In Game 1 of Saturday night’s doubleheader at Harbor Park, Connor Norby and Josh Lester each had two hits and two RBIs as the Norfolk Tides breezed to an 8-2 victory over the Charlotte Knights.
The Tides took a 67-38 International League record into the doubleheader’s second game, while Charlotte was 40-66.
Norfolk, the IL first-half champion, improved to 19-12 in the second half and to 4-1 in the series. The Knights dropped to 5-26 in the second half and are the only one of the 20 IL teams with fewer than 10 victories.
Tides left-hander DL Hall (1-1) struck out five in two innings of relief, giving up one hit and no walks, as he gained his first win of the year and gave an impression that he soon could be ready to help Baltimore’s drive for the American League East title. Hall, plagued by injuries for much of the year, recently spent four weeks at the Orioles’ spring training in Sarasota, Florida, to build up his arm strength.
Norfolk starter Ryan Watson yielded two runs in three innings, but Hall and fellow relievers Morgan McSweeney and Wandisson Charles shut out Charlotte thereafter.
Robbie Glendinning’s homer in the second inning helped Norfolk go ahead 2-0. Charlotte responded with two runs in the top of the third, but Lewin Diaz’s RBI single in the bottom half put the Tides ahead to stay. Norby’s two-run double to right in the fourth elevated the margin to 5-2.
In the sixth, Lester’s two-run double and Coby Mayo’s RBI double completed the scoring.
The series finale is set for 4:05 p.m. Sunday.
