arrieta walked three and struck out five, helping the Tides win their third straight over Charlotte.

Brandon Pinckney and Melvin Dorta each had three hits in the win, while Justin Turner singled twice to up his average to .303 on the season.

The Tides and Knights will wrap up their five-game, four-day series on Sunday night, with first pitch from Harbor Park slated for 6:15. Andy Mitchell (7-2, 3.90) will take the mound for Norfolk against Bartolo Colon (1-0, 1.50), who will be making his second rehab start for Charlotte.

Orioles Minor League Game – July 9, 2009

Norfolk was outhit 16-3 in a 7-1 setback to Charlotte Thursday night.

The Tides managed just three hits against Bartolo Colon (1-0) and Carlos Torres, as Justin Christian doubled and singled and Justin Turner added a double. The loss snapped Norfolk’s six-game winning streak against the Knights.

Tides starter Troy Patton (1-3) took the loss, as he surrendered 10 hits – including three home runs – in 4.0 innings of work.

Michael Restovich and Josh Kroeger connected for back-to-back homers off Patton in the second inning, and Kroeger added another home run one inning later, a three-run blast.

The Tides will return home Friday night to begin a three-game series with the Durham Bulls, who lead the Tides by 1.0 game in the IL South Division. First pitch is slated for 7:15.

Orioles Minor League Game – July 6, 2009

The Gwinnett Braves scored a late run off Alberto Castillo in the bottom of the eighth to steal a 6-5 victory over the Tides. Castillo allowed the one run on one hit while walking three and striking out three over an inning and one-third.

Starting pitcher David Pauley allowed four runs (one earned). Pauley walked two, struck out four and threw 109 pitches, 66 for strikes.

The Tides collected four RBI’s from Jolbert Cabrera including two on a first inning home run before Cabrera finished 2-for-5. Jeff Fiorentino went 1-for-3 with two walks and one RBI coming on a bases loaded walk in the second. Michael Aubrey went 2-for-3 with two walks while Brandon Snyder was 0-for-5 with three strikeouts.

On Tuesday, Jake Arrieta (1-2, 2.92 ERA) will start the opener of a three game series against the Charlotte Knights.

NOTE:

Justin Turner went 3-for-4 with a double and a walk.

Orioles Minor League Game Summaries – July 5, 2009

Turner finished the day 4-for-5 with two runs scored and an RBI. Turner singled twice and doubled before connecting on a solo blast in the seventh inning, his second home run of the year.

Steve Torrealba got the Tides offense going on Sunday as he launched a three-run homer in the fourth inning for his second home run of the season.

Not to be outdone by Turner’s great day at the plate, the Tides also received several other big games on offense. Jolbert Cabrera went 3-for-5 with two doubles and two runs scored, Brandon Snyder had two hits and two runs batted in and Chad Moeller went 2-for-4 with an RBI.

Mitchell (6-2) easily earned the the win as he allowed one run on two hits in 5.2 innings of work. Mitchell worked around five walks and struck out two. Jim Miller tossed 1.1 scoreless innings in relief and Bob McCrory finished the game with two innings, sealing the victory.

Boxscore

Norfolk ’s Chris Tillman (5-1, 1.88) was charged with Tuesday’s loss despite not allowing an earned run.  He did, however, commit two of the Tides’ three errors.  The four unearned runs came on four hits and no walks with four strikeouts in five innings of work.  It was also his first start since being sidelined on May 23 with a groin injury.

Oscar Salazar and Jolbert Cabrera both went 2-for-4 and Justin Turner chipped in with an RBI single.  Salazar’s  .380 batting average leads the International League.

Andy Mitchell, Alberto Castillo, and Chris Ray combined to throw four scoreless innings of relief and allowed just two hits.

Norfolk and Buffalo square up again on Wednesday.  Bobby Livingston is the scheduled starter for the Tides.  First pitch is slated for 7:15pm.

Fiorentino finished 2-for-5 with a pair of RBI doubles. Melvin Dorta and Justin Turner also had RBI’s for Norfolk as the Tides churned out a total of nine hits including six off Columbus starter Kirk Saarloos.

Waters (6-2) allowed two runs on six hits over six innings. He struck out two, walked two with one wild pitch and one balk. Waters threw 107 pitches, 65 of which were for strikes.

