Mountcastle stays hot across Tides twinbill
If the International League really is a dress rehearsal for the Majors, Ryan Mountcastle appears ready for showtime.The second-ranked Orioles prospect added four hits, including a homer and a double, five RBIs and two runs scored to his Triple-A resume on Saturday as Norfolk split a doubleheader with Charlotte at
If the International League really is a dress rehearsal for the Majors, Ryan Mountcastle appears ready for showtime.
The second-ranked Orioles prospect added four hits, including a homer and a double, five RBIs and two runs scored to his Triple-A resume on Saturday as Norfolk split a doubleheader with Charlotte at Harbor Park. The Tides won the nightcap, 5-2, after dropping the opener, 6-5.
The 22-year-old raised his batting average 38 points to .306 with his performance across the twinbill. He brought his RBI total to 17, which leads the IL, and his 19 hits place him in a five-way tie for fourth-best in the circuit -- four behind league leader
Mountcastle has reached safely in eight consecutive games while registering three straight multi-hit efforts. He's 7-for-10 with four extra-base hits and five runs scored over that time. The 2015 first-rounder also has driven in 11 runs in his last six games, picking up at least one RBI in each contest.
In Saturday's first game, MLB.com's No. 67 overall prospect went 2-for-3 with a roundtripper and four RBIs. After striking out on three pitches against third-ranked White Sox prospect
Game 1 box score
Two innings later, Mountcastle stepped in against MLB.com's No. 20 overall prospect for a third time and connected on a 2-1 fastball, sending it beyond the wall in left-center for a two-run blast that gave the Tides a 5-0 lead. It was his fourth dinger in the last five games.
Cease allowed five runs -- three earned -- on four hits and two walks while fanning five over 4 2/3 frames. He did not factor in the decision as the Knights rallied for three runs in the sixth and three more in the seventh.
In the nightcap, Mountcastle again went 2-for-3, this time with a double, an RBI and a run scored. The Florida native put Norfolk on the board with a double off an 0-2 pitch from right-hander Donn Roach that he laced into left and scored
In his final at-bat, Mountcastle went down swinging against Roach.
No. 22 White Sox prospect
Rob Terranova is a contributor to MiLB.com. Follow him on Twitter, @RobTnova24.