The Norfolk Tides have wrapped up the first half with an International League title and will be headed to the postseason for the first time since 2015. Though there is still a second half to play, the Tides used a team that is full of players on the cusp or have major league experience to run away with the first half title.
The Tides went 11 straight series before dropping their first set of the first half, and though the Nashville Sounds tried their best, they could only muster a series split with the Tides.
The Tides held Nashville to three runs or less in four of the games, the exception being two losses. With pieces moving back and forth, the Tides have made the best of it and put forth a lineup that has produced a dominating 48-26 first half.
Let’s see who stood out this week, as the Tides are your first half International League Champions.
CÉSAR PRIETO – INF
The Orioles are rich in talent across the infield as top-notch players keep finding their way up to Norfolk. César Prieto is another infielder who has made his way to the Triple-A club and has started strong out of the gate.
Promoted on June 20, Prieto quickly showed he was ready by hitting .316 across his first five games with Norfolk. Playing shortstop and third base for five of the six games, Prieto reached base in four of those five games and had two multi-hit games in the series.
His best game came in Thursday’s Tides’ 3-0 victory. Prieto would go 2-for-2 at the plate, with one of his hits being his first Triple-A home run that drove in all three of the Tides’ runs for the game.
For the season, the former Cuban top prospect is now slashing .360/.400/.480 across two levels. He has hit five home runs with 33 RBIs, scored 35 runs and has accumulated 90 total hits in just 63 games this season.
JUSTIN ARMBRUESTER – RHP
Justin Armbruester was promoted on June 20 and would make his Norfolk debut two days later. The former 12th-round pick had not allowed more than two earned runs in 11 of 12 games. Making his Triple-A debut, he was determined to keep that dominance going.
Against the Sounds, Armbruester would get the start Thursday, a game won 3-0 by the Tides. In his first start, Armbruester would complete five innings of work, allowing just two hits, two walks and no earned runs while striking out seven.
For the season, Armbruester improves to 4-2 overall across 13 starts. He has pitched a combined 67 innings while posting a 2.28 ERA across two levels.
His WHIP stands at 1.12, while opponents are hitting .220 off the young righty. He has struck out 50 batters while walking 21 on the season.
NICK VESPI – LHP
Nick Vespi made a name for himself last season when he didn’t allow a single run for the entire year at the Triple-A level. To add to that, he is also undefeated in the majors, so Vespi remains on the radar for the Orioles.
Going into this series against the Sounds, Vespi had not allowed an earned run in 13 of his last 14 outings. By the time the series ended, it’s now 15 of his last 16 outings.
Vespi’s strongest performance came in Saturday’s 5-3, 11-inning Tides’ victory. In this game, Vespi, who picked up the win, was tasked with pitching three innings. He did give up an unearned run but retired 9-of-10 batters he faced.
Vespi improves to 3-0 on the season. Across 23 games, he has four holds and has seven saves in just as many chances. His ERA is 1.71 with a WHIP of 0.99. Across 26.1 innings of work, Vespi has struck out 24 while holding opponents to a .200 batting average.
The Tides will enjoy a rare two days off as the first half of the season comes to a close. They begin the second half starting Wednesday, June 28, when they welcome the Charlotte Knights to town and open with Turn Back the Clock Night and end with three nights of fireworks.
Will the Tides continue their dominance of the International League? The second half starts Wednesday at Harbor Park, so be sure to bring the family and cheer the Tides to victory.
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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