Norfolk manager Ron Johnson on Urrutia, Alvarez and more

On Friday I posted this story on the Orioles' Triple-A Norfolk Tides affiliate. The Tides are in first place in the International League's South division by 5 ½ games with a record of 70-51.

In that story, we talked about the team overall and some of its strengths this year. But in a recent interview with Tides manager Ron Johnson, we also discussed several key players on the Norfolk team.

One is outfielder Henry Urrutia, who has since joined the Orioles. Urrutia was hitting .292 with 10 homers and 50 RBIs in 107 games for the Tides and was batting .317 since the All-Star break.

Urrutia has started the last two days for the Orioles. He went 0-for-3 Saturday, but 2-for-5 with three RBIs yesterday. He also robbed Oakland's Danny Valencia of a homer in the seventh inning with a leaping catch at the wall in left field.

"Last year was a tough year for him with the sports hernia and he put some pressure on himself," Johnson said. "He's kind of gotten back to the guy he was two years ago. He's been hot for a while and is driving the ball to left and right center. He's done well staying inside the ball. He's been very good here. His defense has gotten better, he's played left and right. He's DH'd some and he's good at it. You have to have him prepared if he does DH in the majors. He has to handle that role, too."

Urrutia got off to a slow start this year, batting .236 in April. He was then moved to the leadoff spot where he hit .308/.349/.459 in 71 games.

"That was my thought," Johnson said. "For a while, he was rolling over some balls and the thought was put him up at leadoff and take the pressure off when coming up batting fifth or sixth and it's worked out well for him."

Norfolk first baseman Christian Walker was the Orioles 2014 minor league Player of the Year after he hit 26 homers and drove in 96 runs between Double-A Bowie and Norfolk. This year Walker is batting .258 with 14 homers and 58 RBIs. Since the All-Star break, he is hitting .262 with nine homers and 28 RBIs. He is tied for first in the league in homers, second in RBIs since the break and has 17 extra-base hits in 30 games.

"He's had a really strong second half of the year," Johnson said. "It is unfair to say he scuffled the first half. We expect guys to come up a level and dominate, but he went through some growing pains. But now his numbers are solid.

"What I really like about Christian is he is in phenomenal condition. This kid re-worked his body. We have a lot of kids here like that, that are committed to their craft and to themselves to be the best they can be. He's had a great second-half."

Outfielder Dariel Alvarez has been one of the players garnering the most buzz on the O's farm this year after he hit .340 with an OPS of .955 in June. But Alvarez has hit just .229 with an OPS of .636 in 118 at-bats since the All-Star break.

Johnson said Alvarez has shown him some solid skills this year.

"He's a tools guy," he said. "He's got all the tools you want to see with the exception of being an average runner or a little below. He's not going to steal bases. But he can hit, hit for power and he's got an eight arm (on the 2 to 8 scouting scale). He's played center for us and right.

"It's a real solid season for him. He's shown power with 16 home runs. He will get up there and get his opportunity. The whole focus with him has been working with his plate-discipline and getting good pitches to hit. He can get excited and expand the zone a little bit. That is something he will have to tighten up in the big leagues."

I asked Johnson if that is a red-flag in that Alvarez has an OBP of just .300 with 14 walks in 120 games?

"No, I don't think so. He is a very aggressive guy with outstanding hand-eye coordination. When he swings at some pitches out of the zone, he hits them. Which sometimes can be a curse. If he'd miss, it might be better for him. That sounds kind of stupid. But once he zones in, he'll get there. It will be interesting to watch him in the big leagues. I don't have a concern about it and think he will be productive for us."

Tides closer Oliver Drake has had an excellent Triple-A season. The right-hander is 1-2 with an 0.71 ERA and 21 saves in 21 chances. Over 38 innings, Drake has walked 15 and fanned 57 for Norfolk and been scored on in just three of 36 outings. He gave up three runs in 7 2/3 in late May for the Orioles.

"Oliver Drake has had a phenomenal year and put up outstanding numbers here. He's a guy I'm excited about. Really been impressed, not just by the numbers he puts up, but by the way he prepares and works at his craft. He is a real competitor."

Drake has an excellent split-finger fastball, a pitch he can throw early in the count to get ahead of hitters or late as a putaway pitch. But Johnson said his four-seam fastball has also been a key for the Naval Academy product.

"He throws 92, 93 mph with his fastball, so it's not like he is just up there throwing splits. But he's got a pitch (with the split) that people swing and miss at, and we saw some of that in the big leagues. He's got a two-pitch arsenal and you put that together with his mentality, he has a chance to help the Orioles."

Meanwhile at Bowie: Chance Sisco, the Orioles' 20-year-old catching prospect that was recently promoted to Double-A Bowie, is off to a great start with the Baysox. He went 4-for-4 with a walk in Bowie's 7-3 win Sunday against Harrisburg. Sisco is batting .583 (7-for-12) in his first three Bowie games.

Baysox first baseman Trey Mancini had, what for him, has been a rare hitless game Sunday, going 0-for-5. Even with that, Mancini is batting .403 in 15 games this month for Bowie with six doubles, two homers, 14 RBIs, a .597 slugging percentage and OPS of 1.021.

Check this out: Tonight, the best thing we see at Camden Yards could happen before the game starts. That is when Hailey Dawson will throw out the first pitch. Read more about her inspiring story here.

Final word: ESPN analyst and former major leaguer Aaron Boone was talking up the Orioles last night on Baseball Tonight. Boone said: "Everyone is sleeping on the Orioles. They will absolutely get one of the wild card spots. The Orioles are flying under radar."