You may recall the original list (CC.com's Fairly Well-Informed Top 20 O's Prospects) from April, and hey, let's kill some time this morning and look at how the 20 fellas are doing in 2008.

(Teams that the player has also played for this season are in parentheses. Current team is listed first, obviously.)

1. Matt Wieters, C, Bowie (Frederick)

With the way Wieters is raking in his first pro season, it might not be long until we see him sporting that cap for good.

In 69 games with Frederick, Wieters torched the Carolina League to the tune of .345/.448/.576 with 15 homers. In 13 games since his call-up to Double-A Bowie, the Georgia Tech grad is hitting .356/.442/.600 with two more longballs. He's not just the best Orioles prospects, I'd have to rate him top five in all of baseball right now. There has been no learning curve at all. He stormed out of the gates at Frederick and had only a couple of minor slumps along the way, proving in 229 at-bats that he was way too good for the league.

With the way Ramon Hernandez is hitting, fielding and aging, Wieters might see Baltimore by the end of the year. Why not? He's 22 years old, a polished college prospect, and he's treating the minor leagues like a Hall of Famer on a rehab assignment. He's coming.

2. Bill Rowell, 3B, Frederick

Even though he was only 18 years old when he hit the Sally League in 2007, his .426 slugging percentage was still a very mild discouragement. Still, it was easy to keep the faith in Rowell, whose 6'5" frame promises to deliver power at some point.

The question now might be if he'll ever deliver anything more than an eventual home run stroke. Let's not sugar coat it. We're talking about the ninth overall pick of the 2006 draft, and at 19, he's being dominated at High-A ball. Yes, he's only 19, and no, that's no reason to give up on him or even get close to giving up.

But is his putrid .230/.289/.360 line something that raises a red flag? Absolutely, it is. He missed a lot of April with a leg injury, then hit .253/.310/.396 in May. Hey, maybe just a late start, right? Give him time.

June was atrocious: .185/.241/.296. The good news is that through eight games in July, he's starting to heat up, at a .296/.367/.519 clip over eight games. Keep it "rowell"-in', Bill. Ahhhhhahahahaha!

Seriously, though.

3. Radhames Liz, RHP, Baltimore (Norfolk)

Liz has been made a necessity in Baltimore thanks to the injuries to Adam Loewen and the farewell 10-game disaster that was undoubtedly Steve Trachsel's last time in a baseball uniform that doesn't have him coaching little league or something.

He's not THAT young -- he turned 25 in June. His 11 starts in Norfolk went OK (4.05 ERA in 60 innings with a good K-rate), but he's clearly not there yet as a guy who's going to contribute positive results to a major league rotation. The stuff is good, but he leaves pitches up and has real control problems (shocker for an O's prospect).

Totally Rad (seriously, watch that video) still has real promise, because a good arm's a good arm, and at least he doesn't get hurt all the time. He's got gnarly potential. But what's with all the jogging? Can't he just learn magic and skip the aerobics?

Is Rick Kranitz, in fact, Zeb? Either way, I think Kranitz is totally decent.

4. Nolan Reimold, OF, Bowie

Facts are facts, and fact is, Nolan Reimold looks like a stoner. The kind that says "ganja green" and buys Hendrix shirts at Target.

His overall numbers are solid, at .286/.359/.500, and they are also hampered by a dismal April where he hit just .232/.324/.347. Reimold's ceiling might not be all that high -- I'm starting to think he'll end up sort of like Luke Scott, but a right-handed bat with more injury problems. He had a torrid May (.312/.414/.606, 6 HR), and he's on a rampage so far in July (.382/.389/.824, 4 HR).

In a perfect world, we finally see Nolan in Baltimore this year, too, and we see him for good starting next spring. There's no reason to not. Let's hope he can stay healthy this season, which has been his biggest problem to date. With the way Rowell's swinging right now, I think Reimold should be bumped up to No. 2 positional prospect.

5. Jake Arrieta, RHP, Frederick

The 22-year old TCU product that dropped in the draft and was a mild money gamble by the O's is paying off. See, between Wieters and Arrieta, is dealing with Scott Boras really all that bad? He's got good clients!

Arrieta is a Carolina League All-Star with a 2.75 ERA and 1.17 WHIP, with 108 strikeouts in 101.1 innings pitched. Not bad at all, eh?

He did have a rough June, missing a couple starts and posting a 5.03 ERA in 19.2 innings, but he dominated in April and May and his last two starts have been back to the general overpowering of High-A hitters. A bump up may soon be in the making here, too.

If anyone ever gives this guy the "Jake the Snake" nickname, I'm going to barf. Enough with that already. The world has seen enough Jakes the Snakes.

