The Norfolk Tides are not mortal. They might lose here and there, but for the most part, you better be on your “A” game if you want to take them down.
Facing off against the Gwinnett Stripers, the Tides would collect another series win, still have yet to lose a series, climb an insane 23 games over .500 and become the first club in the International League to reach 40 victories. The next best team is the St. Paul Saints, who are 6.5 games back.
The Tides improved their league-leading run differential to +121, made more impressive by the fact that the two games they lost, Tuesday 7-0 and Thursday 13-0, saw them produce no offense.
Let’s see who stood out in the series.
COLTON COWSER – OF
It’s funny how playing two games in seven can warrant a player to be considered a standout. But with Colton Cowser returning, it coincided with Norfolk having its highest scoring games of the series.
Cowser is knocking on the doorstep of the bigs as he returns from the IL. He demonstrated why, as he went 4-for-5 with two walks, three RBIs and two runs, while only striking out once in his return.
Cowser’s strongest game of the two came at the conclusion of the series, a 13-4 Tides victory. For the game, Cowser went 2-for-2, including a home run, with two runs scored, an RBI and two walks.
Cowser improves his slash line to .347/.484/.590 with eight home runs and 31 RBIs. He has played a total of 39 games this season, scoring 45 runs, 37 walks and swiping five stolen bases.
It’s easy to see why Birdland is excited about the possibilities of Orioles’ No. 2 prospect. His influence on the Tides showed with his return to the lineup.
CONNOR NORBY – INF/OF
Connor Norby makes it back-to-back weeks as one of our standouts. Over the course of the series, the Orioles’ No. 7 prospect continues to show his potential both at the plate and in the field.
Norby compiled three multi-hit games in the series while hitting .400 over the six games he played. In Norfolk’s 9-2 victory on Saturday, Norby would go 2-for-5, including a home run, with three RBIs and a run scored. He was also part of two turned double plays in the game.
For the season, Norby has improved his slash line to .294/.345/.443 across 54 games. He has scored 49 runs, drove in 36 and collected 69 total hits.
COLE IRVIN – LHP
This week easily could have gone to Grayson Rodriguez, as he had a strong outing in his first start since returning to Norfolk, but it was Cole Irvin who gets the nod this week.
In Wednesday’s 8-3 victory, Irvin would pitch six innings of five-hit ball. He would throw 97 pitches (67 strikes), allowing two earned runs and striking out three.
Irvin rounded out the month of May with a 3-1 record and 2.52 ERA and improves to 6-1 on the season in seven games. He has pitched 42 innings with a 3.21 ERA with 22 strikeouts. What stands out the most is that Irvin has allowed just four walks in his seven games, and his WHIP stands at 1.05.
The Tides will enjoy an off day on Monday before heading to play the Scranton Wilkes-Barre RailRaiders at PNC Field. Will the Tides keep their series streak alive?
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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