Michael Forret struck out nine and did not allow a hit over five innings at Aberdeen, while Chase Alllsup failed to replicate his previous success at Delmarva.
Triple-A: Omaha Storm Chasers (Royals) 4, Norfolk Tides 2
Both offenses were slow to get going after an extensive rain delay in Omaha. Raúl Alcantara, Dylan Heid and Nathan Webb kept the Storm Chasers off the board over the first four innings. Heid loaded the bases on a single and two walks, but he struck out the side in the second inning for a scoreless frame in his Triple-A debut.
Cody Poteet tossed a scoreless fifth, but Omaha plated the first run of the game on a solo homer in the bottom of the sixth.
Norfolk did not waste any time battling back. Jud Fabian worked a one-out walk, went first-to-third on a single by Livan Soto, and scored on a single by recent acquisition Chadwick Tromp. TT Bowens followed with a base hit to center that scored Soto and provided Norfolk a one-run advantage.
Unfortunately, Grant Wolfram allowed three runs in the bottom of the eighth on a two out, bases-clearing triple.
Double-A: Chesapeake Baysox 4, Richmond Flying Squirrels (Giants) 3
Chesapeake squeaked out a 4-3 win behind some small ball in the eighth inning. Max Wagner and Douglas Hodo III walked to start the rally, and both runners advanced on a sacrifice bunt by Anthony Servideo. Adam Retzbach found a way to put the ball in play, and Wagner scored on a ground ball to second base.
The two clubs alternated one-run advantages before the Baysox clinched the win. Silas Ardoin drove in the first game with an RBI-single, and Tavian Josenberger evened the score at two with an RBI-triple. Jeremiah Jackson followed with a base hit to plate Josenberger. The trio combined for seven of Chesapeake’s nine hits.
Zach Fruit allowed a pair of runs on four hits over 3.1 innings. He struck out three and did not walk a batter. Preston Johnson recorded the victory after getting five outs without allowing a hit, and Yaqui Rivera notched the save with a pair of strikeouts in a scoreless ninth.
High-A: Brooklyn Cyclones (Mets) 7, Aberdeen IronBirds 3
The IronBirds held a 3-2 lead until Brooklyn exploded for five runs in the top of the ninth. Ty Weatherly threw three innings of scoreless relief before imploding in the final frame. He allowed three doubles in the ninth, and a fielding error by Aron Estrada allowed the final run to score.
On the bright side, Michael Forret tossed five innings of one-run ball. The starter struck out nine and did not allow a hit. Forret allowed his only run on a hit batsman, a pair of stolen bases, and a sacrifice fly.
Aberdeen recorded its only four hits consecutively in a three-run third inning. Aneudis Mordán slapped a leadoff double before a trio of singles by Angel Tejada, Austin Overn and Estrada. The IronBirds did not record a hit in the other eight innings. What a wacky game.
Low-A: Carolina Mudcats (Brewers) 10, Delmarva Shorebirds 1
There weren’t many highlights for the home team in this one. Delmarva actually scored the first run of the game on an RBI double by Kevin Guerrero in the top of the first. Guerrero accounted for half of the Shorebirds’ four hits.
Unfortunately, Carolina rattled off the final 10 runs. Chase Allsup allowed six runs on seven hits and three walks over 3.1 innings. Allsup—who struck out 10 batters in five innings of one-hit ball during his previous outing—only managed one strikeout last night.
Friday’s Schedule
Norfolk: at Omaha, 7:35 pm. Starter: TBD
Chesapeake: at Richmond, 6:35 pm. Starter: Trace Bright (1-1, 2.08 ERA)
Aberdeen: vs Brooklyn, 7:05 pm. Starter: Blake Money (1-0, 2.25 ERA)
Delmarva: at Carolina, 6:30 pm. Starter: Keeler Morfe (0-2, 45.00 ERA)