An erroneous lineup posted to social media circulated and raised eyebrows before it was corrected.
Triple-A: Norfolk Tides 11, Memphis (Cardinals) 1
For about 30 minutes on Friday night, there was curiosity because the Tides posted a lineup to social media which had Coby Mayo as the center fielder. What could it possibly mean if the Orioles are trying Mayo in CF? The answer is that it was a mistake and Mayo wasn’t in the starting lineup at all due to what MASN’s Roch Kubatko said was a planned day off. Which it ended up not being, because Mayo pinch hit late in the game. He was in there long enough to strike out and walk.
It looks like an absolute butt-kicking in the final score, but in fact, the Tides clung to a 1-0 lead from the top of the first inning until the top of the eighth, when they started to blow the game open. By game’s end, Connor Norby had two hits, two walks, and scored three runs. Kyle Stowers, the actual center fielder, drew three walks. Journeyman outfielder Daniel Johnson drove in three of Norfolk’s runs, and recently-arrived Garrett Cooper added a pair.
Chayce McDermott was the pitcher who was tasked with nursing that narrow lead through most of the game. If you read Camden Chat’s minor league content regularly, you know I’m not the biggest McDermott fan. He was up to the challenge against the Redbirds on Friday night. Entering the seventh inning, the righty had allowed just one hit and two walks to Memphis. Perhaps he was tiring; he walked two in the seventh and was lifted with two outs. 6.2 innings with one hit, four walks, no runs, and seven strikeouts will work. I would be happier if he’d kept it to the two walks.
Double-A: Bowie Baysox 2, Altoona (Pirates) 1
The Baysox were out-hit by a 9-6 margin, they went 0-7 with runners in scoring position, and their batters collected just one single RBI. Despite these things, they picked up the 2-1 win anyway.
The first Bowie run came in the first inning as the outfield duo of Dylan Beavers and Matthew Etzel each reached base with no one out. Beavers got on by error, while Etzel singled. The two prospects teamed up for a double steal, which Altoona’s catcher threw away for an error and a run scored. Beavers and Etzel each had one hit in four at-bats in the game. Beavers also drew a walk.
They never trailed from here, with a piggyback outing of four outings from starting pitcher Peter Van Loon being followed by Cameron Weston’s 4.2 inning bulk relief job. Van Loon kept the Curve off the scoreboard, and Weston allowed just one run in the ninth, not quite being able to finish off the game. He’s got a 3.19 ERA and 1.08 WHIP in 13 games.
High-A: Asheville (Astros) 6, Aberdeen IronBirds 5
A five-run sixth inning by the Tourists is what did in Aberdeen in this one. Lefty Luis De León entered in relief of Michael Forret and immediately ran into trouble, giving up a double and a homer before getting any outs. The other three runs that he allowed scored with two outs in that inning, with a single-single-double stretch scoring one run and then a throwing error putting two unearned runs on the board.
De León finished with five runs (three earned) allowed in a three-inning relief outing. Forret’s start looked a lot better, allowing just one run on a solo home run over five innings pitched. It only took 67 pitches for Forret to get through five, with three hits, no walks, and eight strikeouts. He’s had some rocky outings since getting promoted to High-A but this was a good one.
Last year’s first rounder, Enrique Bradfield Jr., reached base with a single and a hit-by-pitch in five tries. He stole a base, his 45th, and later was thrown out attempting to steal. Fellow outfielder Reed Trimble, a 2021 draft pick who’s been injured a lot, hit a two-run homer, one of two hits on the night. He’s up to an .808 OPS in 29 games at the level this year.
Low-A: Delmarva Shorebirds at Lynchburg (Guardians) postponed
The game is scheduled to be made up with a doubleheader today.
Bonus Florida Complex League: Orioles 7, Pirates 4 (8 innings)
Since there was a rainout in the full season affiliates, and these guys won, let’s check in on them. The squad of Orioles broke a 3-3 tie going into the eighth and last inning with four runs scored, three coming in one swing by prospect Edwin Amparo. The 19-year-old switch-hitting infield prospect is now batting .252/.391/.415 in 42 games this season. Last year’s big international signing, Luis Almeyda, was on base three times: A hit and two walks. In 11 July games, Almeyda’s batting split is a .974 OPS.
Saturday’s Scheduled Games
- Norfolk: at Memphis, 7:35. Starter: Tucker Davidson
- Bowie: at Altoona, 6:00. Starter: Ryan Long
- Aberdeen: at Asheville, 6:05. Starter: TBD
- Delmarva: at Lynchburg, 5:00 doubleheader. Starters: Juan Rojas, Jacob Cravey