First-place Tides win wild series opener at Memphis in 11th inning

In one of the most roller-coaster games of Norfolk’s season, the first-place Tides outlasted the Memphis Redbirds 13-12 Tuesday night in an 11-inning series opener before 1,583 at AutoZone Park in Tennessee.

With runners automatically beginning on second base in extra innings, the International League-leading Tides (32-13) broke a 12-12 tie when Daz Cameron scored on JoJo Romero’s wild pitch. Then reliever Reed Garrett (4-1) shut down Memphis, St. Louis’ top farm club, in the bottom of the 11th to gain a 3-hour, 52-minute victory.

Cameron hit a two-run homer in the first inning for the Tides, but Memphis (25-21) answered with four runs in the bottom of the first and went ahead 6-2 in the second off starter DL Hall, who retired only five batters.

The Tides came back with four in the third to pull even, though the Redbirds got a run to go ahead 7-6 after three innings.

Anthony Bemboom hit a three-run triple in the sixth to put the Tides ahead 10-7. But the Redbirds surged for four runs in the eighth to move ahead 11-10, going ahead on Jordan Walker’s single.

Josh Lester, whose RBI groundout tied the score in the ninth, and Cameron both had three hits and scored three times. Cameron had three RBIs and Lester two.

Ivan Herrera and Luken Baker both drove in four runs for the Redbirds, and Jordan Walker had three hits and three RBIs.

Wednesday’s game is at 1:05 p.m. Cole Irvin (4-1, 3.19 ERA) is set to start for the Tides against fellow lefty Connor Thomas (4-2, 4.29).