Orioles minor league recap 4/9: Hudson has a hat-trick

Triple-A: Charlotte (White Sox) 5, Norfolk Tides 4

Norfolk’s bats have been on fire of late, but they lost a close one at home to the Knights. Zac Lowther pitched three solid innings with a solo homer as his sole blemish. But then he lost the strike zone in the fourth and was yanked after two consecutive walks. Unfortunately, his replacement Conner Greene couldn’t find the plate, either, allowing two singles and three walks of his own to put the Tides in a 4-1 hole.

It was not an insurmountable lead, and in the fifth inning, Tides hitters rallied to tie things up. Patrick Dorrian kicked off the fun, reaching on an error before Richie Martin singled. Terrin Vavra (2-for-4 on the day) bunted the pair over, and Tyler Nevin (1-for-3, 1 R, 1 RBI) singled to left to score Patrick Dorrian. Unfortunately, Richie Martin’s attempt to score on the Knights’ leftfielder—old pal Dwight Smith Jr.—ended in his getting gunned down at the plate. (Query: Where was that arm when Smith played left field for Baltimore?) It looked like the rally might die there, but Robert Neustrom (3-for-5, .296 BA) turned on a hanging curve and drove in two more with a bomb to right field.

Kevin Smith came in for long relief, and normally, four innings with one run, three hits, and three walks would be fine enough. In this case, the Knights scored their fifth run on a single and a double in the seventh and that would do it.

Box score.

Double-A: Bowie Baysox 11, Richmond (Giants) 6

Bowie launched an offensive onslaught led by Hudson Haskin, the Orioles’ 2^nd round pick in 2020, who bashed three home runs on Sunday, becoming just the sixth Baysox player to achieve the feat. After the game, the Orioles’ No. 16 prospect told reporters he was surprised about his performance, because “I’m not a home run hitter.” Adam Hall went 3-for-4 and scored two runs, Jordan Westburg went 2-for-5 with a home run of his own, and Joey Ortiz went 2-for-4 with a triple. On another day, those feats would be headline achievements of their own. But Sunday was the Hudson Haskin Show.

The six runs scored by the Richmond Flying Squirrels were not the fault of the Orioles’ newest trade acquisition, Antonio Velez. The Baysox lefty, acquired in the Tanner Scott/Cole Sulser trade, threw four shutout innings. He allowed one hit, and struck out seven. That’ll work! In relief, Nolan Hoffman allowed three runs in one inning and Morgan McSweeney allowed three more, managing somehow to earn both the win and a blown save. Ryan Conroy threw two scoreless with four strikeouts.

Box score.

High-A: Aberdeen IronBirds 8, Jersey Shore (Phillies) 4

Over the first six innings, the IronBirds couldn’t manage more than a run on a sac fly. But in the seventh and eighth innings, they went to town on Jersey Shore relievers. No. 23 prospect John Rhodes had a 3-for-3 night in which he hit a two-run triple, walked and scored a run. Donta Williams walked and scored a run, and Connor Norby had an RBI, too. TT Bowens walked, singled, and scored three runs, and Cesar Prieto went 2-for-4. Catcher Ramón Rodríguez drove in a run, too, on a 2-for-4 night.

The IronBirds climbed out of a hole with seven runs in the last three innings to take this one, 8-4. Justin Ambruester, drafted in 2021 in the twelfth round out of New Mexico, allowed one run on six hits over 2.2 innings. The 2019 draftee Jake Prizina threw 1.1 innings and allowed one run. Noah Denoyer got the win and racked up eight K’s over three innings. Kade Strowd and free-agent signing Wes Robertson eached tossed a scoreless inning.

Box score.

Low-A: Fredericksburg (Washington) 7, Delmarva Shorebirds 0

The Orioles’ Low-A affiliate made like the big-league team on Sunday, giving up a bunch of runs and getting shut out. Six Shorebirds pitchers made an appearance, all of them young international signings. That includes the 19-year-old Juan de los Santos, who threw 3.2 innings, allowing one run, walking three and striking out five. Héctor López allowed one run on two hits in 1.1 innings, and Alejandro Méndez threw two scoreless. The 21-year-old Yeancarlos Lleras had trouble finding the strike zone, walking two and throwing two wild pitches before eventually getting saddled with four runs.

Delmarva hitters struck out 11 times and scattered six hits among them, none for extra bases. Third baseman Moises Ramírez went 2-for-4, and shortstop Darell Hernaiz singled. Second baseman Noelberth Romero also reached base twice.

Box score.

[There are no scheduled games for Monday, April 11.]