A fluky ending Wednesday afternoon spoiled a strong start by DL Hall and cooled off the Norfolk Tides.
Brian Miller scored on a walk-off balk by Tides reliever Reed Garrett and the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp edged Norfolk 3-2 before 3,165 fans at 121 Financial Ballpark in Jacksonville.
The loss snapped a three-game winning streak for the Tides (25-9) and trimmed their International League East Division lead to 6.5 games over the Jumbo Shrimp and Durham (both 18-15).
It was only the sixth time this season Norfolk has scored fewer than three runs.
Hall made one mistake, giving up a two-run homer to Jerar Encarnacion in the bottom of the sixth inning which tied the game at 2. He allowed four hits in six innings with a season-high nine strikeouts and one walk for his first quality start of the season.
Catcher Anthony Bemboom had given the Tides the early lead with a two-run homer in the top of the fourth inning. It was his first homer of the season.
Norfolk, however, couldn’t muster much more offense, finishing with five hits and five walks. Bemboom had two of the hits.
The Tides’ top four hitters in the lineup — Colton Cowser, Connor Norby, Josh Lester and Jordan Westburg — went a combined 1 for 16 with seven strikeouts. Lester did extend his on-base streak to 15 games with a walk.
Jacksonville starter Sean Nolin allowed all five hits and both runs in five innings, striking out five and walking three. Relievers Archie Bradley and Anthony Maldonado followed with two scoreless innings each. Maldonado (4-2) didn’t allow a hit and fanned four to earn the victory.
Garrett came on in relief for the Tides in the ninth after Dillon Tate and Logan Gillaspie each tossed a scoreless inning. Garrett walked Miller to lead off and then allowed a single to Jacob Amaya, which put Miller at third. That’s when he was called for the balk with Austin Allen batting.
With the series tied at a game apiece, the two teams will meet at 7:05 p.m. Thursday.