All the O’s farm teams but Bowie won on Sunday.
Triple-A: Norfolk Tides 5, Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp (MIA) 4
Norfolk staved off a ninth-inning collapse after allowing Jacksonville to cut a 5-2 lead to 5-4. Colin Selby, recently acquired from Kansas City, allowed a two-run home run with two outs, but he got the final out on a swinging strikeout.
Down 1-0 in the third inning, the hitters rallied for three runs. Coby Mayo and Kyle Stowers set the table for Terrin Vavra, who tripled to score them both. Then Daniel Johnson’s sac fly scored Vavra. The next inning, the Mayo/Stowers duo started another rally, this time with two outs, singling to set up Billy Cook, who hit his own two-run triple to bring them both home. Cook finished with a two-hit day (double, triple), and Nick Maton also doubled. Jackson Holliday, who led off and played second base, went 0-for-4.
Justin Armbruester earned the win with five one-run innings, although six walks is a little eyebrow-raising. He’s now 3-6 with a 7.05 ERA in 20 games. After Armbruester, Luis González allowed one run in two innings, while Matt Krook pitched a scoreless inning.
Double-A: Akron RubberDucks (CLE) 3, Bowie Baysox 2
Bowie outhit Akron, 7-6, but could only manage one measly run in the fifth and another in the eighth. One came courtesy of infielder Ryan Higgins, who homered (his fifth of the year). In the eighth, Bowie manufactured a run off Akron’s Bradley Hanner, who allowed a single and a steal to Dylan Beavers, gave up a walk and a bunt single, then his replacement Magnus Ellerts walked John Rhodes to force in Bowie’s second run.
Bowie pitching was very good, as Trace Bright went four innings and allowed just one run on three hits and no walks. He struck out four. Bradley Brehmer threw two scoreless after Bright, and so did Dylan Heid. Wandisson Charles, who has an 8.42 ERA in 25 games with Triple-A Norfolk this season, got an ugly blown save/loss when he gave up two runs in the ninth inning: Charles walked two, threw a wild pitch, and made a fielding error on a sac bunt, then gave up an RBI double. Right field Jud Fabian momentarily saved the game, freezing the trail runner at home plate with a great throw. But Charles gave up another single to center after that, and the game was over.
High-A: Aberdeen IronBirds 8, Jersey Shore BlueClaws (PHI) 5
A seven-run seventh inning helped Aberdeen blow the doors of Jersey Shore. That inning, Enrique Bradfield had a bases-loaded walk, Douglas Hodo singled in two runs, Reed Trimble singled, stole a base (his second of the day) and drew a run-scoring throwing error, and Maxwell Costes and Carter Young each plated a run. It was Young’s second RBI on a 2-for-5 Sunday. He also stole a base. Hodo and Costes had two-hit days, too.
As for Aberdeen pitchers, starter Luis de León got into trouble the second time around facing BlueClaws hitters in the fourth inning, allowing three baserunners to reach, all of whom scored after he was pulled for Preston Johnson, a 2023 7th-rounder. The BlueClaws scored a run apiece off Edgar Portes and Yaqui Rivera, who each pitched two-plus innings.
Box Score
Low-A: Delmarva Shorebirds 3, Fredericksburg Nationals 2
Blake Money had a dominant start for Delmarva with 4.0 scoreless innings. He gave up one single and two walks and struck out five. In 19 games this year (9 starts), Money has a 3.45 ERA and 1.03 WHIP. Hayden Nierman, making a rehab start from Aberdeen, pitched a scoreless fifth with a big K to keep Fredericksburg off the board with runners on second and third. Juan Rojas allowed two runs over the last four innings.
A fifth-round pick last year, centerfielder Jake Cunningham had the biggest day at the plate, going 3-for-4 with two runs batted in. Alfredo Velásquez drove in a run on a sac fly. Leandro Arias, Anderson de los Santos, Aneudis Mordán and Maikol Hernández all singled.
Tuesday’s Schedule
• Norfolk @ Charlotte, Game 1 – 5:45 (Makeup of 6/30 rainout – Bottom 9th) Starter: TBD
• Norfolk @ Charlotte, Game 2 – 7:04. Starter: TBD
• Bowie vs. Somerset, 6:35. Starter: TBD
• Aberdeen vs. Brooklyn, 7:05. Starter: TBD
• Delmarva vs. Myrtle Beach, 7:05. Starter: TBD