Norfolk Tides Meet A Re-Sounds-ing Defeat

NASHVILLE, TN – After a slow start in their first home game after a stint on the road, the Nashville Sounds were able to rally late to get the win over the Norfolk Tides, taking the W with a final score of 5–3.

In the second inning, centerfielder Jared Oliva thought he saw an opportunity when Tides pitcher Kyle Brnovich threw a wild pitch—or at least I thought it was a wild pitch. Let me explain the debate that went on way too long. See... Oliva took advantage of the pitch missing its target, going from first to second, but he got greedy and went for third, where he was tagged out. The question became: was it really a wild pitch (looked wild to me, but what do I know?)? The answer, because I know it’s killing you, is that it’s not a wild pitch because the runner did not advance. Put this information in your pocket for later!

A sacrifice fly in the top of the third put the Tides up early, but it was to be short-lived. This is mostly thanks to Tides pitcher Brnovich. In the bottom of the 4th inning, Oliva was on second base and infielder Oliver Dunn was on first, when Brnovich walked Sounds catcher Anthony (nice name) Seigler to load the bases. Raynel Delgado comes up to bat—bases loaded, two outs. Is he going to be the hero?? Nope. The visiting pitcher is! Walking Delgado, which subsequently allowed Oliva to casually saunter across home plate and tie the game. The third out would come shortly after, ending the inning with the 1–1 tie.

It was a short-lived tie. Norfolk catcher Samuel Basallo smacked a solo homer in the top of the 5th. And that one-point lead would stick for a while. That is, until the comedy of errors that was the bottom of the 8th came around.

Norfolk had replaced Brnovich with Walter Pennington taking the mound, but based on what happened next, they must have the same coach. With the bases loaded, Sounds’ other catcher Jorge Alfaro steps up to the plate. He's 0 for 3 on the night, but that doesn’t matter because—you guessed it—Pennington just walked him. The home team now had two runs on the board without anyone having to actually run.

The tides would turn... sort of. Pennington was pulled for pitcher Rodolfo Martinez. Yes, the bases are still loaded, but if Nashville is going to score again, they were going to have to earn it! So they did. Seigler makes his way to the plate and hit a short shot out to right field, but it was enough for Oliva to make the dash home. The run that gave the Sounds the 3–2 lead was an actual run!

Martinez would remain in as pitcher for some odd reason, because almost immediately after that run came in, he threw a wild pitch (I told you to keep that nugget of information from before). This allowed Sounds infielder Wes Clarke to hustle as the Tides catcher scrambled to recover the ball, but he was not able to make a play as run number 4 came across the plate for Nashville.

Poor Martinez. At this point, it’s likely considered a teachable moment. Let the kid stay in the game and try to recover after taking a few lumps. There was one more lump still to come. A pitch that was thrown low and outside was unable to be corralled by the catcher (which, as we now know, would not be a wild pitch but a dropped ball)—but whatever, it did allow the Sounds’ Alfaro to skirt across home to make it 5–2.

While the Tides would rack up one more run in the 9th inning, it was obviously not enough to change the outcome. The home team takes game one of the series, with both teams due back at First Horizon Park the following day for game two.