A Silver Lining in Blowout

On the same day the Baltimore Orioles got crushed by the Athletics in the rubber game of the series, the Norfolk Tides also got blown out by a score of 14-2 to the Rochester Red Wings. Despite Mike Wright getting his ninth loss of the season while going 4 2/3 and giving up six earned runs off seven hits, there was a silver lining of this game.

Steve Lombardozzi continued his great month in Sunday’s game. Going 2-4 from the plate with a double and a single, Lombardozzi is now .344 in the month of July with seven RBIs. His hot month is coming just at the right moment because it seemed like Baltimore was about to give up on the Maryland native after he had a terrible June where he batted .224 and had a .238 on-base percentage.

Christian Walker was the other side of the silver lining as  he recorded his third RBI of the weekend series. By going 1-3 with an RBI double in the bottom of the third inning, Walker started off his Triple-A career going  5-12 with two doubles and a plus .500 on-base percentage (.588).

Although he is still seeking his first home run at the Triple-A level, Walker’s transition from Double-A ball has been a smooth one at that. What is most impressive to many is his patience at the plate. Pitchers know going into games that Walker is a home run hitter and they are not going to be trying to throw him anything that he can drive out of the ballpark. Working the count and getting on base is something that the scouts from the Orioles are pleased to see.

Both Lombardozzi and Walker will have another chance to silence their critics and improve their stats on Monday as the Tides try to bounce back from the blowout as they face the Toledo Mud Hens.