Orioles Minor League Rundown: 5-19-15

Norfolk 1 Louisville (Reds) 4

The Tides offense needed just 13 pitches to strikeout thrice in the top of the 1st inning and that was pretty much all you needed to know about their effort. Christian Walker, Steve Clevenger, and Michale Almanzar each managed to collect two hits on the evening, but otherwise the offense wasn't feeling it here.

Starter Zach Davies managed to get through 5 innings having just allowed 2 ER via 4 hits and 1 walk. But he ran out of gas in the 6th, and was let down by his defense. A single and ground-rule double opened the inning with runners at 2nd & 3rd. Somehow, a ball hit to 3Bman Michael Almanzar resulted in the runner on 3B scoring and the batter reaching 1B via Fielder's Choice. I suppose the runner broke on contact and Almanzar attempted to throw home, but either too late or off the mark. He would compound this situation by throwing the ball away when the next batter hit a grounder to him. The runner on 2B would come around to score, and another potential out was piddled away. That would be all for Davies, as he would finish with a line of 5.1 IP, 6 H, 4 R (3 ER), 1 BB, 1 K, and a gaudy 15:1 groundout to flyout ratio.

Bowie 3 Trenton (Yankees) 2 (10 Innings)

The Baysox accrued nearly twice as many strikeouts (9) as base hits (5). But 6 walks allowed them to keep them in the game so that a Quincy Latimore home run in the 10th would give them the win.

Parker Bridwell coughed up a 2 run dinger in the 1st, but ultimately settled in to go 6 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 2 BBs, 9 Ks, with 60 of his 93 pitches being strikes. All 9 of his Ks were swinging punch-outs. Impressive. Mychal Givens came on to close in the 10th and struck out the side, though he did give up a couple singles to open the inning, which is a sub-optimal way of going about things. But hey...all's well that ends well, right? Matt Hobgood tweeted of being in awe of Givens 'hitting 100 a couple of times', which, if you've seen Givens' arm slot is utterly terrifying.

Frederick 6 Myrtle Beach (Cubs) 2

Luis Gonzalez K'd 7 over 5 IP while allowing 2 ER via 6 hits and 2 walks. Drew Dosch took an 0-fer-4, but did walk and manage to come around to score. Jeff Kemp hit a dinger, walked, drove in 2, scored twice, and helped turn two double plays. Adrian Marin singled, stole a base, scored, and helped turn 2 double plays as well.

Lakewood (Phillies) 2 Delmarva 8

Jomar Reyes. That is all.

<div id="fb-root"></div><script>(function(d, s, id) {  var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];  if (d.getElementById(id)) return;  js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id;  js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js#xfbml=1&version=v2.3";  fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);}(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk'));</script><div class="fb-video" data-allowfullscreen="true" data-href="/BaseballAmericaMag/videos/vb.247155898718/10152958358173719/?type=1"><div class="fb-xfbml-parse-ignore"><blockquote cite="/BaseballAmericaMag/videos/10152958358173719/"><a href="/BaseballAmericaMag/videos/10152958358173719/"></a><p>Baltimore Orioles 3B prospect Jomar Reyes wasn&#039;t fazed by 95 mph heat from Tyler Kolek.</p>Posted by <a href="https://www.facebook.com/BaseballAmericaMag">Baseball America</a> on Tuesday, May 19, 2015</blockquote></div></div>

That video from Baseball America was not from this game. In this game Reyes did bad, bad things to baseballs. 4 for 4 with 2 doubles, a triple, and 5 driven in. I need to get down Delmarva way and see this behemoth. Hitting in front of Reyes was Conor Bierfeldt. Not sure why Lakewood pitchers would walk Mr. Bierfeldt twice in order to face Jomar, but that's the strategy they employed; a bold one to be certain. Bierfeldt would score after both walks.

Brian Gonzalez may have been overshadowed by Reyes in this one, but he possibly put up his best start as a pro: 6.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BBs, and 5 Ks. Over his last two starts he's compiled a line of: 12.1 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 4 BBs, 6 Ks. Trending in the right direction.

Your Wednesday probables are:

Norfolk: (RHP) Eddie Gamboa

Bowie: (RHP) Branden Kline

Frederick: (RHP) Jarrett Miller

Delmarva: (RHP) Matthew Grimes