Orioles prospects Opening Night: Homers, snow, and extra innings

Are you ready for another season of Orioles minor league action? Let’s hope it’s a good one for some of the key players who the Orioles are counting on to develop. We’ll have some more about what to look for on the individual teams over the next few days. For now, let’s get right into the games.

Charlotte (White Sox) 9, Norfolk Tides 8 (11 innings)

The two teams didn’t want to stop playing baseball here - at least until the eleventh inning when Tides reliever Zach Stewart decided to walk the bases loaded. Well, he probably didn’t decide to do that but he did it anyway. Then he gave up a walkoff single.

In the first game of his outfield experiment, Pedro Alvarez hit two dingers and walked three times. That’s good for an OPS of 3.500. Not bad. I don’t know how he did in the outfield.

Three Knights runners stole bases and none were thrown out. So that’s not a great first impression for Chance Sisco at this level. Something to keep an eye on. Sisco was 0-3 in the game but he also walked three times.

As for the pitchers, Mike Wright gave up five runs (two earned) on six hits and two walks in only three innings of work. Our commenter BubbaFan, who was watching the game, said his defense did him no favors. So it always goes with Wright.

Bowie Baysox 13, Akron (Indians) 7 (8 innings)

The game was called after eight innings due to snow in Akron. Which actually makes the combined 20 runs more impressive because it was an offensive explosion in cold temperatures.

If you followed Orioles spring training, you probably were treated to some raving about 22-year-old outfielder Cedric Mullins. The Orioles have skipped him right over Frederick to start this season. Mullins led off the game with a homer and went 4-5 in the game, also hitting a triple.

Later in the game, another outfield prospect who’s getting pushed, D.J. Stewart, added a homer as well. That was Stewart’s only hit in the game. Right after Stewart’s homer, Garabez Rosa went back-to-back. Bowie’s PR reported that this was the first time two Baysox had hit consecutive homers since August 26, 2014. And that’s one reason why no one has liked the farm system much for two years.

Frederick Keys - postponed, rain

Greenville (Red Sox) 3, Delmarva Shorebirds 2

I’ve got to be honest, the Shorebirds lineup is really short on interesting names. They lost this particular game in walkoff fashion when Jake Bray served up a dinger to Roldani Baldwin to break a 2-2 tie and end the game.

Although Delmarva’s hitters only combined for seven hits in the game, credit to starter Lucas Humpal for six innings of five hit ball. Only one unearned run crossed the plate on his watch.

For complete box scores from today’s games, check out here.

Today’s Scheduled Games

• Norfolk: at Charlotte, 7:05. Starter: Gabriel Ynoa
• Bowie: at Akron, 6:35. Starter: John “The Ends Justify The” Means
• Frederick: vs. Carolina, 7:00. Starter: Keegan Akin
• Delmarva: at Greenville, 7:05. Starter: Zach Muckenhirn