The Norfolk Tides spent the first half of the season steamrolling the competition. They are finding the second half of the season is not going as easily as they had hoped.
The Tides have split three of their last four series. The one they didn’t was a three-game set they won.
The pitching seems to be the issue against Nashville, as they failed to hold Nashville under three runs once. In the three losses, the Sounds scored five or more runs.
The Tides are only two games back in the division, but they need to catch fire in order to get back to their dominating play from the first half of the season.
Let’s see who stood out in the series.
JOEY ORTIZ – INF
Joey Ortiz was given a vote of confidence by GM Mike Elias earlier this week. How did the Orioles’ No. 5 prospect / MLB Pipeline’s No. 61 respond? He went out and hit .462 (12-for-26) for the series.
Ortiz amassed four multi-hit games, collecting at least one hit in five of the six games. His best game came in the opener, a 10-8 Sounds victory. In the game, the young infielder would go 4-for-4 with two runs and two RBIs.
For the season, Ortiz is slashing .349/.399/.573. He has eight home runs, 40 RBIs, 47 runs scored and nine stolen bases and has totaled 81 hits in just 58 games this season.
CONNOR NORBY – INF/OF
For all the show and talk of Ortiz, Connor Norby is quietly putting forth a strong season. The Orioles’ No. 6 / MLB Pipeline’s No. 64 prospect is making just as much noise but just is not getting the same fan fare.
Against the Sounds, Norby would hit .423 (11-for-26) and up his on-base streak to 21 games. In the series, Norby would collect three multi-hit games while scoring seven times.
In the Tides’ 5-3 victory on July 27, Norby would put forth his best game of the series. He would go 3-for-5 with a double, scoring a run and hitting in one as well. Norby would also steal a base and take part in turning two double plays.
Norby is now slashing .291/.349/.476 with 14 home runs and 65 RBIs this season. He has scored 72 runs across 95 games while collecting 115 total hits.
CHAYCE MCDERMOTT – RHP
One thing the Orioles’ minor league system is good at is collecting awards. This week, it would be Tides’ right-hander Chayce McDermott who would take home International League Pitcher of the Week honors.
McDermott would enter in the third inning of the Tides’ 5-3 victory Thursday. At the time, Norfolk was down 3-0. McDermott would pitch five innings of two-hit shutout ball. He would strike out seven of the 19 batters he faced, throwing 77 pitches (45 strikes) as he picked up the win.
With the victory, McDermott moves to 2-0 in three games in Norfolk. He has a 2.77 ERA and a WHIP of 1.15 while holding opponents to a .140 batting average. The Orioles’ No. 17 prospect has pitched 13 innings while striking out 18 batters at the Triple-A level.
The Norfolk Tides resume play Tuesday, August 1, at Harbor Park, as they welcome the Charlotte Knights. Game time is at 6:35 p.m. EST. Will the Tides rise, or will the Knights keep the Tides at bay?
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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