Orioles minor league recap 4/2: Henderson homers again as Norfolk falls 4-3 in Charlotte

Gunnar’s second home run of his rehab assignment couldn’t spark a Tides win, as the Knights stormed back thanks to some fireworks of their own.

Triple-A: Charlotte Knights (White Sox) 4, Norfolk Tides 3

Gunnar Henderson continued to show he’s ready to make his way back to Baltimore in what could have been his final game on his rehab assignment. The rest of the Norfolk bats couldn’t follow Henderson’s lead, however, as the Knights came from behind to score a close victory Tuesday.

After striking out to leadoff the top of the 1st, Gunnar came back to the plate in the 3rd looking to do some damage. He’ll certainly miss the pitching down at Triple-A when he rejoins the Orioles, as he got a hanging curveball and sent it deep into the Charlotte night.

The solo shot from the O’s star shortstop gave the Tides a 1-0 lead. The Knights would tie the game at one in the bottom of the 4th thanks to an RBI single from 3B Tristan Gray. Jud Fabian offered a quick response in the top of the 5th, as he led off the frame with a solo homer of his own to reestablish the Tides lead.

The leadoff bomb started a mini rally, as Maverick Handley singled up the middle before moving to second on a Henderson walk. With two outs, 1B Vimael Machín pulled a slider through the right side to bring home Handley and give the Tides a 3-1 lead halfway through the game.

Unfortunately for Norfolk, that would be their last run of the game as their bats fell silent while the Knights staged a rally. Charlotte led off the bottom of the 5th with two straight singles to put a runner in scoring position. Norfolk nearly snuffed out the rally before it began thanks to a 3-5-2-4-3 double play that left a runner on third with two outs. Tides reliever Nathan Webb (no relation to Jacob) couldn’t complete the Houdini act though, hitting a batter before giving up a three-run homer to former major leaguer Mike Tauchman.

The Webb meltdown meant a strong opening four innings from starter Kyle Brnovich was all for naught. The 27-year-old former 8th round pick racked up seven Ks over four innings while limiting Charlotte to just four hits. With a 3.81 ERA and 245 Ks in 208 minor league innings, Brnovich could earn himself a call up if he continues to show high strikeout stuff at Norfolk.

The rest of the game played out with a sizeable portion of disappointment for the vaunted Norfolk lineup. Henderson grounded out with two outs and the bases loaded in the 6th. Samuel Basallo struck out in the 7th with the tying run on second and Coby Mayo grounded out for the final out in the 9th. Super prospects Mayo and Basallo finished a combined 1-8 with a walk and two Ks apiece.

Box Score

Wednesday’s Schedule

Norfolk Tides at Charlotte Knights, 6:35pm ET (TBD vs. Owen White)

Note: The Chesapeake Baysox (Double-A), Aberdeen IronBirds (High-A), and Delmarva Shorebirds (Low-A) all begin their seasons on April 4th.