The Norfolk Tides have enjoyed a strong season as they had remained undefeated through 11 series. Unfortunately, their streak was halted, as the Worcester Red Sox would take the most recent series four games to two.
One of the strong parts of the Tides have been their ability to keep teams from scoring and scoring big. In the series against the Red Sox, Norfolk would allow five or more runs in the four losses yet hold the Red Sox to two and no runs in their two victories.
The Tides still remain 6.5 games up in their division and hold the best record in the league by five wins.
Let’s take a look at who stood out this series for the Tides.
HESTON KJERSTAD – OF/1B
The Orioles’ former No. 2 overall pick in 2020 has quickly moved up through the minors. As Kjerstad finds himself acclimating to Triple-A, he is quickly showing why the Orioles drafted him when they did.
For the series, Kjerstad was 8-for-21 (.381 avg). He would collect two home runs, two doubles and a triple, while driving in two runs and scoring five times during the series.
In Thursday’s Tides’ 3-2 victory, it was Kjerstad who would help power the way, going 2-for-4, including a home run, at the plate. Kjerstad would drive in one and score two of the Tides’ three runs.
On the year, Kjerstad is slashing .311/.385/.587. Across 11 games in Norfolk, he’s hitting.317/.391/.634, with three home runs, which brings his season total to 14.
ROBBIE GLENDINNING – INF
In early May, the Orioles would trade cash considerations to Kanas City for infielder Robbie Glendinning. Since then, the veteran Australian has provided a solid bat in the Tides’ lineup.
Glendinning showed off in the series against the Red Sox, going 6-for-17 (.353) at the dish. He would collect three runs, a double, a home run and five RBIs for the series.
Though the Tides would drop Sunday’s game 11-5, Glendinning would go 2-for-3 with a double and a walk at the plate. He would score and drive in a run, as he was one of four Tides to collect at least one hit in the game.
For the season, Glendinning is now slashing .250/.355/.419 to go with six home runs and 30 RBIs. Across 46 games, he has scored 17 times while walking 24 times.
GRAYSON RODRIGUEZ – RHP
It was a matter of time before the Orioles’ top pitching prospect made our list. Against the Red Sox, Grayson Rodriguez picked a good time to show why the O’s still remain high on the young righty.
In Thursday’s 3-2 victory, it was Rodriguez who would lead the way for the Tides. Completing six innings, Rodriguez would throw 96 pitches (65 strikes) while allowing two hits and two runs. He would walk two batters, but he struck out 11 while facing only four batters over the minimum.
For Triple-A Norfolk, Rodriguez improved to 3-0 in four games. He has totaled 22 innings while striking out 29 batters and holding opponents to a .179 average. Though he has walked 12 batters, Rodriguez still has a WHIP of 1.18.
The Norfolk Tides will enjoy a day off on Monday. On Tuesday, they will head to Nashville to take on the Tourists starting at 7:35 p.m. EST.
Will the Tides get back to their winning ways, or will the Tourists provide another series defeat? Tune in on Tuesday to find out how it all begins.
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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