First, let me get this non-Tides comment out of my system.

CHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

Okay, that feels much better. What a wild game last night between the Reds and Braves though! I had cut out the light for the night thinking that the game was pretty much over, with the Reds taking a tough loss. But Devin Mesoraco and Shin-Soo Choo, to my great happiness and joy, had other ideas. Awesome ending to a well-played game.

Now, back to the reason we’re here. Our beloved Tides had a bit of a rough outing at Buffalo last night, but taken together with all of the good news since my last post, there is not much about which we need to be upset. Ishikawa has had a couple of memorable nights, to say the least. His walk-off RBI single Sunday afternoon wrapped up the homestand in style. Then, there were those two homers up in Buffalo Monday (where, as an aside, the weather has far exceeded what we’ve been having back here in Tidewater). And then, despite last night’s loss, he had three hits, including a two-run HR. I think that makes about 10 or 12 games in which he’s had a hit.

So, now we have five players in the starting lineup who are flat out getting the job done on offense. Navarro, Pridie, Valencia, Ishikawa, and Hoes are looking fine and all batting over .280, and Canzler is not far behind at .268. Therefore, we aren’t surprised to see our Tides at the top of the IL South with a fine 21-11 record. Before last night’s loss, the Tides had the fifth-best record in Minor League ball.

Since my last post, some roster moves have occurred that are worth mentioning. Luis Exposito was optioned back to us, and Zach Clark was outrighted to Double-A Bowie. Luis Martinez was transferred to Bowie as well. And, as expected, Garcia went to Baltimore and had an excellent outing Saturday. He pitched 6.2, gave up only three hits and two runs, and he walked one batter. His ERA is therefore 2.70. So, whaddyaknow, he remains on the active roster for the O’s.

Well, it’s time to get your tickets for “Roll Back the Clock” night at Harbor Park. You’ll want to get tickets early for this promotion since it tends to be popular. Fifty-cent food tends to draw a crowd. This will be going on Tuesday, May 14 so you have a few days left to stop by the box office.

That’s all from here. I need to get ready to go to my Day Job. We have a 7:05 start tonight in Buffalo, but if you are baseball-deprived today, the Keys have a day game in Winston-Salem. It starts 11-ish, and you can listen online. – RR