The Norfolk Tides up and down season continued as they struggled to a series split with the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, the Triple-A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies.
Though they won the last three games to split the series, Norfolk allowed four or more runs in four games (losing three of them) and needed 12 innings to secure the series split.
On the other hand, the Tides’ offense scored at least four runs in four games (winning three of them), as pitching seemed to be in short supply for both teams during the series.
Let’s check out who the standouts were for the series as we identify The Great, The Good and The Ugly.
The Great: Jonathan Heasley – RHP
Another under the radar move by GM Mike Elias is proving once again to be another depth piece to the O’s puzzle.
Heasley pitched in two games this series, and though he didn’t pick up a win, his combined stats are part of an already dominating month and season put forth by the veteran right-hander.
In his two games (one start), Heasley combined to pitch seven innings, allowing just three hits and no runs. He walked one and struck out seven for the two outings.
Heasley has appeared in seven games, one start, this season for Norfolk. He has accumulated a 0.45 ERA with a 0.70 WHIP across 20 innings with 18 strikeouts. Opponents are batting just .149 against Heasley on the year.
The Good: Cade Povich – LHP
Povich has taken the next step forward in his growth, becoming one of the strongest pitchers in the minor leagues.
In his most recent outing, Povich (W, 5-1) would toss six innings (88 pitches, 56 strikes), giving up two runs (one earned) on four hits, striking out eight batters.
Povich improved to 5-1 across nine games at the Triple-A level this season. The 24-year-old has totaled 47.2 innings, accumulating a 2.08 ERA and a 1.05 WHIP.
The O’s No. 9 prospect has struck out 65 to only 17 walks, and batters are hitting just .193 against the young lefty from Nevada.
The Ugly: Heston Kjerstad – OF
Kjerstad returned to the minors right before the series with Lehigh Valley. After struggling a bit in the majors, Kjerstad was sent back to Norfolk to get more consistent at-bats, and after this week, the adjustment period is back on for the O’s No. 4 prospect.
Kjerstad would collect two home runs, including a walk-off grand slam in the series finale, while accumulating nine RBIs. However, what made for a bad series is that Kjerstad had only four total hits across six games in 21 at-bats for a .190 average.
During the series, Kjerstad saw his season average drop .030 points, his on-base percentage .034 points and his slugging percentage fall .064 points.
Kjerstad is still slashing .318/.395/.701 in Norfolk, as he’s hit 12 home runs and collected 39 RBIs across 27 games.
The Tides will have off on Monday and sit at 23-22 on the season. They are in fourth place, 6.5 games out of first.
Norfolk will head to Worcester to open a series against the Red Sox at Polar Park starting Tuesday at 6:05 p.m. EST. Will the Tides soak the Sox, or will Worcester leave Norfolk out to dry?
Who stood out to you this week for Norfolk? Let us know in the comments below! Make sure to follow The Baltimore Battery on Facebook, Twitter (X) and TikTok, and use the hashtag #baltimorebattery when sharing our content!
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