Norfolk scored four runs across a doubleheader, while Bowie and Delmarva were shut out entirely.
Triple-A: Jacksonville (Marlins) 4, Norfolk Tides 3 – Game 1 (7 innings)
It’s like the Triple-A version of the now-defunct Tungsten Arm O’Doyle joke about the Angels: Coby Mayo homered for the 20th time this season as the Tides lost to the Jumbo Shrimp, 4-3. Anybody who wants to see him up on the Orioles to boost the faltering offense is seeing reasons to support that almost daily.
Mayo had two hits, as did Jackson Holliday and Billy Cook. The other six batters had two hits combined. This was a seven-inning game, so the eight total hits isn’t as bad as if they played nine, but still. Dang.
The Tides never led in the game after starting pitcher Brandon Young gave up three runs in the top of the first inning. Young went on to pitch four innings without allowing any further runs, but the damage was done. He struck out six batters while walking two and giving up four hits. Nick Vespi allowed the fourth and ultimately decisive run across two innings of work.
Game 2: Jacksonville (Marlins) 5, Norfolk Tides 1 – 7 innings
Norfolk managed to give up the five runs while allowing just three hits. Kind of impressive, if not exactly a fun outcome for the Orioles affiliate. Tides pitchers issued six walks (four of which were allowed by starting pitcher Carlos Tavera over a five inning outing) and Tides fielders committed three errors, leading to two of the runs being unearned. Here’s the good news: Neither Jackson Holliday nor Coby Mayo committed any of the errors. Holliday was the DH for game 2, so that would have been really tough for him to accomplish.
Tides batters could not beat Jacksonville’s three hits. They only got two. Holliday, Mayo, and Kyle Stowers went hitless. In fact, everyone went hitless except for Cook, who collected another pair, and whose solo home run in the sixth inning accounted for 100% of Norfolk’s runs in the second game of the doubleheader. Cook is OPSing .826 in 68 games with the Tides. He’s a fun story to which we maybe shouldn’t get too attached because he could be gone in an instant with a trade announcement, like Matthew Etzel from Bowie.
Double-A: Akron (Guardians) 7, Bowie Baysox 0
Do you think the struggling big league offense has infected the whole system right now? I don’t think that, but I sort of jokingly believe it. Bowie had a total of two hits. Two! And only one walk. Jud Fabian, Samuel Basallo, Dylan Beavers, and John Rhodes all took the 0-for in the game.
It was a tough night for Baysox starter Alex Pham too. The righty got the hook after just 1.2 innings pitched, still in the game for long enough to give up four runs on three hits and a walk. Pham has bumped into a ceiling hard in 2024, with a 5.45 ERA at the level after this outing.
High-A: Jersey Shore (Phillies) 6, Aberdeen IronBirds 5
I’ve been intrigued by starting pitcher Michael Forret ever since he earned a midseason promotion from Delmarva. This turned out as a clunker, as he tossed just 3.1 innings and gave up four hits, four walks, and three earned runs in the process. He’s got a 4.91 ERA since joining the IronBirds.
Aberdeen’s offense lost one of the hitters worth watching when Mac Horvath was shipped to Tampa in the Zach Eflin trade. That pretty much just leaves Enrique Bradfield Jr., last year’s first round pick. Bradfield got on base three times, with a pair of doubles and a walk. He drove in two of the IronBirds runs. The 2-9 hitters combined for five more hits. So, yeah.
If there’s anyone out there who’s still got a candle burning for Reed Trimble, he had a pair of singles in four at-bats.
Low-A: Fredericksburg Nationals 5, Delmarva Shorebirds 0
Possibly the platonic ideal of a 2024 Shorebirds game, with the team combining for just four hits and one walk while getting shut out, committing a couple of errors, and losing.
The starting pitcher, Braxton Bragg, gets no blame, as he pitched five shutout innings while allowing just two hits. Not too many of his outings have been like this, which is why these five shutout only lowered his ERA to 4.45.
Each of Braylin Tavera, Leandro Arias, and Aron Estrada – the 1-2-3 hitters in the lineup – had one hit in four at-bats. Tavera and Estrada were also picked off. It’s a tough way to score runs.
Saturday’s Scheduled Games
- Norfolk: vs. Jacksonville, 6:35. Starter: Bruce Zimmermann
- Bowie: at Akron, 7:05. Starter: Cameron Weston
- Aberdeen: at Jersey Shore, 7:05. Starter: TBD
- Delmarva: at Fredericksburg, 7:05. Starter: Nestor German