In a rehab assignment, Kyle Stowers had five hits for the IronBirds
Triple-A: Norfolk Tides 4, Durham (Rays) 3
The Triple-A affiliate has more wins (55) than the Orioles (53), which is mighty impressive. They’ve been able to do that by winning games like this one, in which the two teams combined for only ten hits but still generated seven total runs. Joey Ortiz got what turned into the game-winning rally started with a sixth inning double, his one hit in three at-bats.
With Jordan Westburg and Colton Cowser having been promoted to Baltimore, plus Heston Kjerstad off in Seattle to participate in the Futures Game, this is much less of a prospect-loaded lineup than it was a few weeks ago. Connor Norby collected one hit in five times to the plate. César Prieto was hitless in four at-bats; he’s OPSing .897 for the season even after that.
Double-A: Bowie Baysox 6, Richmond (Giants) 1
Another game where there weren’t that many hits: These teams combined for just eight. Bowie took the lead with a four-run outburst in the second inning, which was all that they would need thanks to a fine outing by prospect Cade Povich. The lefty who the O’s acquired in last year’s Jorge López trade has rebounded early in July after a disappointing June.
On Saturday, Povich tossed five innings where the only damage he gave up was a solo homer, striking out nine batters while allowing just two hits and two walks. Povich has struck out 108 batters in 71.1 innings this year.
Coby Mayo was hitless in three at-bats, but was still on base twice with a pair of walks. Since he entered the game with an OBP over .400, two walks in five plate appearances means his OBP went down. Jud Fabian was on base twice, collecting a hit and a walk. Each of these guys stole a base, too, their fourth of the year. Fabian’s done that in only 16 games. The outfield prospect is batting only .194 at this level so far, but has a .747 OPS even with that low average.
High-A: Aberdeen IronBirds 16, Greensboro (Pirates) 1
An absolutely unambiguous thrashing here. Rehabbing Triple-A player Kyle Stowers had five of Aberdeen’s sixteen hits, including a three-run homer in the ninth inning after things were already well past settled.
Infield prospect Max Wagner had a couple of hits and a couple of walks out of the leadoff spot. Fellow 2022 draftee Dylan Beavers was also on base four times, adding three walks to a double. Beavers! Shortstop Frederick Bencosme went 1-5 and drew a walk, while catcher Creed Willems was the one IronBird to not be a part of the party, going 0-6 over the game.
Last year’s 14th round pick, Daniel Lloyd, was charged with only an unearned run across a five inning start where he struck out six batters. He’s got a 3.56 ERA across 15 games this season. Juan Nuñez, also from the López trade, collected a save in the blowout since he pitched the final four innings. Nuñez walked three over four innings, though he did not allow any runs.
Low-A: Delmarva Shorebirds 8, Fredericksburg Nationals 0
When I look in the Delmarva box score and see a Samuel Basallo home run, I’m always pleased. That’s what we got on Saturday night, with Basallo hitting a solo shot for his 11th dinger of the season. Basallo was on base four times in the game, adding another hit and two walks, and he even swiped a base – his sixth of the season. The young catching prospect is now hitting .298/.375/.494 through 69 games to date. Good work.
Three Shorebirds pitchers combined for a four-hit shutout. 20-year-old Moisés Chace, who’s struck out a lot of batters this year but also walked nearly a batter per inning, struck out seven in four innings, giving up three hits and two walks. The seven footer, Jared Beck, held the FredNats hitless in the final four innings, though he walked three batters in that time.
Sunday’s Scheduled Games
- Norfolk: at Durham, 5:05. Starter: TBD
- Bowie: at Richmond, 1:35. Starter: TBD
- Aberdeen: at Greensboro, 2:00. Starter: TBD
- Delmarva: vs. Fredericksburg, 5:05. Starter: Wyatt Cheney