Orioles minor league recap 9/28: Rough 7th inning dooms Norfolk in loss to Jacksonville

Triple-A: Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp (Marlins) 6, Norfolk Tides 2

The Tides’ quest to finish their season with a .500 record will come down to the last day of the season. Tuesday’s 6-2 loss to the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp dropped Norfolk’s season record to 74-75 with only one game remaining.

Things got off to a rough start for the Tides, as starter Drew Rom (Orioles #20 prospect) gave up a leadoff double to start the game. An RBI single for Jacksonville meant that the Tides went into the bottom of the first down 1-0.

Rom settled in after that, putting up scoreless innings in the second, third and fourth innings. The Tides' offense responded to that solid pitching in the fourth, as Joseph Ortiz (Orioles #18) led off with a single before Colton Cowser (Orioles #4, MLB Top 100 #41) walked to set up a scoring threat. Tyler Nevin immediately delivered on that opportunity, singling to drive home Ortiz and leave Cowser at third. Yusniel Diaz capped the offensive outburst with a sac fly to score Cowser.

Unfortunately, that would be the only offense the Tides would muster Tuesday night. Rom gave the Tides’ lead back in the fifth, and after working a clean sixth inning, the wheels fell off in the seventh. Rom walked the first three batters of the inning, and then exited the game in favor of Anthony Castro. The reliever immediately gave up a two-run single, and three batters later allowed another two runs on a ground-rule double.

The Tides’ offense went quietly in the seventh eighth and ninth, registering only one hit and never advancing a runner past first base. Only Ortiz was able to collect more than one hit and the team as a whole struck out 14 times.

Box Score

Wednesday’s Scheduled Game

Norfolk Tides vs. Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp, 6:35pm ET. Starting Pitcher: Chris Vallimont