6. Chris Tillman, RHP, Bowie

Chris Tillman was serious when that photo is taken, and he's serious about striking fools out. With 87 whiffs in 83.2 innings at Bowie so far this season, he's sporting a 7-2 record and 3.12 ERA.

While his line might not look overly impressive -- good K-rate, but not eye-popping, good ERA but not dominant, decent but unexciting WHIP (1.31) -- you have to remember that Tillman turned 20 in April. This dude can't even go buy beer yet, and he's more than holding his own in Double-A, which in a lot of instances these days is the last step before the majors.

There's also almost no way he's fully grown into his body yet. At 6'5", he's listed at 195 pounds. He'll pack on at least 20 more before he's matured.

If we'd gotten nothing back besides Adam Jones and Tillman in the Bedard trade, it would stand right now as a first-class fleecing. While E.B. Farnum struggles mightily just to keep his head above water with the terrible Mariners, we've got a young center fielder with tremendous upside and a 20-year old that's working it in Double-A ball. Plus, we got MORE out of them. God. I genuinely feel bad for their fans.

7. Garrett Olson, LHP, Baltimore (Norfolk)

When Olson came up in 2007, he was No. 57, an obvious fill-in who would be back down as soon as his services were no longer necessary. His call-up this year came as No. 18, a guy who was taking a spot in the rotation. There's a lot to be said for numbers, even past spring training.

Olson's not been awesome or anything, at 5.65/1.57. Like Liz, he's suspceptible to getting lit right up on any night, which makes the nights where he looks smooth and effective easy to forget. He's 24, so he's still learning on the job, really.

But you can say this for Olson over Loewen: at least you know he'll be there every fifth day. While Loewen's debacle of a 2008 season is most likely over after two trips to the disabled list, Olson continues to ply his trade on the big stage, and it looks like he's here to stay for now. He was never supposed to be an ace or anything, most likely panning out to a No. 4 starter, or a No. 3 in good years.

The '08 Orioles, however, have gotten something very valuable from him. Innings. Innings that Mr. Major League Contract can't deliver. Loewen Replacement will be a position unto itself as long as Adam is an Oriole.

8. Chorye Spoone, RHP, Bowie

Spoone has made just nine starts, missing all of May and a portion of both April and June. And the starts he has made haven't been his best.

In those nine injury-affected outings, he's gone 3-3 with a 4.57 ERA and ugly 1.61 WHIP. But the really worrisome thing about his numbers is they aren't exactly out of the norm. Remember, Spoone's 2007 was considered a major step up. Everything improved dramatically. Right now, he's just pitching almost exactly like he did in 2005-06.

Let's just look at 2006-08, and you'll see what I mean:

The one rate that has spiked his his homers per nine. In 2006, he was at .35, last year at .47. This year, .87. That's a major difference. But I am back to questioning whether a guy named Chorye Spoone can be a good big league ballplayer. Tim Spooneybarger didn't make it -- in fact, he's with Aberdeen, which I will admit to being totally psyched on.

9. Tony Butler, LHP, Delmarva

Butler currently sits on the Shorebirds DL with tendinitis in his left arm. Not a great sign, but he's only 20. It would also help to explain what was a pretty lackluster performance for a genuine prospect (not a great one, but a real one) at Low-A.

In 55 innings prior to the injury, Butler had put up a 4.42 ERA and 1.27 WHIP, with 7.2 K/9. What is VERY encouraging is his outstanding BB rate, as he put just 11 on base via the free pass. Not too shabby at all there.

Butler was one of the other two pickups in the Bedard deal, and even though he's out of action right now, hey...we win again.

I would like to find out if he has an abnormally high singing voice so I know whether or not I can start calling him Tony Soprano.

You got a bee onna you hat.

10. Hayden Penn, RHP, Norfolk

These slight disappointments are sent to prepare
For what may hereafter befall;
For seasons of real disappointment and care,
Which commonly happen to all.
-- Jane Taylor, 'The Disappointment'

If it wasn't quite time to forget about Hayden Penn as any real part of the Orioles future in 2007, it certainly looks like it is now. The guy just isn't getting hitters out in Triple-A ball.

It also appears now that a great opportunity was missed to trade Penn in 2005 or even 2006, because he'd be a throw-in piece for anything worthwhile anymore.

This isn't really an injury case, though he missed much of 2007; or a bad luck case, or anything else. This is just a case of a guy who's not very good. I wanted to hold out hope for Hayden, but it's probably time to give up the ghost. He's a minor league gap-filler.

11. Tim Bascom, RHP, Frederick

I'm going to just go ahead and admit that my 10 and 11 guys are screwing the pooch a little bit so far in 2008. I was probably overrating Feel Good Story Bascom a little to begin with, and he's doing me no favors now.

THAT SAID...