Bob McCrory and Alberto Castillo both tossed a scoreless inning out of the bullpen to earn their sixth and seventh holds, respectively. Jim Miller needed only seven pitches to notch his 12^th save and send the Clippers to bed early.

The two teams meet again on Sunday beginning at 1:05 p.m. Neither club has announced a starting pitcher.

After a scoreless first inning, the Tides drew first blood in the top of the second when Brandon Pinckney’s infield single allowed Jolbert Cabrera to score Norfolk ’s first of many.  The Clippers answered in the bottom half of the inning with a leadoff homerun to knot things up at a run apiece.

The Tides recorded their first of two four-run innings in the top of the third.  Melvin Dorta led off with a single up the middle and later scored on Justin Christian’s double to give Norfolk the lead.  A single off the bat of Jeff Fiorentino and doubles by Cabrera and Justin Turner added up to three more Tides’ runs, leaving the Clippers behind 5-1.

In the top of the fourth, the Tides sent eight hitters to the plate for the second consecutive inning.  A sacrifice fly by Christian and a two-RBI single by Turner with two outs blew the game open at 8-1.

While the offensive barrage was getting under way, Norfolk starting pitcher David Pauley was quietly on his way to a quality start.  He threw six strong innings, holding Columbus to a run on five hits and two walks while striking out three.

Jeff Fiorentino tripled to lead off the sixth inning and scored on Oscar Salazar’s ground out for the Tides’ ninth run of the game.  They uncorked their second four-run frame in the top of the eighth highlighted by an RBI double by Cabrera, his second two-bagger of the game.

Fredy Deza threw the final three innings for the Tides, giving up a run on four hits and two walks to earn his first save of the season.  Pauley improved his record to 4-4 with a 3.91 ERA. For Norfolk , the victory marked their 14^th win in the last 17 games.

The Tides and Clippers go head-to-head again on Saturday.  First pitch is scheduled for 7:05pm.  Chris Waters (5-2, 4.53) will go for his sixth win of the season for Norfolk .

Recap 5-27-2009:

The Tides were forced into a bullpen start by the impending promotion of David Hernandez and suffered an 8-6 loss to the Toledo Mud Hens. Radhames Liz tossed the first three and two third innings and allowed two unearned runs on six strikeouts. Liz struck out six and walked none.

Kam Mickolio was charged with the loss, his third, after yielding one run on three hits over an inning and a third. He struck out three and walked none.

Offensively, Justin Turner and Jeff Fiorentino provided spark at the top of the lineup. Fiorentino finished 2-for-5 with a home run and three RBI’s while Turner went 4-for-5 with a double and one RBI.

The bottom of the order was almost as good with a 3-for-4 effort from Carlos Rojas and two hits from Brandon Pinckney. Both hitters had one RBI.

Pinckney, meanwhile, pitched a scoreless ninth inning, giving up one hit and striking out Mike Hessman to highlight the day. Alberto Castillo, Ross Wolf and Jim Miller combined for two innings of relief work. Castillo allowed five runs, four earned in the bottom of the sixth. He acquired only two outs as the Mud Hens would bat around in the inning.

Norfolk and Toledo will conclude their four game series on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. Chris Tillman (5-0, 2.13 ERA) will take the mound for the Tides.

NOTES:

·         Justin Christian’s 11 game hitting streak ended when he finished 0-for-4 with a strikeout.

·         Liz threw 63 pitches, 45 of which were for strikes.

A three-run top of the third helped Chris Waters earn his fifth win in a 5-2, Norfolk victory over the Toledo Mud Hens. Waters allowed two runs on five hits over six innings with five walks and three strikeouts. He threw 99 pitches, 59 of which were for strikes.

After Joey Gathright doubled to left to start the third, the next batter, Justin Christian, drove him home on a single to center. The inning concluded with back-to-back RBI’s from Justin Turner and Steve Torrealba.

Gathright was also responsible for Norfolk ’s initial run when he scored on a Jolbert Cabrera two-out single in the first. Brandon Pinckney, who was promoted to Norfolk prior to the game, had an RBI single in the top of the eighth for the team’s final run.

