Orioles minor league recap 5/29: Bowie racks up 10 runs on 8 hits in win over Somerset

The Baysox were the only winners Tuesday, as Norfolk’s offense got stuck in neutral while Delmarva lost in heart-wrenching fashion.

Triple-A: Gwinnett Stripers (Braves) 4, Norfolk Tides 2

Gwinnett raced out to a 2-0 lead in the 1st and outhit Norfolk 12-3 to score a series-opening win over the Tides. Norfolk starter Chayce McDermott struggled with his command in the first and the Stripers were able to capitalize. McDermott issued three straight walks to load the bases and then gave up back-to-back singles to Eli White and Phillip Evans to surrender a 2-0 lead.

Jackson Holliday got one back immediately, leading off the bottom of the first with his sixth homer of the season. However, that was the last hit Norfolk registered until a Heston Kjerstad single in the bottom of the sixth. After Connor Norby led off that inning with a walk, the Kjerstad single moved him to second. Norby then came around to score on a single from Daniel Johnson, as the Tides cut the Gwinnett lead to 3-2.

That was as close as they ever got, as Gwinnett tacked on an insurance run in the top of the seventh. Former MLB batting champion Yuli Gurriel led off the inning with a double, moved to third on a bunt and scored on a throwing error by Nick Maton. Down 4-2, Norfolk couldn’t muster any type of rally in the seventh, eighth, or ninth, as Holliday got on with a walk in the eighth but that was the Tides’ only base runner in the last three innings.

Box Score

Double-A: Bowie Baysox 10, Somerset Patriots (Yankees) 2

The Baysox rode two big innings to a series-opening victory in the Double-A version of the Orioles/Yankees rivalry. It took until the top of the fourth to open the scoring, but Bowie did so in a big way. Silas Ardoin led off the inning with a single before back-to-back walks loaded the bases. That set things up for Jud Fabian, who singled to right to drive home Ardoin. After an RBI groundout, a run-scoring throwing error and another RBI single, that lead ballooned to 4-0 and Bowie was firmly in control.

Bowie then exploded for another three runs in the top of the seventh. Like in the fourth, the Baysox started the inning by loading the bases on a mix of singles and walks. Samuel Basallo then picked up his only RBI of the game, as he reached on a fielding error which allowed both Anthony Servideo and Ardoin to score. Up 6-1, Dylan Beavers then further stretched the lead by lifting a sac fly to right.

TT Bowens then put the final exclamation point in the ninth. With Bowie up 8-2, Bowens blasted his fifth homer of the season deep to center to bring the Baysox total to double digits. Ardoin and Servideo led Bowie with two hits each, and Bowens was the only player to register multiple RBIs. All that offense came in support of an excellent outing from Kyle Brnovich, who finished with 5 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 2 BB and 3 K.

Box Score

High-A: Aberdeen IronBirds

After a 9-4 victory against Hudson Valley on Memorial Day, the IronBirds had the day off on Tuesday.

Low-A: Carolina Mudcats (Brewers) 6, Delmarva Shorebirds 5

The Shorebirds pitching staff gave up six runs over the final three innings to turn an easy win into a devastating loss. Delmarva opened up a 2-0 lead in the top of the first thanks to a long ball and some small ball. Aron Estrada got the Shorebirds on the board first with a one-out solo HR. Then, after a single and HBP, Delmarva loaded the bases thanks to a throwing error by the Carolina 3B. Stiven Acevedo then walked to force in a run and double the Shorebirds lead.

That lead would grow even further in the fifth. Thomas Sosa worked a one-out walk and then scored when Estrada doubled to deep right field. Up 3-0, Delmarva tacked on another run in the sixth. The Shorebirds loaded the bases once again thanks to a pair of walks and a single, before Angel Tejada lifted a sac fly to right to make it 4-0.

At that point, the wheels completely fell off the pitching staff. Delmarva reliever Riley Cooper started off the bottom of the sixth by giving up a walk, a double, a triple and a sac fly as Carolina cut the lead to 4-3. Cooper then gave up a pair of doubles in the seventh to allow the Mudcats to tie the game. Harif Frias replaced Cooper in the eighth, but things did not get better. After giving up a one-out walk, Frias grooved the first pitch he threw to Carolina’s Reece Walling, and the Mudcats RF delivered a two-run homer that proved to be the game-winning hit.

The Shorebirds tried to start a rally in the ninth, as they loaded the bases with no outs. Leandro Arias then hit a sac fly to cut the deficit in half, but two batters later, Aneudis Mordán grounded into a game-ending double play. The heart-wrenching loss overshadowed great games from Estrada (3-5, 2B, HR, 2 RBIs) and starter Eccel Correa (4.2 IP, 3 Hs, 0 ERs, 6 Ks).

Box Score

Wednesday’s Scheduled Games

Norfolk Tides vs. Gwinnett Stripers, 6:35pm ET. (Brandon Young vs. Taylor Widener)

Bowie Baysox at Somerset Patriots, 11:05am ET. (Seth Johnson vs. Zach Messinger)

Aberdeen IronBirds at Hudson Valley Renegades, 6:35pm ET. (Levi Wells vs. TBD)

Delmarva Shorebirds at Carolina Mudcats, 6:30pm ET. (Braxton Bragg vs. Daniel Corniel)