All four Orioles affiliates lost on Tuesday as none of the Tides, Baysox, IronBirds or Shorebirds scored more than three runs.
Triple-A: Memphis Redbirds (Cardinals) 8, Norfolk Tides 3
Two big innings doomed the Tides as they fell behind 8-0 and couldn’t claw their way back against Memphis. Early on, Norfolk starter Thaddeus Ward worked around two hits and two walks to start the game with three scoreless innings. The game started to fall apart for Ward in the 4th, as Jimmy Crooks started the innings with a lead-off solo HR. Ryan Vilade and César Prieto then hit back-to-back singles and Ward hit Gavin Collins to load the bases. Another double and single later, and the bases were clear while Memphis had a 5-0 lead.
Things didn’t get better for Ward in the 5th, as he gave up a single to leadoff hitter Jose Barrero, walked the next batter he faced and then left a cutter over the plate for Vilade, who deposited it over the left-center wall for a three-run homer. Ward was pulled from the game without getting an out in the 5th and finished with a final line of 4.0+ IP, 9 H, 8 ER, 3 BB, 2 HR and 4 Ks.
All of Norfolk’s offense on Tuesday came through 3B Emmanuel Rivera. The former major leaguer put the Tides on the board in the 6th with a two-out, one-run single that scored Dylan Carlson from second. Rivera provided another clutch hit in the 8th, lining a two-out single to left that drove home runners from second and third. The 28-year-old finished the day 3-4 with 3 RBIs, two singles and a double.
Double-A: Altoona Curve (Pirates) 2, Chesapeake Baysox 0
The Baysox were held to three hits in a shutout loss to open their series against the Curve. The lack of offensive support obscured an excellent start from Orioles No. 29 prospect Alex Pham. The 25-year-old from Northern California tied a career high with 11 Ks, the first time he’s put double-digit Ks at the Double-A level.
The Curve only put the ball in play eight times against Pham, who gave up three hits, three flyouts and two groundouts. The only real blemish on Pham’s box score was the 3rd inning solo HR he gave up to Termarr Johnson, the No. 4 pick from the 2022 draft.
The Baysox’ best chance to get on the board came in the 4th when Creed Willems led off the inning with a double. Two strikeouts and a pop up meant Willems never moved off second, though, as Chesapeake couldn’t capitalize.
The Baysox would repeat that exact same feat in the 6th, with Jeremiah Jackson leading off with a double before being stranded by a strikeout-strikeout-pop-up sequence. Jackson led Chesapeake offensively, going 2-4 with a single and a double.
High-A: Wilmington Blue Rocks (Nationals) 6, Aberdeen IronBirds 2
The IronBirds fell behind 6-0 before they ever got on the scoreboard and they couldn’t complete a late-inning comeback as they fell to the Blue Rocks. It was an up-and-down outing for Orioles No. 15 prospect, Trey Gibson, who pitched five innings, giving up three runs on three hits with six Ks. Gibson worked a 1-2-3 inning in the 1st but gave up a leadoff double to start the 2nd. That runner would come around to score on a single two batters later to give Wilmington a 1-0 lead.
Gibson worked another clean inning in the 3rd before running into more trouble in the 4th. He walked Seaver King to lead off the inning and then gave up a one-out homer to Elijah Green to hand Wilmington a 3-0 lead. After three starts, the 22-year-old Gibson has a 6.75 at Aberdeen.
Things did not improve for Aberdeen when they took out Gibson in favor of reliever Alejandro Méndez. The 24-year-old Dominican took over in the 6th and started the inning by walking the bases loaded. After a run-scoring groundout, a sac fly and a two-out single, the IronBirds were down 6-0 heading into the last three innings.
Jake Cunningham finally got Aberdeen on the board with a two-out, two-run double in the top of the 8th to score Aron Estrada and Austin Overn. Trailing 6-2, Ryan Stafford walked to lead off the 9th and moved to second on a one-out Vance Honeycutt single. Estrada then looked to kickstart a rally, but instead ended the game by grounding into a game-ending 6-4-3 double play.
Low-A: Augusta GreenJackets (Braves) 5, Delmarva Shorebirds 1
The Shorebirds didn’t get on the board until the 9th and the GreenJackets used a three-run homer in the 7th to seal a win a Salisbury.
Augusta took an early 1-0 lead in the 2nd thanks to a two-out rally. After setting down the first two batters of the inning on a lineout and a caught stealing, Delmarva starter Michael Caldon loaded the bases on a pair of walks and a single. Augusta’s John Gil then snuck a single through the infield into left to drive home the first run.
Cohen Achen took over for Caldon in the 4th and got through his first three innings of work unscathed. After stranding runners at second and third in the 6th, Achen couldn’t escape another jam in the 7th. Achen walked Carlos Monteverde to lead off the inning and then gave up a double to again put runners at second and third. Achen would set down Gil on a strikeout, but then gave up a big fly to Owen Carey to give Augusta a 4-0 lead.
Augusta got another insurance run in the top of the 9th, meaning the Shorebirds would need to make a five-run comeback in the bottom of the 9th. Fernando Peguero singled home Raylin Ramos from second to give Delmarva their first run. With two outs, Alfredo Velásquez walked to load the bases and bring the tying run to the plate. The rally ended there, though, as Steven Ondina flew out to left to end the game. Peguero led the way offensively, going 2-4 with the Shorebirds’ lone RBI.
Wednesday’s Scheduled Games
Norfolk Tides vs. Memphis Redbirds, 6:35pm ET (Raúl Alcantara vs. Alex Cornwell)
Chesapeake Baysox vs. Altoona Curve, 11:05am ET (TBD vs. Wilber Dotel)
Aberdeen IronBirds at Wilmington Blue Rocks, 6:35pm ET (Michael Forret vs. Riley Cornelio)
Delmarva Shorebirds vs. Augusta GreenJackets, 7:05pm ET (Chase Allsup vs. Luke Sinnard)