Kam Mickolio earned his fifth hold after striking out three over two scoreless innings. Jim Miller loaded the bases in the bottom of the ninth but induced an inning ending double play to collect his eleventh save of the year.

On Tuesday, the Tides and Mud Hens will play game two of a four game series at Fifth Third Field in Toledo . The Tides have not yet announced a starter. Jeremy Bonderman (0-1, 7.50 ERA) will take the mound for the Mud Hens.

NOTES:

• Torrealba was 2-for-3 with a double.
• Christian had two stolen bases.

Justin Turner plated Oscar Salazar with a two-out single in the bottom of the 10th, giving the Tides a 5-4 win in front of a season-high 8,625 fans Saturday night.

With the score knotted at 4-4, Salazar led off the inning with a foul pop up off of Bobby Keppel (1-1), but third baseman Matt Macri could not make the catch, keeping the at-bat alive. Salazar then lined a one-out single to left and was moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Jeff Fiorentino.

After an intentional walk to Jolbert Cabrera, a groundout by Robby Hammock put runners on second and third with two outs. Turner then followed with a slicing line drive down the right field line that scored Salazar and gave the Tides their 10th win in their last 11 games.

Salazar paced Norfolk ‘s offense with three hits, including a solo homer in the fifth inning off of Rochester starter Philip Humber. The 30-year-old has now hit safely in 18 of Norfolk ‘s 19 home games this year and is hitting .371 with eight homers and 34 RBI for the season.

Matt Wieters continued his hot stretch at the plate as he connected on a two-run single in the second inning that gave the Tides a 3-2 advantage. Wieters has now hit .343 (12-for-35) with four home runs and 14 RBI over his last nine games.

Kam Mickolio (1-2) earned the win in relief as he struck out two in a scoreless inning of work.

Norfolk will look to win the four-game set from Rochester on Sunday as they take on the Red Wings at 1:15. David Pauley (3-3, 3.96) will take the hill for the Tides against Rochester left-hander Brian Duensing (2-3, 5.10).

Matt Wieters hit his third homerun in two games as the Norfolk Tides doubled up the Syracuse Chiefs 4-2 on Friday.

Wieters’ blast over the right-center field fence in the top of the first gave the Tides the early 1-0 lead and they never looked back.  Justin Turner homered in the top of the fourth to drive in Jeff Fiorentino to stretch the Norfolk advantage to 3-0.

With Jason Berken on the hill for the Tides, the Chiefs scored their first run of the game in the bottom of the fourth on back-to-back doubles.  Berken was effective despite not factoring into the decision as he allowed a run on six hits and three walks with five strikeouts in 4.2 innings pitched.  Andy Mitchell, however, was awarded the victory with his 1.1 innings of work.  The veteran allowed a run on a hit while striking out one to improve his record to 3-1 on the season.

Alberto Castillo, Matt Albers, and Jim Miller threw a scoreless inning of relief each, combining to hold the Chiefs scoreless and hitless with a walk and four strikeouts.  Miller bagged his ninth save of the season.

The Louisville Sluggers come to Norfolk on Saturday to open a four-game series.  First pitch is scheduled for 7:15pm.

The Tides lost their offensive leader this morning when Nolan Reimold was called up to the big league squad.  Matt Wieters wasted no time filling his shoes on Thursday, pounding a pair of homeruns to help carry Norfolk to a 12-3 blowout victory over the Syracuse Chiefs.

Wieters’ solo shot in the first inning gave Norfolk a brief lead as Syracuse jumped on Chris Waters for three runs in the bottom half of the frame.  Waters and the relievers that followed buckled down to keep the Chiefs off the scoreboard for the remainder of the game.

A three-run Wieters homer in the third inning enabled the Tides to regain the lead.  Doubles by Robby Hammock, Jolbert Cabrera, and Justin Turner highlighted a three-run fourth for Norfolk and the club continued to pour it on from there.

Scott Moore went 2-for-4 with a homerun and three RBI.  Cabrera added a pair of RBI with a double in his 2-for-5 effort.

Waters reaped the benefits of the run support, bagging his third win of the season while allowing two runs on four hits and six strikeouts in six innings of work.

The Tides try to complete the sweep on Friday against the Chiefs.  Rich Hill takes the  mound for Norfolk .  First pitch is scheduled for 7:00pm.

