Redbirds rally past Tides 11-7 to cap dominant series in Norfolk

Memphis did more than rally past Norfolk 11-7 on Sunday at Harbor Park. The Redbirds left Virginia having won five of six on the road trip, and the way they closed it out put several bats and a late-inning arm squarely into the Cardinals’ roster conversation.

After falling behind early, Memphis answered with one damaging inning after another and never let the Tides settle in. Bligh Madris started the comeback with a three-run homer in the second inning, Ramon Mendoza tied the game in the fourth with a two-run double, and Leo Bernal supplied the go-ahead punch with the first of two RBI doubles in a breakout afternoon. Bernal finished 3-for-4 with a walk, and the Redbirds’ depth showed up all over the box score: Victor Scott II, César Prieto, Madris and Mendoza each added two-hit performances, while all nine Memphis starters recorded at least one hit.

That kind of lineup-wide pressure turned a road series into a statement. Memphis had already beaten Norfolk 10-2 on Friday and then dropped a 1-0 extra-inning game Saturday before finishing the set with the 11-7 win. The Redbirds’ five wins in six games reinforced why this club has stayed near the top of the International League picture, especially after its franchise-best 6-0 start to open the 2026 season. The offense is not leaning on one hot bat. It is rolling out inning after inning of contact, power and traffic on the bases, the sort of profile that tends to force the issue for a major league club looking for answers.

Pete Hansen took the ball for Memphis and was charged with five runs, including a home run, across four innings. The 25-year-old left-hander, a 2022 third-round pick by St. Louis out of Texas, was not at his sharpest, but the Redbirds still had enough cushion to survive the bumps.

Scott Blewett finished it. The 30-year-old right-hander entered with 2026 Triple-A totals of 4-0, a 5.97 ERA, 46 strikeouts and four saves in 34.2 innings, then handled the ninth with two outs and the tying run looming before inducing a groundout to lock down the victory. Memphis moved into a virtual tie with Rochester atop the International League, though Rochester had the better winning percentage after its game was washed out by inclement weather. For the Redbirds, the bigger message was delivered over six days in Norfolk: the bats are carrying real weight, and the roster pressure is only getting louder.