He missed all of April and made just two starts in May, so he got a late jump and is probably still working to getting up to 100% on the field. Still, though, the numbers are the numbers. At 23, he's got a 4.89 ERA at Frederick. Not good. His K-to-BB is about 1.5-to-1. Not good. He's getting tagged by hitters. Not good.

12. Troy Patton, LHP, A Rehab Center

We got Patton hurt, he was hurt when I made the list, and he's hurt now.

13. Brandon Snyder, 1B, Frederick

His May and June numbers look outstanding, but that's only because you might have looked at his awful April beforehand. He's raking in July, but it's July 10th, so we'll wait and see. An .800ish OPS at Frederick for a first baseman just isn't going to cut it as far as climbing the ladder goes. You can get that in a good year from Chris Vinyard.

Also, to those that have tried to sell Vinyard to me, can we declare that whole bit over? He's OPSing .698. He's got a brick for a glove, and designated hitters that slug .355 are a detriment at any level.

Snyder remains one of my favorite players in the system, but it'd take a fool to not admit he's rather failing thus far. A whole lot of things have gone wrong in his pro career. He turns 22 in November, so it's time to get a move on.

Tell him, Red. Come on, Brandon. Make it. See your friend, and shake his hand.

14. Brandon Erbe, RHP, Frederick

2006 with Delmarva went swimmingly for Erbe at age 18. At 19, 2007 in Frederick was a disaster, as he put up a 6.26 ERA and all kinds of things were deemed in need of a tune-up.

2008 has been a mixed bag. He dominated in April (2.73 ERA) and June (2.32 ERA), but was treated like steel at the mighty hands of John Henry in May (7.07 ERA). He's started using his slider as an out pitch, and worked away from his high school curveball. The guy has a serious arm, with big heat, and is another tall pitcher with a still-lanky build.

He's 20, and has shown vast improvement this year. While the overall numbers might not be stunning, they miss the point. He's made a massive turnaround from a year that might have ruined a lot of hyped young pitchers, and even came back in June from a terrible month of May. He's moving back up.

15. David Hernandez, RHP, Bowie

Just might be time to give the sleeper prospect of the organization a serious look.

Simple reasoning, really. Hernandez's power arm might not get him by as a starter in the majors, but I suspect he might soon be able to do a fair Jim Johnson impersonation were the need to arise to have an extra arm in the bullpen. He's fanning 10.13 per nine innings this season, which is consistent with previous numbers. His ERA is way down, he's got his WHIP down at 1.25, and his fastball/slider combo is the real deal, though he doesn't have a whole lot else.

The downside is what I already said, he might not make it as a starter given his lack of secondary pitches. But the upside might be a shutdown power reliever, too. No rush, though, since he IS a sleeper.

Quickies on 16-20, because they'd all either fall off this list or not qualify anymore:

16. Pedro Beato, RHP, Frederick: He's trying to get by striking out about four per nine. It's not going to work. Beato's peripherals indicate bad things to come if he ever gets out of A-ball.

17. Scott Moore/Mike Costanzo, 3B, Norfolk: It's taken until July, but Moore is finally hitting at Norfolk. There's also still zero excuse for his demotion in favor of the bumbling nimrods we've been putting at shortstop or a 100th pitcher. Costanzo's had a bit of a rough year, himself.

18. Matt Albers, RHP, DL: Uh ohhhh...

19. Randor Bierd, RHP, Rehab: RAN-DOOOOOR! was impressing before the injury. Here's looking forward to his return.

20. Bob McCrory, RHP, Norfolk: Will probably spend his life on the AAA-to-MLB train. Got smacked around and walked everyone in two-thirds of an inning of MLB work this year over two games. What about Bob?

Tomorrow night former Oriole Miguel Tejada makes his triumphant return to Charm City, his first appearance since being traded to the Astros this past winter. One would think that unlike his former teammate Erik Bedard, Miggi won't be faking any injuries to get out of facing his old team.

Since his departure, Miggi has been through quite a bit. The tragedy of losing his brother in a motorcycle accident, his appearance in the Mitchell Report (and the subsequent federal investigation), and the revelation that he is actually two years older than he'd claimed his entire career.

Despite all that, Miggi has responded well to the change of scenery. He's currently batting an even .300 with 9 HR, 41 RBI, and an OPS+ of 112. It's not surprising, really. Though Miggi's luster had faded a bit by his fourth year in Baltimore, he left us an above average player worn down by years of losing, unfulfilled promises, and clubhouse controversy.

Because of the state of the Baltimore Orioles after the 2007 season, the Tejada trade was marked as a success by pretty much everyone. Everyone knew Miggi had to go for the good of the team as well as for the good of Miguel Tejada. Obviously the long term benefits of the pieces that came back to the Orioles won't be known until we have more than just a few months to evaluate Matt Albers, Dennis Sarfate, Luke Scott, Troy Patton, and Mike Costanzo, especially since what was considered the centerpiece of the trade, Patton, currently sits on the shelf after having season ending shoulder surgery.

