Orioles minors recap 7/18: Baysox pull off another comeback

Buffalo Bisons (Blue Jays) 7, Norfolk Tides 3

It was a weird night at the plate for the Tides, who had four hits, none of which were singles. DJ Stewart bashed a home run and a double, and Chance Sisco and Ruben Tejada each doubled as well. The rest of the lineup was 0-for-21, including an 0-for-4 by Cedric Mullins atop the order. Third baseman Renato Nunez, who could be promoted to the majors if and when the Orioles trade Manny Machado, didn’t help his case by going 0-for-4 with two strikeouts and committing his fifth error.

Jimmy Yacabonis, who would’ve started for the Orioles on Sunday if he hadn’t gotten sick, lasted four innings for the Tides, giving up two runs. He allowed only one hit, but hurt himself with four walks. Lefty Andrew Faulkner was ineffective in relief, giving up four runs (three earned) in 1.1 innings.

Bowie Baysox 7, Altoona Curve (Pirates) 5 — 10 innings

Just call the Baysox the comeback kids. For the second game in a row, they erased a ninth-inning deficit in Altoona, this time scoring two runs on a Martin Cervenka double to take a 5-4 lead. Trailing 4-1 in the seventh, Bowie chipped away with a single run apiece in the seventh and eighth — including Ryan Mountcastle’s ninth home run, fresh off his return from the Futures Game — before Cervenka’s heroics.

The Curve tied the game with a run of their own in the bottom of the ninth, but the Baysox went ahead for good with two in the 10th, capped by an Anthony Santander RBI double. The Bowie bullpen did an excellent job, with four relievers combining to work 6.2 innings of one-run ball after starter Brian Gonzalez gave up four runs and nine hits in 3.1 innings. Matthew Grimes was the best of the lot, retiring all 10 batters he faced in long relief.

West Virginia Power (Pirates) 8, Delmarva Shorebirds 1 — 6 innings

The Shorebirds probably don’t mind that this game was called for rain after six innings, since they were getting trounced anyway. Mason McCoy led off the game with a home run and Delmarva never scored again, managing only two hits after that point.

Shorebirds reliever Alex Katz generously designed customized cleats for players at the Futures Game on Monday, but apparently he did not receive the good karma he deserved. He gave up three runs in 1.1 innings of work in this game. Starter Jhon Peluffo was ripped for four runs in 3.2 innings.

Aberdeen Ironbirds at Lowell Spinners (Red Sox) — POSTPONED

The Ironbirds were rained out in Lowell, Mass. The game will be made up as part of a doubleheader Wednesday.

GCL Twins 1, GCL Orioles 0

We’ll make a rare check in on the GCL Orioles because it was Grayson Rodriguez’s turn to pitch. The Orioles’ No. 1 pick in the 2018 draft worked two scoreless innings, giving up three hits and striking out one. He nearly gave up a run in the second inning, but a Twins runner was thrown out trying to steal home. That keeps Rodriguez with a spotless 0.00 ERA in five professional innings.

A couple other interesting names appeared in the pitching line. A previous O’s No. 1 pick, 2016 draftee Cody Sedlock, made a rehab appearance and threw two scoreless frames, striking out three. At least he can get GCL hitters out, if not High-A hitters. And lefty Ryan O’Rourke, a former big leaguer the O’s signed as a minor league free agent this past offseason, made his season debut by striking out the side in the fifth.

Complete box scores can be found here.

Wednesday’s scheduled games:

• Norfolk at Buffalo, 1:05 PM. Starter: Matt Wotherspoon (2-6, 4.78)
• Bowie at Altoona, 12:00 PM. Starter: Christian Binford (1-3, 5.02)
• Frederick vs. Down East, 7:00 PM. Starter: Cristian Alvarado (8-7, 4.13)
• Aberdeen at Lowell, doubleheader, 11:05 AM. Starters: TBD
• Delmarva: OFF