Gwinnett Braves 13, Norfolk Tides 3
This one didn’t go well. The only slices of good news from Thursday at Norfolk came from a few members of the lineup, particularly Pedro Alvarez going 2-5 with a double and Ruben Tejada collecting a trio of singles. J.J. Hardy was 0-2 with a walk and a run scored.
On the mound, it’s safe to say Jayson Aquino could’ve had a better night. He didn’t make it through five, allowing 10 hits and eight total runs (four earned). And do you remember Vidal Nuno? He allowed five earned runs in less than an inning in relief. Again, not a great night.
Trenton Thunder 3, Bowie Baysox 2
A lower score, the same result at Bowie.
On the mound, things went much better for John Means. He posted plus results yet again in what has been a very solid season for the 24-year-old — six innings, six hits, two earned runs, one walk and eight strikeouts. His ERA on the season is a respectable 4.11.
The best performance of the night on offense goes to D.J. Stewart, who went 3-4 with three singles and a run scored. Ryan Mountcastle collected a double, but there wasn’t much else in terms of fireworks from the Baysox offense.
Frederick Keys 6, Salem Red Sox 4
Jomar Reyes led the charge for Frederick on Thursday night, hitting both a triple and a home run while knocking in a pair of runs. Yermin Mercedes hit the game’s go-ahead round-tripper in the sixth, his 15th of the year.
Ofelky Peralta continues to struggle, allowing three earned in 3.2 innings pitched against the Red Sox. His 5.58 ERA at high-A makes for quite the disappointment, even in his age 20 season. There’s time, but this performance does make you wonder what’s next for Peralta.
Hagerstown Suns 9, Delmarva Shorebirds 6
Three of Travis Seabrooke’s five innings saw multiple runs posted by Hagerstown, so it wasn’t exactly the best night for the 22-year-old left-hander. He allowed nine hits and seven earned, boosting his season ERA to 5.01. Like Peralta’s, Seabrooke’s year has been one to forget.
Second baseman Tanner Kirk will get the shoutout here, especially since he’s hitting just .192 on the year. He hit a pair of doubles, driving in a run and scoring twice. Both Ryan McKenna and Daniel Fajardo also had multi-hit efforts.
Aberdeen Ironbirds 7, Tri-City ValleyCats 0
This game was all Ironbirds, largely due to the effort of starter Cameron Bishop. The former UC Irvine standout tossed six innings of one-hit ball, walking none and striking out five. The left-hander is immediately earning attention and for good reason — he’s posted a 0.85 ERA in 31.2 innings.
Everyone chipped in on the night for Aberdeen; among the standouts — Kirvin Moesquit (2-3, RBI), Ryan Ripken (2-4, HR) and Mason McCoy (2-4, RBI).
Today’s games
Norfolk at Charlotte, 7:05 p.m. Starter: Mike Wright
Bowie at Richmond, 7:05 p.m. Starter: Yefry Ramirez
Frederick vs. Potomac, 7:00 p.m. Starter: Brian Gonzalez
Delmarva vs. West Virginia, 7:05 p.m. Starter: Matthias Dietz
Aberdeen at Tri-City, 7:00 p.m. Starter: TBD