The most immediate benefit of the trade is Luke Scott, for he finally put a stop to revolving list of mediocrity in LF.

List of players who spent time in LF for the Orioles in 2007: Jay Gibbons, Kevin Millar, Jay Payton, Jon Knott, Tike Redman, Freddie Bynum, and Brandon Fahey.

In 2006? Jeff Conine, Nick Markakis (he played 24 games in LF in '06 in case you forgot), Luis Matos, David Newhan, Eddie Rogers, Brandon Fahey, Luis Terrero, Jeff Fiorentino, and Fernando Tatis.

2008? It's been just Luke and Jay Payton. Luke, with his sky pointing and his home run hitting and his fighting with LaTroy Hawkins, has easily become my favorite player of the 2008 season. We still have a lot to learn about Luke. Can he sustain his success? Can he hit left handers? But everything I've learned so far makes me happy. In addition to his competence offensively, Luke really enjoys being in Baltimore. It's obvious every time you hear him talk. Every post game interview, every newspaper article, it shines through. Luke is having fun in Baltimore, is thrilled to have an opportunity.

If you've been to Oriole Park this year and sat in left field when Luke is playing, he has probably waved in your direction. He loves hearing the fans call his name and he acknowledges it. Personally, my favorite seats are in left field, have been for years. This year, that area has become something of a Luke Scott fan club. From the guy in the Darth Vader costume to the dozens of people who shout his name when he runs out onto the field, Luke connects with the fans, and I think it's awesome.

I know Luke, at 30, is a little older than the players most of us want to rebuild with, but I think he can continue to be a valuable part of this team. His attitude, his work ethic, and his desire to be here all point in that direction.

It was clear at the end of Miggi's tenure in Baltimore that he no longer wanted to be here, and it's clear that Luke does. So hopefully this is just the beginning for him.

Nobody's hitting much, and nobody's hitting for any power. Costanzo's K-rate is absolutely terrible. Torres came up because he hit a bunch of singles -- and also because Hernandez and Fahey are just as bad, and also because there are still maybe some problems in valuing talents within the system. There's really no reason for a veteran like Cintron to be farting around in AAA when he would be the best option for the O's at short. Moore has been horrendous since his demotion, and now he's not even getting the reps at short, with Cintron playing. So why is he down there while Fahey and Hernandez and Torres are all wasting time in Baltimore? Luis Terrero continues to be a fine minor league player, leading the Tides in OPS.

Olson has been a shining star, and the peripherals for Liz and Penn are encouraging, particularly Liz's. Leicester taking starts is a little weird, since he doesn't even average four innings per. McCrory and Cormier have anchored the bullpen, but McCrory still has his problems. If Cormier or even Alberto Castillo keep pitching well, they could wind up contributing this season when the inevitable injuries hit the 'pen. Or if not contributing, at least lending more hope than dead veterans Yan and Bukvich do.

Norfolk 8, Richmond 7 (14 innings - April 23)

The Tides were off on the 22nd, which essentially gave them three straight days off, although they probably had uniforms on the previous two before getting rained out against Durham.

This one went long, with Jon Leicester throwing 79 pitches in three innings of working before handing it over to Andy Mitchell for three. Craig Anderson threw an inning, followed by one from Roberto Novoa, two from Bob McCrory, three from Lance Cormier, and one from Ryan Bukvich, who got the W.

Alex Cintron singled Eider Torres home in the bottom of the 14th with one out and the bases loaded for the winning score. On the day, Cintron went 2-for-6 with 4 RBI. Mike Costanzo was 2-for-5 with a walk and a solo homer, his second on the season. Torres went 4-for-7 with an RBI. Scott Moore was 1-for-4.

Bowie 7, Connecticut 3 (April 22)
Bowie 3, Connecticut 2 (April 23)

In the first game, Jason Berken went 5 2/3 with eight strikeouts and a walk for the win. At the plate, Jonathan Tucker, Ben Davis and Sebastien Boucher all had two hits, and Nolan Reimold was 1-for-4 with a pair of runs scored. Davis and Tucker each had two RBI.

On the 23rd, Chris Tillman put together a five-inning start for the win (4 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 5 K), with Felix Romero, Gerardo Casadiego and Julio Manon shutting the Defenders down the rest of the night. Zach Dillon was 3-for-4 to pace the Bowie offense. Sebastien Boucher had two RBI.

