Rodolfo Castro hit a walk-off solo homer in the bottom of the ninth inning to lift the Lehigh Valley IronPigs to a 3-2 victory over the Norfolk Tides on Tuesday afternoon in the first of a six-game series at Coca-Cola Park in Allentown, Pennsylvania.
The IronPigs (10-11 in second half, 56-39 overall) have won six of seven games from the Tides (8-12, 38-55) this season. Norfolk has dropped three of four since a four-day break.
Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman made his first rehab start with the Tides as he recovers from an oblique strain. He went 1 for 3 with a double and a walk as the designated hitter. It was his first appearance with Norfolk since 2022.
The game was a pitchers’ duel as both Lehigh Valley starter Nabil Crismatt and Norfolk starter Thaddeus Ward worked into at least the sixth inning.
Jeremiah Jackson extended his hot streak with a solo homer — his 11th of the season — in the top of the first inning. It was his third straight game with a homer and he’s hitting .411 in July. He’s hit safely in 13 of 14 games this month.
The IronPigs tied it in the bottom of the sixth when Óscar Mercado hit an RBI single off Ward, who allowed only three hits and the lone run, but walked six.
The Tides regained the lead at 2-1 in the top of the eighth on Silas Ardoin’s second homer of the season, but Lehigh Valley tied it on Keaton Anthony’s solo shot in the bottom of the inning.
Castro led off the bottom of the ninth with a homer to left-center off Tides reliever Matt Bowman (1-1). It was his 11th homer of the season.
Nolan Hoffman (1-0) picked up the victory with a scoreless top of the ninth.
Crismatt allowed one run on three hits in six innings.
Samuel Basallo remained out of the Tides’ lineup with a sore oblique.
The teams will resume their series at 7:05 p.m. Wednesday.