A Grassfield High graduate made his Triple-A pitching debut Sunday afternoon as the Norfolk Tides completed the International League first half with a 3-2 loss to the host Nashville Sounds before 6,936 fans in Tennessee.
Garrett Stallings, 25, pitched 5 1/3 innings and took the loss. The former Grizzlies right-hander from the University of Tennessee yielded six hits, three earned runs, two walks and a hit batsman while striking out three on 75 pitches.
Until Sunday, he had pitched all season for the Double-A Bowie Baysox, going 3-2 with a 4.73 earned-run average in 53 1/3 innings over 13 games, including seven starts.
Stallings has been in the Orioles’ organization since December 2020, when the Angels — who drafted him in 2019 — traded him in a deal that sent shortstop Jose Iglesias from Baltimore to Los Angeles.
The Tides split the series at three wins apiece and completed the first half at 48-26, with one cancellation, earning a berth in the league championship series by finishing first among the IL’s 20 teams. The 75-game second half starts Wednesday, with Norfolk at home against Charlotte.
One of the players who led the Tides to that playoff berth, infielder Jordan Westburg, is being called up by the Orioles for his major league debut, according to ESPN. He has hit .295 with 18 home runs and 54 RBIs.
Sounds starter Jason Alexander, on a rehabilitation assignment from the Milwaukee Brewers, gave up one unearned run, four hits and no walks in 4 2/3 innings. Darrell Thompson (2-2), the second of five Nashville pitchers, threw 1 1/3 scoreless innings for the victory.
In the bottom of the first, Nashville shortstop Brice Turang doubled home Skye Bolt. The Tides pulled even in the third when Ramon Rodriguez — who had three hits — scored as Daz Cameron reached on a fielding error by Turang.
The Sounds went ahead to stay on Josh VanMeter’s solo homer in the fourth. Norfolk manager Buck Britton pulled Stallings out with runners at first and second in the fifth, and things became contentious on a 90-degree day when the heat index reportedly reached 108.
Tides reliever Darwinzon Hernandez sandwiched a pair of hit batsmen around a strikeout, allowing Nashville to go ahead 3-1 when Keston Hiura scored on former Tide Patrick Dorrian’s plunking. Dorrian, Sounds teammate Payton Henry and Hernandez all were ejected by plate umpire Austin Jones.
The Tides threatened in the ninth. Lewin Diaz and Rodriguez singled off reliever J.B. Bukauskas, and both runners advanced on Ben DeLuzio’s sacrifice bunt. Maverick Handley’s infield single scored Diaz, cutting the margin to 3-2, but the Sounds won as Bukauskas fielded Cesar Prieto’s grounder and turned a pitcher-to-second-to-first double play.
INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE STANDINGS
(through most of Sunday’s games)
Team, W-L, Pct., GB
c-Norfolk (Orioles), 48-26, .649, –
Iowa (Cubs), 43-30, .589, 4.5
*St. Paul (Twins), 43-30, .589, 4.5
*Louisville (Reds), 39-33, .542, 8.0
Nashville (Brewers), 40-34, .541, 8.0
Omaha (Royals), 38-34, .528, 9.0
*Durham (Rays), 39-35, .527, 9.0
Memphis (Cardinals), 39-36, .520, 9.5
Worcester (Red Sox), 39-36, .520, 9.5
Lehigh Valley (Phillies), 36-37, .493, 11.5
*Charlotte (White Sox), 35-39, .473, 13.0
Rochester (Nationals), 34-39, .466, 13.5
Scranton/W-B (Yankees), 34-40, .459, 14.0
Buffalo (Blue Jays), 34-41, .453, 14.5
*Syracuse (Mets), 33-40, .452, 14.5
Columbus (Guardians), 33-41, .446, 15.0
Indianapolis (Pirates), 33-41, .446, 15.0
Gwinnett (Stripers), 33-42, .440, 15.5
*Toledo (Tigers), 32-41, .438, 15.5
Jacksonville (Marlins), 32-42, .432, 16.0
*Does not include Sunday’s result.
c-clinched first-half title and berth in championship series in September.
TIDES THIS WEEK
(vs. Charlotte at Harbor Park)
Wednesday: 6:35 p.m.
Thursday: 12:05 p.m.
Friday: 6:35 p.m.
Saturday: 6:35 p.m.
Sunday: 6:35 p.m.