Frederick 4, Wilmington 1 (April 22 - Game 1)
Frederick 2, Wilmington 1 (April 22 - Game 2)
Wilmington 4, Frederick 3 (April 23)

Wieters Watch! 1-for-7 over the three games. OH GOD.

Rowell Watch! He's back in the lineup. That's good. Rowell went 3-for-9 over the three games.

Brandon Erbe threw a complete game (7 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K) in the double header. Nobody else did too much worth noting.

Lake County 7, Delmarva 1 (April 22 - Game 1)
Lake County 11, Delmarva 1 (April 22 - Game 2)
Delmarva 6, Lake County 3 (April 23)

Game one: Delmarva made seven errors.

Game two: Delmarva made four errors.

Game three: Delmarva made no errors! Matt Angle hit a homer.

I'm not doing a photo for any of the players today because there just aren't that many available, so enjoy this:

via sportsillustrated.cnn.com

[Note by SC, 04/24/08 10:07 AM EDT ]: He was never the toughest out in baseball.

Pretty good fight last night. The right guy won. And it wasn't as close as some people might lead you to believe.

And hey, Danica Patrick actually won a race. The Orioles win two over the Yankees, and all of a sudden a marketing tool is winning IRL events and Welshmen are beating American legends on U.S. soil.

But let's get down to the nitty.

Durham 2, Norfolk 0

Nuke LaLoosh threw a shutout and Crash Davis had two solo homers as the Bulls won a close one at Norfolk.

Garrett Olson pitched really well for the Tides, and is anyone else checkin' their watches and wondering when the clock strikes 12 for Steve Trachsel? We're bumbling around with Adam Loewen and Brian Burres when there's a lefty at Norfolk that I'd rather see than either of them. Olson went seven innings (90 pitches, 62 strikes), allowing seven hits and two runs, one earned. He struck out seven and walked nobody. His season ERA is 1.61. He's got a 24-to-7 K-to-BB ratio in 22.1 innings. Bueller?

Tike Redman had a couple of hits and a walk to nudge his average up to a healthy .212, and Scott Moore actually got a hit, going 1-for-4. Mike Costanzo struck out thrice.

Bowie 5, Akron 3

Nolan Reimold, how'd your day go? 1-for-3 with a walk, a run scored, and no strikeouts? You're hitting .180 now?! I like the sound of this, champ!

Ryan Finan homered for the Baysox, a two-run shot in the sixth inning. On the mound, lefty Chris Waters lowered his season ERA to 0.87 with seven innings of work (four hits, one earned run). Of course, he's 27 years old, so one would hope he could smoke AA.

Winston-Salem 3, Frederick 2

Wieters Watch! He went 2-for-4. Wieters is hitting .415/.519/.732 with four homers. Less encouraging, Brandon Snyder is hitting .226/.276/.264 with no homers. And even less encouraging, Billy Rowell still isn't back in the lineup.

Jake Arrieta did his job for the Keys, going 7.2 IP, striking out eight and walking four, allowing two runs (one earned). The game was lost by Ryan Burch. Arrieta is sporting a 2.75 ERA through four starts.

Lakewood 9, Delmarva 2

Tyler Henson and Matthew Tucker had two hits apiece, and Anthony Martinez went 3-for-4, but the Shorebirds were blown out nonetheless.

My new favorite player, Cole McCurry, had a rocky start, going four innings and being smacked around for four runs on eight hits. He struck out five, though, and walked just one. 

Norfolk 7, Louisville 6 (11 innings)

Chris Roberson hit a three-run homer and had four RBis in the game, and Alex Cintron was 2-for-4 in his Tides debut, an 11-inning win for Norfolk in a game that both teams did their best to refuse to lose.

Norfolk jumped out to a 4-1 lead with a four-run fifth inning, but the Bats battled back and tied it up with two runs in the eighth and one more in the ninth. Norfolk took a 5-4 lead in the 10th, but Louisville tied it again. Two Tides runs scored in the top half of the 11th, but they fell short a run and left two men on in the bottom of the inning (after scoring once to cut the lead to 7-6).

Eider Torres and Oscar Salazar both went 2-for-5. Scott Moore (starting at DH) was 1-for-5, as was Mike Costanzo. Tike Redman 0-for-5'd his way another game closer to being released, probably. He's too old to be hitting .184 at Triple-A.

Craig Anderson had a good start for Norfolk, going six and giving up just one run, striking out five and walking no one. The Tides used six relievers after Anderson. Ryan Bukvich got the win and Roberto Novoa the save.

Akron 5, Bowie 1

Both teams had ten hits. Guess who took better advantage of their baserunners?

This Nolan Reimold business is starting to get a little bit bothersome. Like, really. He went 0-for-4 with another strikeout, and that brings his season line down to .167/.242/.259 with one homer and 12 whiffs in 14 games. He's been exceptionally terrible. It's not time to panic because a few good games and his numbers are turned around, but he's on the schneid in a big way (9-for-54, two extra-base hits, six walks).

