Orioles minor league recap 6/14: Beavers drives in four runs in Aberdeen’s walk-off win

All four O’s minor league affiliates won Tuesday, including a complete game shutout in Norfolk and a 10-run outburst in Delmarva.

Triple-A: Norfolk Tides 3, Worcester Red Sox 0

Any struggling starters in Baltimore may not want to look over their shoulders, as Bruce Zimmermann is practically breaking down that door. The lefty threw a complete game shutout on Tuesday to guide Norfolk to a victory over visiting Worcester.

Zimmermann didn’t allow a hit until there were two-outs in the third inning, and finished the inning on the next pitch when he forced a ground out. The Baltimore native didn’t allow a runner past first base until a two out ground-rule double in the 4th, and stranded that runner with sixth strike out of the game. Zimmermann didn’t allow multiple hits in any inning and finished the game with nine Ks and only one walk.

The complete game was the first for the lefty since he tossed another nine-strikeout shutout in 2019 with the Bowie Baysox. Zimmermann now has a 3.40 ERA and 59 Ks in 55.2 innings at Triple-A this season. While his most recent outing in the majors didn’t go to plan, Zimmermann is surely next at the top of the list should the Orioles need another starter.

Offensively, the Tides got on the board first in the 3rd inning. Lewin Díaz started off the inning by reaching on a throwing error off a grounder to third base. Díaz then moved to second after Hudson Haskin hit by pitch and then moved to third when Terrin Vavra singled through the left side. Díaz finally came home on a wild pitch to give the Tides a 1-0 lead. Norfolk doubled the lead in the 5th, when Maverick Handley singled, advanced to second on a wild pitch and came around to score when Vavra bounced another single through the right side. The final run of the game came in the 7th when Joey Ortiz launched a solo shot to left field.

Box score

Double-A: Bowie Baysox 7, RIchmond Flying Squirrels (Giants) 5

After falling behind early, the Baysox used a big 6th inning to score a come-from-behind win over the Flying Squirrels. Starter Carlos Tavera got off to a rough start, allowing a home run to the first batter he faced and then giving up two more runs before he could get out of the opening frame. Tavera allowed another home run in the 3rd inning to give Richmond a 4-0 lead, but after he left the game, Bowie’s offense finally kicked into gear.

In the 4th, DH John Rhodes worked a one out walk and then moved to third on a single from left fielder Shayne Fontana. Two batters later, center fielder Zach Watson singled to left field to bring home both Rhodes and Fontana and cut the Richmond lead to 4-2. Then, after working a full count, right fielder Billy Cook homered to left center to tie the game up at four.

That tie was short lived, however. Reliever Houston Roth loaded in the 5th off two walks and a hit by pitch before walking another Flying Squirrel to force in a run and give Richmond a 5-4 league. That didn’t deter the Bowie offense, though, as the Baysox would pull ahead for good in the 6th inning. Watson started things off with a walk, before the rest of the Bowie offense launched a two-out rally. Catcher Ramon Rodriguez singled to center to move Watson to third and then moved up to second on a throwing error. After a walk by shortstop Joseph Rosa to load the bases, Coby Mayo promptly unloaded the bases with a triple to right field, putting the Baysox on top 7-5.

Relievers Kade Strowd and Wandisson Charles worked the final three innings to close out the win for Bowie. Each picked up four strikeouts and Charles managed to get four strikeouts in one inning after the first hitter in the 9th struck out and reached first on a wild pitch. The 26-year-old Dominican now has 23 Ks and a 0.84 WHIP in 14.1 innings for Bowie this year.

Box score

High-A: Aberdeen IronBirds 8, Brooklyn Cyclones (Mets) 7

The IronBirds scored in the 7th, 8th and 9th innings to come back from a four-run deficit and score a walk-off win over the Cyclones. The IronBirds fell behind early, giving up runs in the 2nd and 4th innings to fall behind 2-0. Aberdeen erased that deficit in the bottom of the 5th with big hits from Max Wagner and Dylan Beavers. Fellow 2022 draft pick Jud Fabian led off the inning with a double to left and then promptly stole third base. After Jackson Holliday walked, Wagner doubled to center to bring home both Fabian and Holliday and tie the game at two. Beavers then singled to left to drive in Wagner and give Aberdeen a 3-2 lead.

After scoring all those runs with no outs in the 5th, the IronBirds loaded the bases but couldn’t push any more runs across. A one-run lead was not large enough to dissuade the Brooklyn offense, though, as they exploded for five runs of their own in the top of the 6th to take a 7-3 lead.

Beavers then decided to take matters into his own hands as he brought the IronBirds back into the game. The former Cal Golden Bear hit a solo HR in the 7th to cut the Cyclones’ lead down to three. Then, after Fabian and Wagner walked in the 8th, Beavers delivered again, lacing a double into right field to get the IronBirds within a single run. Beavers finished the game 4-5 with the two extra bases hits and four RBIs.

In the 9th inning, the Cylcones walked the bases loaded, setting up a dramatic ending for the O’s No.1 prospect Holliday. The 19-year-old shortstop singled to center for his only hit of the game, bringing home Douglas Hodo III and tying the game. Isaac De Leon then ran home on a wild pitch, walking things off in Aberdeen.

Box score

Low-A: Delmarva Shorebirds 10, Salem Red Sox 2

The Shorebirds offense exploded for two separate five-run innings Tuesdays as the dominated the Red Sox in route to victory. The first offensive outburst came in the 3rd inning and started when first baseman Noelberth Romero singled into center field. Romero then stole second and moved to third on a Carter Young single. Samuel Basallo then started the scoring by forcing in a run on a bases-loaded walk. Then the flood gates opened when outfielder Ryan Higgins doubled to center field to clear the bases. The final run of the inning came home later when outfielder Isaac Bellony hit a sac fly to bring home Higgins.

After failing to score with a two-on one out situation in the 4th, the offense once again came to life in the 5th inning. Young led off the inning with a walk, and following a Basallo single and Higgins walk, Bellony came up with the bases loaded. While the outfielder struck out, Young came around to score on a wild pitch. Designated hitter Adam Retzbach then pushed across Delmarva’s seventh run on a ground out to first base. After another Salem wild pitch allowed Higgins to score, Romero capped off the scoring with a two-run homer to left field.

While the offense was the star on Tuesday, the pitching held up their end of the bargain as well. Starter Alfred Vega cruised through four shutout innings, while only allowing two hits and striking out three. After reliever Alejandro Méndez worked a perfect 5th inning, the Shorebirds turned to Moisés Chace to finish out the rest of the game. The 20-year old from Venezuela only allowed one hit over four innings of work—a two-run homer in the 7th that gave Salem their only runs of the game. Chace still managed to rack up five K’s and a save for his efforts on Tuesday.

Box score

Wednesday’s scheduled games

• Norfolk Tides vs. Worcester Red Sox, 6:35pm ET. DL Hall vs. Matt Dermody
• Bowie Baysox vs. Richmond Flying Squirrels, Game 1, 5:35pm ET. TBD vs. Mason Blacks
• Bowie Baysox vs. Richmond Flying Squirrels, Game 2, TBD. TBD vs. Kai-Wei Teng
• Aberdeen IronBirds vs. Brooklyn Cyclones, 7:05pm ET. Daniel Lloyd vs. Joander Suarez
• Delmarva Shorebirds vs. Salem Red Sox, Game 1, 5:35pm ET. Wyatt Cheney vs. Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz
• Delmarva Shorebirds vs. Salem Red Sox, Game 2, TBD. Jared Beck vs. Luis De La Rosa