Orioles minor league recap 4/17: Santander leads Norfolk to walkoff win

Norfolk Tides 7, Durham Bulls (Rays) 6

While the Orioles and Rays squared off at the major league level, their Triple-A clubs battled each other, too. This time, it was the good guys who won. The Tides walked off an offense-heavy affair, with Anthony Santander delivering the game-winning RBI single in the ninth. It was Santander’s fourth hit of the game, a feat he hadn’t accomplished since 2016, when he was in High-A in the Cleveland Indians’ organization.

Santander wasn’t the only guy racking up hits. Of the 18 batters on the two teams, all but one (Norfolk’s D.J. Stewart) collected at least one hit. Ryan Mountcastle mashed his second home run in as many games for the Tides, and Jace Peterson hit his first. The slumping Chance Sisco showed signs of life with a pair of singles and a walk, though he also made a throwing error.

Gabriel Ynoa’s quality start (six innings, three runs) wasn’t rewarded with a win, as relievers Sean Gilmartin and Branden Kline let a 6-3 lead slip away before Santander sealed the victory.

Erie SeaWolves (Tigers) 6, Bowie Baysox 5

Despite the loss, there were some standout performances from Bowie in this one. Second baseman Rylan Bannon went 4-for-5 with three RBIs, his first four-hit game since joining the Orioles’ organization last year. Bannon is batting .326 with a .967 OPS and so far has outshone fellow Manny Machado trade acquisition Yusniel Diaz (who was 0-for-4 with a walk). Austin Wynns contributed a pair of hits and RBIs as he continues his rehab assignment. And Bruce Zimmermann delivered a quality start, holding Erie to two runs and three baserunners in six innings.

The Baysox carried a 4-2 lead into the late innings, but the SeaWolves tallied four runs against reliever Tanner Chleborad to turn the tide. Interestingly, Dillon Tate made a relief appearance, retiring the only batter he faced. I’m not sure if this means the O’s are shifting the struggling Tate to the bullpen, or whether he was just getting some work in.

Frederick Keys 8, Myrtle Beach Pelicans (Cubs) 2

The Keys cruised to an easy victory over the 2-11 Pelicans, led by a strong outing from starter Brenan Hanifee, who picked up his first victory for Frederick with five innings of two-hit, one-run ball. He walked two and struck out four. Righty Francisco Jimenez racked up a two-inning save.

Offensively, the bottom of the Frederick lineup did most of the damage. Numbers six through eight hitters Trevor Craport, Jean Carrillo, and Ryan Ripken combined to go 7-for-10 with six runs scored and seven RBIs, including a Ripken homer. In the leadoff spot, .431-hitting second baseman Mason McCoy extended his hitting streak to 10 games with a single.

Delmarva Shorebirds 6, Kannapolis Intimidators (White Sox) 4

Break up the Shorebirds! With a last at-bat victory, Delmarva improved to 10-1, the best record in the entire minor leagues. Who are the real intimidators here, huh, Kannapolis? The Shorebirds trailed 3-2 in the eighth until mounting a four-run rally with help from a bases-loaded walk, a bloop RBI single, a run-scoring fielder’s choice and a wild pitch. Whatever it takes.

The best pitching performance belonged to long reliever Matthew Hammonds, who tossed three scoreless, hitless innings and struck out two. At the plate, “Danger” Will Robertson drove in two runs and fell a triple shy of the cycle. And Robert Neustrom, last year’s fifth-round pick who’s been opening eyes so far this year, reached base three times and also made a homer-robbing catch.

Complete box scores from Tuesday’s games can be found here.

Wednesday’s scheduled games:

• Norfolk vs. Durham, 6:35 PM. Starter: Luis Ortiz (0-1, 6.43)
• Bowie vs. Erie, 6:35 PM. Starter: Marcos Molina (0-2, 4.09)
• Frederick at Myrtle Beach, 7:05 PM. Starter: Michael Baumann (0-0, 0.00)
• Delmarva vs. Kannapolis, 10:35 AM. Starter: Blaine Knight (1-0, 1.69)