Jeff Nettles was 3-for-4, and Ben Davis and Sebastien Boucher had a couple of hits each in the loss.

On the hill, Jason Berken had another good start (6 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 3 K) but took the loss. Reliever Ryan Keefer gave up a run in two innings, and his ERA is still over 15. Berken's is 2.81.

Awesomely named Aeros outfielder Nathan Panther was 3-for-4.

Frederick 7, Winston-Salem 2

Yes, the Carolina League has a Salem and a Winston-Salem, and the Keys have played them back-to-back.

Wieters Watch! Sweet Wiet ended his horrible 0-for-3 slump with a 2-for-5 day, including his fourth home run and ninth and tenth runs batted in. He's now hitting .438/.558/.844. He is massacring the Carolina League. Miguel Abreu and Chris Amador had two hits each, and leadoff man Daniel Figueroa rapped out three singles and also reached on a walk.

Pedro Beato went seven innings, allowing two runs on six hits, with two walks and two Ks.

Delmarva 6, Hagerstown 4

The Shorebirds overcame a rough start by Luis Noel (4.1 IP, 5 H, 4 ER, 3 BB, 1 K) to score a come-from-behind win in this one, getting two runs in the eighth and one in the ninth.

Tyler Henson went 2-for-5, and Joseph Nowicki had a couple of steaks for Delmarva. Nowicki, Matt Angle and Joseph "Balls" Mahoney all walked two times.

RECORDS

Louisville 4, Norfolk 1

Jon Leicester got his first decision of the season, going to 0-1 on a decent performance, as he pitched five innings and allowed three earned runs (four total) on three hits and a walk. He struck out six, but also gave up a three-run, two-out homer to ex-Oriole Jerry Hairston, Jr., in the fifth inning. Leicester's ERA is now 2.92.

Reds top prospect Jay Bruce went 1-for-4.

Ryan Bukvich, Alberto Castillo and Roberto Novoa shut out the Riverbats the rest of the night, but the Tides were able to score just one run off of ex-Braves prospect turned-journeyman Matt Belisle (7 IP, 8 H, ER, 6 K, BB), veteran lefty Scott Sauerbeck and Marcus McBeth, a former kick returner for the South Carolina Gamecocks in college, who earned his second save of the season.

Shortstop Scott Moore (I love that) was 2-for-4 with a run scored, and Oscar Salazar was 2-for-4, as well. The lone Norfolk RBI came off the bat of Adam Stern. Mike Costanzo was 1-for-3 with a walk. He's now hitting just .182.

And for the Tike Redman supporters here, let it be known that Tike is hitting just .220/.277/.293. Given that he's 31, his leash should be short, even for Triple-A.

Bowie 6, Erie 5

The Baysox were able to halt a late rally from the Seawolves to hold them off after opening a 3-0 lead in the second inning that became a 6-2 lead in the top of the seventh. Erie scored twice in the eighth and once in the ninth, but fell just short.

Kennard Jones and Carlos Rojas went 0-for-10 at the top of the Bowie lineup, but Nolan Reimold, Ryan Finan and Zach Dillon had two hits apiece in the 5-6-7 spots to pick up the slack. Dillon had two RBIs and scored twice.

On the mound, Chorye Spoone struggled with his command, walking four in five innings, but got the win. He gave up just two hits and one run, and struck out four. Old fart Julio Manon saved his third game, even though he gave up a run in the ninth. The delightfully named Josh Rainwater took the loss for Erie.

Frederick 3, Salem 2 (12 innings) (recap by dkdc)

The Salem starter had a perfect game through 6 innings, but the Keys came back to tie it and Brandon Snyder scored the winning run in the 12th inning.

Bergesen had a very strong start with 6K’s and a bunch of ground balls.

Wieters was returning from a funeral in Georgia so he missed the start of the game. He got to the stadium in the middle of the game and dressed in time for the 7th inning. He had a pinch hit RBI single that tied the game and sent it to extra innings.

True story.

Delmarva 6, Hagerstown 2 (Game 1)

The first of the seven-inning games in this doubleheader. David Cash was 4-for-4 and Joseph "Balls" Mahoney hit a solo homer. Wally Crancer had two RBI to raise his season average to .350. Dude's torching the ball lately. The Shorebirds had 15 hits in the game.

John Mariotti got the win with six shutout, three-hit innings, lowering his season ERA to 2.12 and evening his season record at 1-1.

Hagerstown 5, Delmarva 0 (Game 2)

And all the Delmarva offense was apparently used up in game one, as they were able to get just four runners on base via three hits and a Kieron Pope walk. Joseph Nowicki had two of the hits, and Matt Angle had the third.