Norfolk starter Chris Tillman struck out 10 Syracuse hitters as the Tides blew out the Chiefs 9-1 on Tuesday.

Tillman was phenomenal in six scoreless innings as he scattered five hits and walked two on the way to his fourth win of the season.  Tuesday’s effort also preserved Tillman’s perfect 2009 record.

A two-run homerun off the bat of Nolan Reimold in the top of the second inning gave the Tides an early 2-0 lead.  Norfolk piled on in a five-run fourth inning highlighted by a slew of singles (all back-to-back) by Jolbert Cabrera, Robby Hammock, Justin Turner, Joey Gathright, and Jeff Fiorentino. The Tides held a 7-0 lead by the time the dust settled.

Radhames Liz replaced Tillman to start the seventh inning, and a two-out RBI single later the Chiefs ended Norfolk ’s bid for a shutout.  That’s not to say the Tides’ offense was finished working, however.  Hammock doubled home Cabrera in the eighth and Reimold scored in the ninth on a Cabrera ground ball to enlarge the margin to 9-1 in favor of Norfolk, and that’s how things would end.

Tillman (4-0, 2.03) earned the victory.  The two teams are scheduled to square off again on Wednesday.  First pitch is scheduled for 7:00pm.

GAME 1

Norfolk accumulated twelve hits including three from Justin Christian in a 5-0 win over the Columbus Clippers in game one of Tuesday’s doubleheader at Harbor Park . Christian went 3-for-4 with three runs scored atop Gary Allenson’s lineup.

Matt Wieters went 2-for-3 and put Norfolk on the board in the bottom of the first despite grounding into a double play. The groundout allowed Christian to score and gave Norfolk the early lead. Wieters finally earned an RBI in the bottom of the fifth on a single to right, driving in Christian for the second time.

Oscar Salazar finished with two RBI’s including one in the bottom of the third and again with two outs in the fifth when he doubled to center, scoring Wieters. Salazar wound up 2-for-3.

Jolbert Cabrera jacked a solo home run in the sixth to cap Norfolk ’s scoring at five.

Starting pitcher Rich Hill walked five in four innings of work. Hill gave up no runs on two hits and struck out two while throwing 80 pitches, 45 for strikes. Reliever Matt Albers (1-0) earned the win with three perfect innings in which he struck out two.

GAME 2

Mike Costanzo and Justin Turner both contributed two RBI’s in Norfolk ’s 5-2 win over the Columbus Clippers in game two. Costanzo’s two-run triple in the bottom of the fourth gave the Tides enough to clinch the doubleheader sweep while Turner’s two-run single in the sixth provided adequate insurance. Both players finished with one hit; Costanzo was also hit by a pitch in the sixth.

Nolan Reimold’s RBI double in the bottom of the first gave the Tides the early lead. Reimold finished 1-for-3 in game two and a combined 2-for-6 over both games.

Starting pitcher David Hernandez earned the victory after allowing two runs on three hits in five innings. Hernandez (2-1) yielded no walks, struck out two and threw a wild pitch in the top of the third.

Alberto Castillo (H, 4) gave up two hits but notched a strikeout in one inning of work. Jim Miller struck out one and earned his fourths save in a perfect seventh.

NOTES:

• Oscar Salazar went 1-for-3.
• The only Norfolk batters without hits were Justin Christian and Robbie Hammock. However, Hammock did earn a walk in the fourth.
• Matt Wieters finished 1-for-3.
• The Tides cranked out 19 hits between both games.

The Tides lost their second game in a row and their fifth out of their last six games on Sunday due to another lackluster pitching effort despite a potent offensive attack as the Scranton-Wilkes/Barre Yankees dropped Norfolk 11-7.

Chris Waters got the start for the Tides and lasted just 3.2 innings, allowing seven runs on eight hits and two walks with four strikeouts.  Opposing hitters are tagging Norfolk ’s 28-year-old lefty for a .284 average and his WHIP so far in 2009 is now 1.72.

After a four-run Yankees’ second inning, the Tides answered with a four-run frame of their own in the top of the third.  Norfolk got back-to-back singles from Carlos Rojas, Justin Christian, Jeff Fiorentino, and Matt Wieters netted two runs.  A sacrifice fly from Oscar Salazar and an RBI single from Scott Moore resulted in two more to tie things up at four all.  Moore ’s line drive hit to right almost gave the Tides a one-run advantage, but Nolan Reimold was nailed at the plate trying to score.

