It was a good night for the lower minors as both Delmarva and Aberdeen won.
Triple-A: Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp (MIA) 3, Norfolk Tides 1
Daniel Johnson’s 21s home run gave the Tides a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning, but it was all downhill from there. They didn’t score again despite a total of seven hits in the game. Two of those hits were by catcher Samuel Basallo. Jud Fabian went hitless but reached base on a walk.
Trevor Rogers’s second start for the Tides went quite a bit better than the first. Rogers completed six innings and allowed two runs. Both runs scored in the third inning, when Rogers gave up three hits and a walk. He did not allow a baserunner in any of his other five innings.
Double-A: Akron RubberDucks (CLE) 3, Bowie Baysox 2
The big news out of this game wasn’t good. After reaching on a HBP and stealing his eighth base for Bowie (67th overall), Enrique Bradfield, Jr. came out of the game with left quad tightness. As of this writing we have no additional details.
The Baysox scored both runs in the seventh inning. The first scored on an error after an Anthony Servideo double and the second on an RBI single from Noelberth Romero. The Baysox had just four hits in the game, though Federick Bencosme reached three times with a double and two walks.
Peter Van Loon started and allowed one run in four innings. He gave up four hits and two walks with four strike outs. Dan Hammer pitched two good innings of relief before Houston Roth gave up two runs to take the loss.
High-A: Aberdeen Ironbirds 2, Wilmington Blue Rocks (WAS) 0
Zach Fruit, Tyler Burch, Cooper McKeehan, and Yaqui Rivera combined to pitch a five-hit shutout with 14 strikeouts. Fruit, the starter, gave up two hits and three walks in his four innings. Rivera, who is 21 years old, was impressive over the final two innings. He faced the minimum batters and struck out four on 28 pitches.
The Ironbirds had 10 hits and four walks but went just 1-for-13 with runners in scoring position. Jalen Vasquez scored their first run after he double and stole third base, his 34th. He then scored on an error. Jake Cunningham later singled in Aron Estrada, who had been hit by a pitch.
Cunningham had three hits out of the cleanup spot while Estrada singled for his only hit at the top of the lineup. Vasquez added two walks in addition to his double.
Low-A: Delmarva Shorebirds 6, Salem Red Sox 1
Starting pitcher Juan Rojas, just 20 years old, struck out nine batters in 5.2 innings. He gave up two hits and walked two. His only run allowed was unearned and scored on a throwing error by catcher Ethan Anderson.
In true Low-A fashion, the Shorebirds scored more runs than they had hits. They were helped along by two errors by the Red Sox. Elis Cuevo, a 19-year-old who started this season in the Dominican Summer League, hit his first home run for the Shorebirds in his 14th game.
Let’s check in on the 2024 draft picks! Vance Honeycutt (1st round) singled in three at-bats. Ethan Anderson (2nd) was hitless but walked once. Austin Overn (3rd) singled and walked as the leadoff man. And Colin Tuft (8th) had one hit, a double. Honeycutt, Anderson, and Tuft were all busy stealing on the basepaths as well.
Today’s Schedule
- Norfolk @ Jacksonville, 6:35. Starter: Justin Armbruester
- Bowie @ Akron, 6:05. Starter: Cameron Weston
- Aberdeen @ Wilmington, 6:35. Starter: TBD
- Delmarva vs Salem, 2:05. Starter: Blake Money