24-year old righty Zach Clark was beaten up over three and a third, giving up five earned on eight hits.

Records:

Norfolk 5-8

Bowie 5-7

Frederick 8-3

Delmarva 6-6

Indianapolis 9, Norfolk 3

The Indy Indians touched up Radhames Liz to the tune of five earned over five innings on seven hits, and were down 6-0 before a three-spot in the seventh inning. There would be no rally, though, as Indianapolis put up three more of their own in the bottom of the eighth for the runaway win.

Ryan Bukvich allowed an unearned run, and fellow journeyman Esteban Yan gave up the last three Indian scores. Liz threw 90 pitches on the night, 53 of them for strikes. Indianapolis starter Luis Munoz also threw 53 strikes, but on 81 pitches over six and two-thirds for the win.

Mike Costanzo hit his first homer of the season, a solo shot. Chris Heintz had a double and an RBI, and Luis Terrero had a steak, too.

Akron 12, Bowie 5

Jason Berken is a 24-year old righty, a Green Bay native and a Clemson alum. How about this line? 5 innings, 4 hits, 3 runs, 1 earned run, 0 walks, 8 strikeouts.

After Berken was pulled, 26-year old Bloomsburg, Penn., native Ryan Keefer took over. How about this line? One-third of an inning, 3 hits, 6 runs, 1 earned, no walks, no Ks. No fuss, no muss.

Once Keefer was out of the game, 27-year old ex-Yankee Gerardo Casadiego toed the rubber. One and two-thirds innings, 2 hits, 3 runs, 2 earned, 3 walks, no strikeouts.

The Baysox committed six errors in total, allowing the 12 Akron runs on just nine hits. Bowie actually out-hit Akron on the night, 12 to nine. Mike Rodriguez, Jeff Nettles and Blake Davis all went 2-for-5, and Ryan Finan was 3-for-5. Rodriguez had the team's only extra-base hit, a triple. Nolan Reimold was 1-for-5 with two strikeouts.

The errors came from Reimold, Rodriguez and Nettles, plus Davis, the shortstop, who had three of them in total -- one on a missed catch, one on a throw, and one on a grounder. Not a pretty game for the Baysox, but these games happen. God bless minor league baseball.

Myrtle Beach 3, Frederick 2 (11 innings)

Wieters Watch! Matt went 2-for-4 with a walk. What's the bet right now on the date for his promotion to Bowie? May 31st? Here's an interesting question, though. Do you maybe try to skip Double-A with Wieters, leaving him down at Frederick a little longer than one normally might, and then see if he can skirt all the way up to Norfolk? Ben Davis is at Bowie for a reason, believe me. It's not because Chris Heintz is a better player, it's because they want Davis working with Spoone and Tillman and the rest.

Second baseman Miguel Abreu was 1-for-4 with a double and two RBIs for the Keys, but the real standout, again, was Brandon Erbe. Erbe didn't get the win, but he was sharp for the second start in a row, going 6 1/3 with eight strikeouts and just two hits allowed for one earned run. Raise his stock back up a little bit.

The Keys held a 2-1 lead going into the bottom of the ninth, when Myrtle Beach left fielder Willie Cabrera led off with a solo homer. The winning run scored when Keys reliever Ryan Oullette hit Gorkys Hernandez with a pitch, forcing in a run. Outstanding!

Delmarva 3, Lakewood 1

The Shorebirds saved the system from going winless on the day, scoring two runs in the bottom of the seventh to take down the BlueClaws. Who doesn't love minor league team names?

Leadoff man Matt Angle was 0-for-2, but walked twice and scored a run, and catcher Wally Crancer had two hits and an RBI on the day. Brian Parker got the win in relief, and Mike Mattaliano picked up his third save. Starter Zach Britton went six strong innings, allowing just the one run and striking out four. Britton is a 20-year old lefty who's looked pretty sharp this season over his first three appearances. He might warrant a bump up shortly if he keeps it up.

Records

Norfolk 5-4
Bowie 3-6
Frederick 4-3
Delmarva 3-4

Norfolk 7, Rochester 2

Luis Terrero was 3-for-4 and Mike Costanzo had three RBI, leading the Norfolk offense over Rochester. But the star of the game was on the mound, as Garrett Olson went six shutout innings with seven strikeouts and no walks, allowing just four hits.

Olson struggled with his command in his first outing, walking six over four innings, but breezed past the Red Wings, throwing 55 of his 86 pitches for strikes. Roberto Novoa allowed both Rochester runs, giving up a homer to Brian Buscher.

Only Terrero had a multi-hit game for the Tides (4-3), but everyone in the starting lineup had a base knock besides shortstop Travis Brown, who scored when he reached on one of Rochester's four errors. Norfolk was up 6-0 after just two innings and cruised to the win.

