Pham’s grand slam lifts Norfolk past Gwinnett, 6-0 in finale

Tommy Pham changed the whole afternoon with one swing, turning a tight early game into a Norfolk control job and leaving Gwinnett chasing the rest of the way. His third-inning grand slam gave the Tides the separation they needed in a 6-0 shutout Sunday at Gwinnett Field, and the result split the six-game series 3-3.

For Gwinnett, the loss was more than a scoreless finish. The Stripers entered at 32-31 and left at the same point in the standings they have hit too often this season on Sundays, now 2-9 in those games and 3-3 in shutout decisions. The offense never solved Norfolk’s pitching after the third inning, and DaShawn Keirsey Jr. was the only Gwinnett hitter to reach safely twice, finishing 2-for-5 with a double and a steal.

Owen Murphy took the loss after cruising through the first seven batters before the third unraveled. With one out, the bases loaded and Pham at the plate, the Norfolk outfielder launched his third home run of the season and sent the Tides ahead 4-0. Murphy has now struck out at least five batters in four straight starts, but the one inning that got away decided the game.

Norfolk kept adding after that. The Tides scored an unearned run in the fifth on an error and tacked on another in the sixth when Luis Vasquez grounded out. Six Norfolk pitchers then combined on a five-hit shutout that never let Gwinnett build even a brief rally at Gwinnett Field in Lawrenceville, Georgia.

The finale fit a series that had already swung back and forth from the start. Gwinnett won 6-4 on Tuesday night, Norfolk answered with a 6-4 win on Wednesday, the Tides took a 4-3 decision on Thursday, the Stripers grabbed a 7-2 win on Friday and another 6-4 victory on Saturday before Pham’s grand slam closed the set. In a week that kept flipping from one dugout to the other, Norfolk’s veteran bat made sure the last word belonged to the visitors from Norfolk, Virginia.