Orioles minor league recap 7/14: Aberdeen the only winner as offense erupts for nine runs

A trio of hitting prospects contributed to the IronBirds’ victory, while some rough pitching cost the Orioles’ other affiliates.

Triple-A: Memphis Redbirds (Cardinals) 4, Norfolk Tides 3

The Tides rallied back from an early 3-0 deficit to tie the game, but knuckleballer Mickey Jannis allowed the go-ahead run in the bottom of the eighth to seal this one for Memphis. The winning pitcher in the game was former Oriole T.J. McFarland, who signed a minor league deal with the Cardinals two weeks ago. He threw two scoreless innings.

Dean Kremer came within one out of the minimally acceptable quality start, ultimately allowing three runs in 5.2 innings. Back-to-back homers in the second accounted for all three runs. The best news of Kremer’s outing is that he racked up seven strikeouts and didn’t walk a batter.

Jahmai Jones (the Orioles’ #16 prospect on MLB Pipeline) and Tyler Nevin (#21) each knocked two hits, including a triple for Jones, who boosted his OPS to .873. We really have to be seeing him in Baltimore soon, no? Meanwhile, Rylan Bannon (#22 prospect) starred both at the plate and in the field. He swatted his third homer of the year and also made this Brooks Robinson-esque defensive play.

Double-A: Erie SeaWolves (Tigers) 7, Bowie Baysox 5

Adley Rutschman, the top prospect in baseball, returned to the Baysox after playing in Sunday’s All-Star Futures Game. I was hoping the O’s would use the opportunity to move him up to a higher level, but apparently we can’t have nice things. Rutschman went 0-for-4 in his return. The Baysox managed only five hits, though three were for extra bases: a Doran Turchin home run and doubles by Kyle Stowers (#22 prospect) and Johnny Rizer.

Blaine Knight’s outing on the mound was…yikes. He recorded just four outs and was torched for six runs, five hits, and two walks. I guess he was due for a bad one — it was the first time since May 20, eight outings ago, that he’d allowed more than two runs in a game. Knight’s rough night inflated his ERA by more than a run and a half, from 2.12 to 3.77.

Kudos to righty Cody Sedlock, the Orioles’ first round pick in 2016, for restoring order. He worked four scoreless innings in long relief, allowing just two hits and no walks while striking out six.

High-A: Aberdeen IronBirds 9, Hickory Crawdads (Rangers) 4

Adam Hall has been looking for a breakout game, and he got one tonight. The Orioles’ #11 prospect, who has suffered through a lamentable 2021 campaign so far, was a spark plug from the leadoff spot, bashing a home run and collecting a season-high four RBIs. His two-run shot in the fourth gave the IronBirds a lead they wouldn’t surrender. Catcher Maverick Handley had a great game as well, going 3-for-4 with a home run and four RBIs.

Gunnar Henderson and Jordan Westburg, the Orioles’ #5 and 6 prospects respectively, contributed to Aberdeen’s 13-hit attack. Henderson had a single and an RBI, while Westburg went 2-for-5 with a double and a run scored. Henderson, playing third base, made a throwing error.

Drew Rom (#25 prospect) made the start and gave up three runs in four innings, but the real story on the pitching side was long reliever Ryan Conroy, who racked up eight strikeouts and allowed just one hit and one run in four frames. Conroy earned his first win for the effort.

Low-A: Down East Wood Ducks (Rangers) 9, Delmarva Shorebirds 6

The Shorebirds shot out of the gate with four runs in the top of the first, but their pitching collapsed in an eventual slugfest loss. Starter Griffin McLarty was roughed up for six runs and six hits in three innings of work, including a brutal fourth inning in which he failed to retire any of the five batters he faced.

Offensively, the Shorebirds got contributions from up and down the lineup, with eight of their nine starters reaching base, but all nine of their hits were singles. Hudson Haskin (#13 prospect) went 1-for-4 with a run and RBI, and Darell Hernaiz (#27) had a pair of hits and a run. Ryne Ogren, who was acquired in the Mike Wright trade in 2019, drove in two.

Complete box scores from Tuesday’s games can be found here.

Wednesday’s scheduled games:

• Norfolk: at Memphis, 8:10 PM. Starter: TBD
• Bowie: at Erie, 7:05 PM. Starter: Gray Fenter (3-2, 8.03)
• Aberdeen: at Hickory, 7:00 PM. Starter: Connor Gillispie (4-5, 5.21)
• Delmarva: at Down East, 12:00 PM. Starter: Brandon Young (3-0, 3.24)