Bowie 3, Reading 2

After starting out with five straight losses for the '07 season, the Baysox have bounced back with two straight wins. Jeff Nettles and Carlos Rojas had two hits apiece, and Choryne Spoone picked up the win. Spoone pitched 5 1/3 innings, allowing just one run on five hits with three walks and five strikeouts. Kam Mickolio pitched two scoreless, one-hit innings, and Julio Manon got the save with an inning and two-thirds of work, walking two and striking out four.

Ryan Finan had a home run for Bowie. Nolan Reimold was 0-for-3 with a walk, lowering his average to .148 on the young season. He's just 4-for-27 overall, and they're all singles. He has struck out eight times in seven games, walking four times. It's been a tough start for Reimold, to say the least.

Frederick 9, Kinston 8

Wieters Watch! 1-for-1 with a walk, a double and a run scored. And he left in the bottom of the fourth! Oh no! Calm down. Just a little game. Wieters isn't hurt -- he was ejected, along with manager Tommy Thompson.

Jake Arrieta's second start with the Keys didn't go as well as his first, as he struggled with his command through two and two-thirds, walking four and allowing four earned. He struck out two. Kyle Schmidt got the win in relief with this impressive line: 3 1/3 IP, 6 H, 4 ER. Chad Thall and Jason Burch held it down in the late innings, with Burch notching his third save.

Todd Davison homered for the Keys, and Brandon Snyder went 3-for-5 with two RBI. Chris Vinyard had a Mickey Tettleton game, sans home run, going 0-for-3 with two walks and three whiffs. Second sacker Miguel Abreu was 3-for-4 with two RBI.

Delmarva 4, Lake County 1 (10 innings)

Anthony Martinez homered and Tyler Henson was 2-for-5 with an RBI as Delmarva rounds out a perfect 4-0 day in the O's system. The Shorebirds rallied for three runs in the top of the tenth to secure victory.

My new favorite player, Cole McCurry, went five shutout innings with three strikeouts. Zach Clark threw four innings of relief and got the win, and Mick Mattaliano picked up the save.

Norfolk 6, Rochester 5

The Tides faced recovering stud lefty Francisco Liriano in his second rehab start of the season, touching him up for three earned on five hits over four innings. Liriano struck out three and walked three. He'll be up with Minnesota again soon. These things aren't so much about the results as the arm strength and things of that nature.

Veteran Casey Daigle took the loss for the Red Wings. Hayden Penn got the win for Norfolk, going 5 2/3 and allowing four earned on eight scattered hits, with three strikeouts and a walk. Much better than his first disastrous start of the season. Bob McCrory got his second save, and Esteban Yan and Ryan Bukvich both pitched.

At the plate, Luis Terrero was 3-for-3 and fell a home run short of the cycle. He also walked twice and drove in three runs, but despite getting on base five times, did not score. Eider Torres scored twice. Mike Costanzo was 1-for-4 and Adam Stern went 2-for-3. Jon Knott went 3-for-4 with two RBI for Rochester.

Norfolk is now 3-3.

Bowie 8, Reading 3

The Baysox finally got their first win of the season thanks to two four-run innings and a nice start from Chris Waters. Waters went five scoreless, two-hit innings with four strikeouts and no walks. Gerardo Casadiego allowed all three Reading runs in the top of the ninth. Between them, Felix Romero threw two scoreless innings.

Second baseman Jonathan Tucker had a big game at the plate, going 2-for-4 with four RBI. Ryan Finan was 3-for-4 two doubles and an RBI. Nolan Reimold went 0-for-3 with a walk, making him 4-for-24 (.167) for the season.

Bowie is 1-5.

Frederick 8, Kinston 7

Wieters Watch! The future All-Star was 2-for-3 with a walk and two RBI.

Chris Amador and Chris Vinyard also had two hits for the Keys, and Vinyard hit his first homer of the season. Jacob Renshaw, who turns 22 on April 29, got the win with a sloppy but effective five inning start (1 H, 3 BB, 2 K, 2 ER). Jason Burch got his second save, a one-outer in the ninth.

The Keys jumped out to a 7-2 lead before having to hold off the Indians. Frederick is 3-1.

Lake County 5, Delmarva 3

The Shorebirds were able to rap out just four hits on the night, two of which came off the bat of Joseph "Balls" Mahoney. Both of Mahoney's hits were doubles. Joseph Nowicki had two RBI.

Tony Butler took the loss, but had a solid start. He went five innings, giving up three earned on three hits, with no walks and three strikeouts. He gave up a solo home run to Captains third baseman Karexon Sanchez -- great name. Delmarva is 1-3 on the year.