After enduring postponements on two rainy days before their first-ever games in Minnesota, the Norfolk Tides split an International League doubleheader Thursday night against the St. Paul Saints before 5,345 at CHS Field.
The Tides (17-29) won 8-3 in Game 1 behind Samuel Basallo's eye-popping performance, then lost 3-2 in the nightcap with him out of the lineup.
In the opener, Basallo showed why he's the Baltimore Orioles' No. 1 prospect -- and then some. He clubbed two home runs, singled, walked, scored four runs and drove in three.
Basallo scored on a passed ball in the top of the first and on TT Bowens' double in the third, putting Norfolk ahead 2-0 off Saints starter Cory Lewis (1-4). Livan Soto's RBI single and Jud Fabian's two-run homer to center field capped a four-run uprising in the third for a 5-0 edge.
Basallo knocked a two-run homer over the fence in right-center in the fourth and a solo shot to center in the seventh.
Matt Wallner provided St. Paul's highlights, a solo home run in the third and a two-run shot in the seventh.
Thaddeus Ward (3-3) pitched 5 1/3 innings, striking out seven, walking four and yielding three hits for the victory.
In Game 2, Simeon Woods Richardson (1-0) pitched six effective innings for the victory for the Saints (23-21). He was 2-2 with a 5.02 earned-run average in 37 2/3 innings over eight games this season for the parent Minnesota Twins before being optioned to Triple-A last week, and he struck out eight and walked one.
Saints reliever Anthony Misiewicz yielded a Chadwick Tromp home run to left-center in the ninth but struck out the next two batters for his fifth save of the season.
Emmanuel Rodriguez's home run in the second, the only run Tides spot starter Roansy Contreras gave up in four innings, put St. Paul ahead 1-0. The Tides' Coby Mayo grounded an RBI single to left in the third, forcing a 1-1 tie.
In the fifth, Will Holland doubled and eventually scored on a wild pitch by Grant Wolfram (0-3), who yielded three hits and a wild pitch in one inning.
Holland's sacrifice fly in the sixth off Western Branch High graduate Colin Selby brought home Armando Alvarez for a 3-1 edge.The teams will meet again at 7:37 p.m. Eastern Friday as they strive to play a six-game series.