Norfolk took a short-lived lead in the top of the fourth when Justin Christian’s sacrifice fly to center scored Justin Turner for a 5-4 Tides lead.

Reliever Andy Mitchell spelled Waters with two outs in the bottom of the fourth after he was racked for three more runs and went on to throw a scoreless fifth inning.  In 1.1 innings of work Mitchell gave up a hit and struck out one to keep the Yankees to within two runs at 7-5.

Norfolk tied things up in the top of the seventh on a two-run bomb from Fiorentino.  Yet again, the tie was short-lived.  A run in the bottom of the seventh off of Tides’ reliever Kam Mickolio put Scranton-Wilkes/Barre up by a run, and three more in the eighth off of Radhames Liz stretched the Yankees’ lead to four at 11-7.

Mickolio (0-1, 7.04) was charged with the loss despite having allowed just a run on three hits with two strikeouts in two innings of work.  Liz was touched up for three runs on two hits and a walk in two-thirds of an inning pitched.

The Columbus Clippers come to Norfolk to start a three-game set on Monday.  Game time is 7:15pm.

Recap:

Three runs in the first inning highlighted by an RBI double off the bat of Oscar Salazar paved the way for David Hernandez’s first win of the season as the Norfolk Tides hung on to drop the Durham Bulls 4-3 on Thursday.

The 23-year-old threw six solid innings and allowed three runs on five hits and just one walk while striking out eight on the way to his first victory of 2009.  The biggest positive regarding Hernandez’s (W, 1-0, 3.07) performance was the low walk total, symbolizing an improvement in his command and control.

In addition to another extra-base hit from Salazar, Nolan Reimold continued to mash International League pitching on Thursday.  His 2-for-3 effort included a double and a walk to raise his batting average to .420 on the season.  Justin Christian and Justin Turner both posted 2-for-4 outings.

A two-RBI double off of Hernandez in the top of the sixth tied things up at three runs apiece, but Christian’s RBI single in the bottom half of the inning scored Turner to put the Tides up for good.

Kam Mickolio and Alberto Castillo combined to throw 2.1 innings of relief and Jim Miller bagged his third save of the season.  The Tides and Bulls square off again on Friday.  First pitch is scheduled for 7:05pm.

Boxscore

Recap:

A solid, six-inning, shutout performance from starting pitcher Chris Waters was all the Tides needed to drop the Knights on Thursday.  The 10 runs on 17 hits was icing on the cake as Norfolk handed Charlotte a 10-0 loss to complete their first series win of the season.

Waters allowed just two hit and two walks while striking out four in his first win of 2009.  It was also a marked improvement over his first start of the season in which he was roughed up for four runs on six hits and three walks in 3.1 innings of work against the Durham Bulls.  It’s also likely the performance thrust his name into the hat of potential replacements should the Orioles need to dip down to Norfolk for pitching help.

Ross Wolf and Jim Miller combined to throw three hitless, scoreless innings of relief in which Wolf struck out three and Miller two.

Offensively, the Tides were too much for the Knights to handle.  Every Norfolk starter recorded a hit, but the highlight of the game was Matt Wieters and his first inning solo homerun.  For the Orioles’ 2007 first-round draft pick, it was his first long ball at the AAA level.  On the day, Wieters was 2-for-5, drew a walk, and scored twice.

Lou Montanez continued his torrid April, going 2-for-3 with two runs driven in and two walks.  The 27-year-old now has hit safely in every game in 2009 and has multi-hit games in five of the Tides’ seven games this season.

Oscar Salazar went 3-for-4 with a double and an RBI.  Justin Turner also went 3-for-4 and drove in a run.  Nolan Reimold went 1-for-5 and drove in a pair of runs.  Scott Moore and Jolbert Cabrera also had a pair of hits each.  Cabrera added two RBI.

Waters (W, 1-1, 3.86) was awarded a well-deserved win for Norfolk .  The Tides head to Gwinnett to begin a three-game series against the Braves on Friday.  First pitch is scheduled for 7:00pm.

Boxscore