Record
1-2 (September 6-8)
63-71 (overall, eighth place of 10)
30-30 (second half, fifth place of 10)

The theme of this mini-update? Disappointing lefty starters, as both Ky Bush and Jake Eder flopped against the Tides.

September 6: Norfolk Tides 8, Charlotte Knights 6
It’s hard to find an uglier game than this, frankly. Really … the Tides won this on a walk-off grand slam! The five-run outburst to win erased a Charlotte comeback that dropped a 6-3 lead into their laps heading into Norfolk’s last ups. And before that, it was a middle-game for the Knights that was perfection: terrific middle relief, and an offense that scrapped back from down 3-1 to a three-all tie. Plus: Two doubles from rehabbing Yoán Moncada! Four home runs! Including a clutch, pinch-hit blow in the eighth from Michael Chavis! Ah well, it wasn’t to be.

GAME MVP
Michael Chavis (PH-3B) 1-for-1, R, 2 RBI, HR, 30.2% WPA

September 7: Norfolk Tides 8, Charlotte Knights 4
Is it worrisome that Ky Bush, a blue-chip starter who dominated at Double-A but has struggled at any more advanced level got beat up in a one-inning start while Cory Abbott, a journeyman AAAA arm rushed in and ran off three solid innings of relief, keeping his Knights in the game? Well, yes. But there was more to this runaway loss than just Bush’s poor start: An inability to stop Norfolk’s running game (Carlos Pérez, admirable in stepping back behind the plate for an injured Edgar Quero and hitting the stuffing out of the ball in September, let the Tides run wild, for four steals), poor fielding and terrible execution on offense (seriously, Charlotte outhit Norfolk by four and the Tides were just 3-of-20 with RISP, yet won going away). There’s always Sunday.

GAME MVP
Cory Abbott (RHRP) 3 IP, 2 H, BB, 5 K, WP, 34-of-49 strikes, 15.6% WPA

September 8: Charlotte Knights 9, Norfolk Tides 7
Is it worrisome that the other blue-chip southpaw in the Charlotte rotation fell behind, 6-2, and swelled a gaudy ERA to 9.87, as the player traded for him (Jake Burger) has mashed about six dozen homers in the second half of the season for the Marlins? Well, yes. But in the series finale, the Knights flashed some fight, scoring five in the top of the seventh to tie the game and adding single tallies from there for the finishing touches on a win.

GAME MVP
Canaan Smith-Njigba (LF) 3-for-4, 2 R, RBI, 2 SB

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Michael Chavis photo by Laura Wolff/Charlotte Knights