Holliday, Kjerstad have big days at the plate in Norfolk Tides matinee loss

O’s top prospects Jackson Holliday and Heston Kjerstad had big days for the Triple-A Norfolk Tides in an 8-6 loss to the Lehigh Valley IronPigs on Thursday at Harbor Park.

Holliday was 2-for-5 with a home run, a double, two RBIs and a run. His first-inning homer snapped an 0-for-6 skid, on a day that marked Holliday’s first multi-hit game with the Tides since May 8 at Memphis.

Holliday, the top-rated prospect in all of MLB, spent 10 games with Baltimore, but struggled mightily at the plate, going 2-for-34 with 18 strikeouts.

Since returning to Norfolk on April 27, Holliday is slashing .250/.407/.422, for an OPS at .829, with two homers, seven RBIs and two stolen bases.

Kjerstad, the #4-rated prospect in the O’s system, 2-for-3 with a double, an RBI and two walks on Thursday.

Kjerstad slashed .143/294/.143 in 14 at bats in Baltimore before being sent back down to Triple-A this week.