Orioles minor league recap 8/20: The Rylan Bannon train keeps on rolling

Triple-A: Norfolk Tides 11, Charlotte Knights 6

Rylan Bannon has heard enough about Jahmai Jones and appears ready to enter the “guys you want called up” conversation. Bannon continued his epic hot streak with a 4-5 performance. Bannon went deep twice, tallied 10 total bases, and finished with 6 RBIs. The 25-year-old now has eight home runs in his last seven games.

Jones, not to be completely outdone, added a blast of his own in the third inning. Jones finished 2-4, Yusniel Diaz went 2-5, and Kelvin Gutierrez added three hits in five trips. Both Ryan McKenna and Tyler Nevin finished 2-5, while Adley Rutschman went 2-6 with a double.

The Tides tallied 18 hits on the evening.

Ofelky Peralta moved to 3-0 at Triple-A with 5.1 innings of one-run ball. He allowed five hits, struck out three, and finished a solo homer away from a clean start. Dusten Knight allowed three runs during two innings of relief.

Double-A: Reading Fightin’ Phils 6, Bowie Baysox 5

Bowie evened the score in the top of the eighth inning, but Garrett Stallings gave it back in the bottom half. The run marked the only blemish through four innings of relief for Stallings. Drew Rom started and allowed four runs (three earned) in the first three innings.

Patrick Dorrian knocked his 16th homer in the very first at bat of the game. Catcher Cody Roberts added another tater from the bottom of the order. Zach Watson led Bowie with three hits. Jordan Westburg and Kyle Stowers both added a base hit, and Johnny Rizer walked twice.

High Single-A: Wilmington Blue Rocks 8, Aberdeen IronBirds 7

Seven Aberdeen players combined for the IronBirds eight hits. AJ Graffanino was the only Bird to record a multi-hit night. Gunnar Henderson launched a solo shot in the sixth but also struck out three times. Both Terrin Vavra and Hudson Haskin finished 1-3 and both walked twice. Vavra is rehabbing a back injury.

Starter Griffin McLarty allowed just one run on three hits over five innings. McLarty, an eighth round pick in 2019, has one of those names that could someday leave opposing fans wondering “wait, who!?” I smile at the thought of a drunk Yankee fan wondering how the heck they got blanked over six innings by Griffin McLarty.

Ryan Watson and Nick Roth allowed a combined seven runs in relief. If only their names were Griffin McLarty.

Low Single-A: Delmarva Shorebirds 11, Fredericksburg Nationals 9

Delmarva used a three-run eighth inning to cap off an impressive showing at the dish. John Rhodes, Baltimore’s third round pick this year, finished 3-5 with a homer and 5 RBIs. Donta’ Williams added a pair of hits, and Reed Trimble went 1-3 with a walk. Colton Cowser finished 1-5 but did pick up a two-out RBI. Coby Mayo finished 0-3 but worked a walk and scored twice.

Shane Davis allowed two runs in four innings. Thomas Girard worked a scoreless ninth to notch his second save of the season.

Complete box scores for Thursday’s games can be found here

Friday’s scheduled games

• Norfolk: vs Memphis, 7:04. Starter: Alexander Wells (6-3, 3.78 ERA)
• Bowie: at Reading, 7:05. Starter: Mickey Jannis (First Double-A start & not in a good way)
• Aberdeen: vs Wilmington, 7:05. Starter: Brandon Young (0-1, 6.17 ERA)
• Delmarva: vs Fredericksburg, 7:00. Starter: Jake Lyons (2-3, 4.25 ERA)