Orioles minor league recap 7/3: Pitching impresses at every level

Norfolk Tides 3, Gwinnett Stripers (Braves) 2

When Luis Ortiz started the game by giving up two runs in the first inning, it looked like the struggling right-hander was on his way to another miserable outing. But give him credit; Ortiz found his footing and blanked the Stripers for the remainder of his five-inning performance, picking up the victory. He’s now 3-7 with a 6.38 ERA. Tides leadoff man Christopher Bostick delivered the key hit, a go-ahead, two-run homer in the fifth. Ryan Mountcastle, playing left field, was 1-for-4.

The real intrigue came from the bullpen, where the Tides’ two T. Scotts pitched in the same game for the first time. Each looked quite sharp. Recently acquired South African righty Tayler Scott went first, tossing two scoreless innings with two strikeouts, and lefty Tanner Scott, in his first game since being sent down from the Orioles on Sunday, was filthy, striking out five of the seven batters he faced in two scoreless frames. If he could only consistently harness that stuff in the majors, the O’s would really have something.

Bowie Baysox 6, Hartford Yard Goats (Rockies) 2

Bowie cannot be stopped! The red-hot Baysox won again and are now 19-4 in their last 23 games and 11-3 in the second half. Ryan McKenna, the Orioles’ No. 7 prospect on MLB Pipeline, provided the heavy lumber with two solo home runs. After a miserable first two months, McKenna has turned it on of late, batting .300 with five homers and 11 extra-base hits in his last 17 games.

On the mound, Dean Kremer was the star, dominating the Yard Goats for seven scoreless innings, with as many strikeouts (five) as baserunners allowed. Kremer, after shaking off the rust in his return to Bowie, has looked excellent lately. In three of his last five outings, he’s pitched five or more scoreless innings, posting a 1.50 ERA in that span. The right-hander, the Birds’ No. 9 prospect, was acquired in the Manny Machado trade last season.

Frederick Keys vs. Lynchburg Hillcats (Indians) — POSTPONED, rescheduled for July 3

Delmarva Shorebirds 8, Lakewood Blue Claws (Phillies) 4

The Shorebirds had an extremely well-balanced offensive attack. All nine batters in the lineup had at least one hit, seven scored a run, and six collected an RBI. Delmarva put the game out of reach early with a six-run third inning that featured three consecutive RBI doubles. No. 14 prospect Adam Hall tripled and scored, No. 16 prospect Cadyn Grenier contributed a run-scoring single, and center fielder Jaylen Ferguson went 3-for-5 with two doubles and two RBIs.

The offensive explosion supported a superb outing by Ofelky Peralta, who tossed six shutout innings, his second straight scoreless start. He’s 6-2 with a 3.03 ERA in 15 games (14 starts) this year.

Aberdeen Ironbirds vs. Connecticut Tigers — SUSPENDED, to be resumed July 17

The Ironbirds and Tigers were washed away in the third inning, with Aberdeen trailing 3-1. The Ironbirds scored their lone run in the first on an Alex Murphy single that plated Johnny Rizer, the Orioles’ seventh round pick from last month’s draft. The two clubs will finish this game in a couple of weeks.

Rehab news: DJ Stewart continued his rehab assignment with the Gulf Coast League Orioles, going 0-for-2 with a walk. He’s 2-for-15 with two homers in his rehab so far.

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

Wednesday’s scheduled games:

• Norfolk vs. Gwinnett, 7:05 PM. Starter: Chandler Shepherd (0-6, 7.66)
• Bowie at Hartford, 7:05 PM. Starter: Mike Baumann (0-0, 0.00)
• Frederick vs. Lynchburg, doubleheader, 4:00 PM. Starters: Brenan Hanifee (5-7, 4.74), Cameron Bishop (0-6, 5.14)
• Delmarva at Lakewood, 7:05 PM. Starter: Ryan Wilson (3-2, 3.48)
• Aberdeen vs. Connecticut, 7:05 PM. Starter: TBD