A tough week against Atlanta affiliate, the Gwinnett Stripers, saw the Norfolk Tides fall to .500 on the season.
The Tides lost five of six against the Stripers and have dropped seven of their last eight games overall.
The Tides would be shutout twice and would score only two runs in two of the other games. The offense struggled this week to produce runs, as various hitters struggled to produce.
Robert Neustrom returns to our stand-outs of the week with another strong week that saw him hit .500 (9-for-18) for the series. This series alone saw Neustrom raise his season average .065 points to .275.
In the first game on April 26, a 7-6 loss won in the bottom of the ninth by Gwinnett, Neustrom would go 3-for-3 at the plate. Of Neustrom’s hits, he would also collect his fourth homer of the year.
Neustrom didn’t leave his bat as the only highlight, as he stole two bases during the game, his first of season on the way to four for the series.
Tyler Nevin appeared in three games of the series, as he was called up to the bigs. Though he only played half the series, he took no time standing out.
In the Tides 6-3 victory Wednesday, Nevin would lead the way with his 2-for-4 performance at the plate. He would collect an RBI and score a run in leading the Tides to victory.
For the year, Nevin is batting .364 and slugging .979 at the Triple-A level. He has hit two homers and stole four bases, driving in 17 runs. While Nevin’s success has earned him a call to The Show, his absence leaves a hole for someone else to step up and fill.
Nick Vespi made two appearances during the series and was one of the stronger performances during the slide. Though he would pick up the loss Tuesday, he pitched 2.2 innings for the week and still has not given up an earned run in 9.2 innings, while striking out 15 on the year.
Tim Naughton also makes our list of stand-outs this week. With Norfolk letting the Stripers score six or more runs in five of the games, pitching was where we find another great showing.
Naughton would appear in two games, pitching a total of 4.1 innings across the week and allowing just one hit and striking out five of the batters he faced.
On the year, the righty has appeared in five games across eight innings of work. He has struck out nine and holds an ERA of 0.00, while his WHIP stands exactly at 1.000.
It was a tough week for the Tides, but they are back in action again Tuesday to face the Nashville Sound. They will look to right the ship and prove themselves as one of the best teams in the Southeast Division.
We will see which bat and arm will stand-out next, as Tyler Nevin and Kyle Bradish have been called up to the Orioles. The next group will be looking to fill some big shoes along the way.
What do you think of Norfolk’s week? Let us know in the comments, and be sure to follow The Baltimore Battery on Facebook and Twitter! And, make sure to use the hashtag #baltimorebattery when sharing our content to show your Birdland swag!
Like Stephen’s content? Follow him on Twitter – @SrHeckman
The Baltimore Battery 