In a matchup of Hampton Roads native pitchers Saturday night, Chesapeake’s Garrett Stallings and the Nashville Sounds emerged as 7-6 victors against the Norfolk Tides before 8,058 at Harbor Park.
Stallings pitched six solid innings, giving up two earned runs and seven hits. The former Grassfield High and Tennessee Volunteers pitcher left with a five-run lead, though the Tides nearly made up that deficit against Nashville relievers.
Stallings was a Tide until Baltimore traded him to Milwaukee early in the 2024 season. He improved to 5-3 this season and lowered his earned-run average to 4.15.
He outperformed Newport News native Trey Gibson, who started for Norfolk. The former Grafton High and Liberty University pitcher zoomed through the Orioles’ system this year, but after an excellent first Tides start, he has struggled since.
Giving up six earned runs, eight hits and two walks in four innings, he saw his record drop to 1-3 and his ERA rise to 9.64 with Norfolk.Luis Urías’ two-run double in the third put the Sounds ahead, and they expanded the lead off Gibson in the fourth. Steward Berroa’s sacrifice fly made it 3-0, and a three-run homer to center by Daz Cameron — who began the season with the Tides — boosted the margin to 6-0.
Norfolk began to cut the deficit. Maverick Handley scored on Terrin Vavra’s groundout in the fifth, Enrique Bradfield Jr. came home on Jud Fabian’s sacrifice fly in the sixth, and Jordyn Adams smacked a three-run homer to left in the seventh to bring the Tides (28-32 in the International League’s second half, 58-75 overall) to 6-5.
Berroa’s sacrifice fly for an unearned run in the eighth put Nashville ahead 7-5.
Vimael Machín knocked his 16th home run of the season in the eighth to pull the Tides to 7-6, but they stranded two runners later that inning and went down 1-2-3 in the ninth.
The Sounds (31-31, 75-60) lead 3-2 in the series, which will conclude with a game at 1:05 p.m. Sunday. Right-hander Levi Wells (0-0, 5.40) is scheduled to start for Norfolk against lefty Tucker Davidson (0-0, 9.64).
