Despite rain getting in the way of things, Columbus put together a solid offensive performance that buried the Tides in a 10-3 Clippers win.
Columbus used a methodical approach to jump out an early lead. Jeremy Hermida started it with an RBI single in the first. RBI sacrifice flies by Matt Lawson in the second and Cord Phelps in the third staked Columbus to a 3-0 lead. The Tides got on the board in the bottom of the third with the help of a Jason Pridie RBI sacrifice fly.
Due to heavy rain showers, play had to be postponed Wednesday. The game would picked up onn Thursday in the top of the fourth. Columbus picked up where they left off with a Tim Fedroff RBI single. Later on in the frame, Ezequiel Carrera broke the game open with a two run double to left center.
After Norfolk’s Chris Snyder drove home a run with an RBI single in the bottom of the fourth, Nate Spears got that run back for Columbus with an RBI single. Lawson then struck again offensively, ripping a two run double into the left center field gap in the same inning. Hermida later added to his RBI total with a sacrifice fly in the top of the seventh.
The Tides scored a run in the top of the ninth on another Snyder RBI single but it was not enough as Columbus pounded out ten runs on eighteen hits. The strong offensive attack was spearheaded by Lawson who drove in three runs and scored twice. Bryan Price (W, 1-1) got the win for Columbus. Jair Jurrjens (L, 5-5) took the loss for Norfolk.
Columbus could not do anything offensively against Norfolk’s Jake Arrieta as the Tides took the second game of a doubleheader at Harbor Park in a 5-0 shutout of the Clippers.
Daisuke Matsuzaka got the start for Columbus in this game. His first two innings of work were a breeze, but the third inning was a difficult frame for the Japanese righty. Bryan Roberts got the Tides on the board with an RBI single. He would give up a second run in third when Xavier Avery scored from third on a Matsuzaka wild pitch.
Brandon Waring augmented Norfolk’s advantage with a big two run shot over the left field wall. That was immediately followed by a solo blast by Yamaico Navarro. The two long balls gave the Tides a 5-0 lead.
Tides right-hander Jake Arrieta (W, 5-3) was nearly unhittable as he surrendered only one hit while striking out ten and walking four in seven innings of work. Matsuzaka (L, 1-4) was hit with the loss for the Clippers.
Columbus will wrap up their four game series with Norfolk on Friday night at Harbor Park. The Clippers will send lefty T.J. House (1-7, 5.37) to the hill. The starter for the Tides has yet to be determined. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 PM.
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