Tides’ losing streak reaches nine games

Shrimp jump all over Means in first inning

The Norfolk Tides’ recent nightmares continued Wednesday night with a 16-4 loss at Jacksonville before 2,812 at 121 Financial Ballpark.

The Tides (7-10) have lost nine consecutive games, including the first two of their six-game series against the Jumbo Shrimp (10-7) in Florida.

Former MLB All-Star lefthander John Means (0-2), making his fourth rehabilitation start this year from the Baltimore Orioles, clearly has a long way to return to top form. The Shrimp, the Miami Marlins’ International League affiliate, pounded him for five hits (including two-run homers by Jonah Bride and Victor Mesa Jr.), a walk and five runs. Means managed only one out with his 34 pitches as his earned-run average ballooned to 18.41.

Norfolk’s Jonathan Heasley pitched two shutout innings of relief, but Jacksonville virtually ensured the triumph by amassing eight runs and eight hits off Andrew Suárez in 1 ⅔ innings. That made the score 14-3 entering the sixth.

The Tides’ most productive inning was the third, which featured RBI singles by Coby Mayo and Michael Pérez, sandwiched around Kyle Stowers’ run-scoring groundout. Stowers was the only Norfolk batter with two hits.

Mayo and Errol Robinson extended their team-leading on-base streaks to 13 games.

Bride, who had four hits, and Mesa had four RBIs apiece for Jacksonville. Marty Costes drove in three runs, while Troy Johnston, Mesa, Dane Myers and Jonathan Guzmán had three hits each.

The Shrimp’s final blow came when Jose Devers, whose cousin Rafael is a Boston Red Sox star, slugged a two-run homer in the eighth.

The series continued Thursday night and will resume tonight at 7:05.