Orioles minor league recap 6/6: Tucker Davidson looks sharp with Norfolk

A busy day on the farm included the start of the DSL season and wins for both Bowie and Aberdeen.

Triple-A: Scranton Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (Yankees) 7, Norfolk Tides 6

Jonathan Heasley served as opener in this game, and it did not go well! Over 2.1 innings he allowed six runs on nine hits, two walks, and two strikeouts. His Triple-A ERA ballooned from 0.39 to 2.49 from this one appearance. Conversely, Tucker Davidson was brilliant for the remainder of the game. The 28-year-old tossed 5.2 innings and allowed just one run on one hit (a solo homer), one walk, and seven strikeouts.

Jackson Holliday collected two hits (both singles), a walk, two runs scored, and a pair of RBI. Heston Kjerstad had Norfolk’s lone extra-base hit, a triple, and two RBI. Terrin Vavra went 2-for-4. Billy Cook walked twice and had an outfield assist.

Double-A: Bowie Baysox 6, Binghamton Rumble Ponies (Mets) 5

Bowie used five different pitchers to secure the win. Alex Pham started and went 3.1 uneven innings in which he coughed up four runs (three earned) on three hits, two walks, and seven strikeouts. The four pitchers after him—Ryan Watson, Nick Richmond, Morgan McSweeney, and Keagan Gillies—combined to throw the final 5.2 innings and didn’t allow any earned runs. Binghamton’s only other run came in the sixth inning after Dylan Beavers made a fielding error in right field.

Frederick Bencosme led the Bowie lineup with three hits. But it was Jud Fabian that provided the power with a two-run homer in the first inning. John Rhodes and TT Bowens recorded one double apiece. Samuel Basallo went 1-for-4 with a walk, an RBI, and a run scored at the plate. He also had a passed ball behind the dish.

High-A: Aberdeen IronBirds 4, Brooklyn Cyclones (Mets) 0

What a collective effort from the Aberdeen pitching staff! Preston Johnson cruised through four scoreless innings, striking out five in the process. Luis Sánchez contributed 1.1 frames. Yaqui Rivera worked around two walks to tossed 1.1 scoreless innings himself. And Kyle Virbitsky closed things up over the final 2.1 innings.

On offense, the IronBirds collected 10 hits and three walks but went just 2-for-13 with runners in scoring position. Adam Retzbach had a huge day at the bottom of the order, going 3-for-3 with a double, a triple, a walk, and a run scored. Enrique Bradfield singled, scored a run, and was picked off on the bases. Matthew Etzel and Mac Horvath both stole a base. Horvath also had two singles. Creed Willems was 2-for-3 with a walk and a caught stealing.

Low-A: Delmarva Shorebirds vs. Lynchburg Hillcats (Guardians) – PPD/Rain

This game will be made up as part of a double-header on Thursday.

DSL: Black beat the Athletics 4-2, Orange beat the Dodgers Bautista 8-6

Black: Second baseman José Mejía had three hits and stole two bases. Esteban Luna threw three scoreless innings and struck out four.

Orange: Second baseman Luis Guevara had two doubles, a walk, and a stolen base. Esmerlyn Valenzuela struck out three over 1.2 scoreless innings.

Box Scores

Thursday’s Schedule

• Norfolk: at Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, 6:35. SP: TBD
• Bowie: vs Binghamton, 6:35. SP: Cameron Weston (1-3, 4.12 ERA)
• Aberdeen: at Brooklyn, 7:00 SP: Edgar Portes (3-0, 2.04 ERA)
• Delmarva: vs Lynchburg, Game 1, 5:05. SP: Trey Gibson (0-3, 3.24 ERA)
• Delmarva: vs Lynchburg, Game 2, TBD. SP: TBD
• DSL Black: at Reds, 11:00, SP: TBD
• DSL Orange: vs Rojos, 11:00, SP: TBD
• FCL: at Red Sox, 12:00, SP: TBD