The Norfolk Tides not only lost their sixth consecutive game, but they also were shut out for the first time this season as Scranton/Wilkes-Barre won 3-0 Saturday night before 7,554 at Harbor Park.
The RailRiders (9-4) will try to sweep the six-game series in Sunday’s 1 p.m. game, which right-hander Justin Armbruester (0-1, 9.72 earned-run average) will start for the Tides.
Norfolk (7-7), which set all kinds of records in a 26-11 April 3 victory at Charlotte, has scored just 12 runs in the series so far.
Saturday, the Tides managed just three hits — all singles — against Scranton pitchers Clayton Beeter (1-0), Matt Givin and Jake Cousins. The trio combined for 12 strikeouts (eight by Beeter) and two walks (both by Givin in three innings).
Tides third baseman Coby Mayo, batting .428 for the season, extended his hitting streak to 10 games.
Left-hander Cade Povich (1-1), one of the Baltimore Orioles’ many top young prospects, suffered a hard-luck loss. He struck out 10 and walked two, and the only hit he allowed in 5 1/3 innings was Carlos Narvaez’s leadoff home run in the fifth. Povich has struck out 19 in his last two starts.
Josh VanMeter made it 2-0 with a home run to right-center off Chesapeake native Garrett Stallings in the eighth. The former Grassfield High star struck out three, walked one and gave up two hits in 2 2/3 innings.
Scranton’s last run came off Matt Krook in the ninth. Mayo misplayed a ball, allowing Narvaez to reach second. After Jose Rojas walked, Jeter Downs floated a single to center to score Narvaez.
