The O’s top prospect exited the game with left hamstring discomfort, while Chesapeake, Aberdeen, and Delmarva all opened their seasons.
Triple-A: Charlotte Knights (CHW) 7, Norfolk Tides 6
Well, the Orioles may have stumbled through an ugly, sloppy loss last night, but at least we can cheer ourselves up by checking in on their top prospe—
Samuel Basallo was removed from the Triple-A Norfolk game with left hamstring discomfort.
Oh. Welp. Everything is awful. There was no update after the game about the severity of Basallo’s injury, but if this keeps him out a while, it’s increasingly unlikely that he’ll make his MLB debut this year. Basallo was already limited to DH’ing because of right elbow inflammation.
Basallo had a single in his one at-bat before exiting, and Coby Mayo, who didn’t start, replaced him in the third and walked three times. Dylan Carlson, whom the O’s optioned back to Norfolk when they activated Gunnar Henderson yesterday, had a pair of doubles and three walks. Daz Cameron and Vimael Machín each drove in two runs.
The Tides scored the game’s first three runs and last three runs, but in between the Knights plated seven, all of them off of starter Raúl Alcantara (three) and newly acquired reliever Cody Poteet (four). But kudos to Nathan Webb and Colin Selby, who combined for three scoreless innings with five strikeouts.
Double-A: Chesapeake Baysox 3, Altoona Curve (PIT) 2
The team formerly known as Bowie won its first game under its new moniker, rallying back from a late 2-0 deficit by scoring once each in the seventh, eighth, and ninth. The Baysox went 0-for-11 with runners in scoring position and stranded 12 men on base, but still managed to rally on an Enrique Bradfield Jr. bases-loaded walk, a Reed Trimble RBI groundout, and a go-ahead homer by shortstop Jeremiah Jackson, Chesapeake’s only extra-base hit. The Baysox had only five hits but drew 10 walks.
Starter Alex Pham was a bit shaky in his Opening Day start, lasting four innings and giving up two runs, three hits, and four walks. He struck out five. The Baysox bullpen provided excellent relief, with four hurlers combining for five scoreless innings to set up the comeback.
High-A: Hub City Spartanburgers (TEX) 4, Aberdeen IronBirds 3 — 12 inn.
If you’ve never heard of the Hub City Spartanburgers, it’s because this was the first game of their existence. They’re the former Down East Wood Ducks, newly relocated to Spartanburg, S.C. Aberdeen had a chance to spoil their debut, but blew a one-run lead in the ninth to send the game to extras. Each team plated a run in the 11th before Hub City scored the eventual game-winner in the top of the 12th.
The top four hitters in the IronBirds’ lineup were all 2024 draftees: Griff O’Ferrall, Austin Overn, Ethan Anderson, and first-rounder Vance Honeycutt. O’Ferrall and Overn each had two hits, including an Overn dinger, and Anderson drew three walks. But it was a rough night for Honeycutt, who went 0-for-5 with four strikeouts. The center fielder also committed two of Aberdeen’s four errors.
True to form for the IronBirds, who led the league (by more than 100!) with 363 stolen bases last year, they swiped six more in their season debut, including two for Anderson. On the pitching side, Braxton Bragg went four innings, giving up an unearned run. Four relievers worked two innings apiece.
Low-A: Salem Red Sox (BOS) 12, Delmarva Shorebirds 1
The Shorebirds’ season opener could hardly have gone worse. On offense they managed just four hits, avoiding a shutout only on Raylin Ramos’s RBI double in the ninth. Ramos led the team with two hits in a lineup devoid of prospects. Delmarva also committed two errors.
The Shorebirds had major issues on the mound, too. Starter Chase Allsup wasn’t terrible, giving up three runs (two earned) in 4.1 innings, but the Red Sox pounced on reliever Yeiber Cartaya, who walked six batters in two innings and gave up seven runs. Cartaya had a 1.11 ERA in six games for the Shorebirds last year, but this wasn’t a great way to begin his 2025.
Saturday’s scheduled games
- Norfolk: at Charlotte, 6:05 PM. Starter: Brandon Young (0-0, 0.00)
- Chesapeake: at Altoona, 4:00 PM. Starter: Zach Fruit (season debut)
- Aberdeen: vs. Hub City, 7:05 PM. Starter: Michael Forret (season debut)
- Delmarva: at Salem, 6:35 PM. Starter: Eccel Correa (season debut)