The Tides are having a fun time playing baseball this year. They are 35-15 in their division, hold an eight-game lead over second place, a six-game lead for the best record in the league and have a run differential of +118.
Even in dropping two games to the Memphis Redbirds this week, the offense averaged 10.8 hits per game and 7.5 runs per game in winning the series 4-2. The Tides still have not lost a series as they head into June.
While the Tides continue to pace the circuit, let’s see who stood out in the latest series victory.
JOSEPH ROSA – INF
Newly signed on May 24, Rosa took no time jumping right into the heat of things.
Rosa would slash .381/.381/.619 for the series and prove his signing was no fluke. He would go 8-for-21 on the series. Five of his eight hits were for doubles, as he collected two RBIs and scored four runs.
In the Tides’ 11-6 victory on May 27, Rosa would go 3-for-5 with two doubles and a run. He was one of three players for the game to collect three hits.
Rosa isn’t much of a home run hitter but does have some speed and is versatile in the infield. We will see if his hot start continues going forward, but it was a great way to come aboard and start his Tides career.
CONNOR NORBY – INF/OF
Norby, the Orioles seventh ranked prospect and 85th ranked in the top 100, hit .379 for the series while having his 10-game on-base streak broken.
Collecting 11 hits over the series, Norby had four multi-hit games, giving him 11 in 24 games this month.
Norby’s best game came in Friday’s 7-2 victory. In the game, Norby would go 4-for-5 with a double and home run. He also scored twice and collected three RBIs in guiding his team to victory.
For the season, Norby is now slashing .286/.341/.433. He has played 48 games, tallying 43 runs, 16 doubles, five home runs and 33 RBIs. Norby has also played eight games in the outfield while also playing second base and shortstop, showing more versatility for the young player.
NICK VESPI – LHP
Vespi held a season-long scoreless streak last season that carried over to this year. Since allowing four earned runs in the month of April, Vespi has gone 10 straight games without allowing a run.
For the month of May, opponents are hitting just .091 against the lefty Vespi, who has a WHIP of 0.82 while pitching 7.1 innings and collecting five strikeouts.
In this past series, Vespi would collect two saves in two games, pitching 1.1 innings. He now has six saves in six opportunities on the year.
For the year, Vespi is 1-0 in 16 games. He has pitched 16.1 innings with 18 strikeouts, collecting four holds and six saves. Opponents are hitting .224 and his WHIP stands at 1.10 on the year.
Norfolk continues to roll over their competition, as they will have Monday off before welcoming the Gwinnett Stripers to town for a series. Will the Tides continue to pull away from their competition and keep their series unbeaten streak alive? Find out starting Tuesday at 6:35 p.m. EST.
Who stood out to you for Norfolk this week? Let us know in the comments below! Make sure to follow The Baltimore Battery on Facebook, Twitter and TikTok, and use the hashtag #baltimorebattery when sharing our content!
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