Triple-A: Syracuse Mets (Mets) 18, Norfolk Tides 6
These are the ones that both players and fans want to just completely wipe from their memory. Zac Lowther (Orioles’ #25 prospect in MLB.com’s prospect rankings) got the start and he did strike out five in 3.2 innings... but he also gave up 10 earned runs on 10 hits, including three home runs. The Mets raced out to a 15-0 lead before the Tides got their first runs on the board in the bottom of the fifth. Tuesday’s outing saw more of the same in what has been a rocky start to the season for Lowther. The struggle against Syracuse marked Lowther’s fifth time in nine starts he’s given up 7+ hits, as well as his fourth time giving up 5+ runs.
Lowther’s former college teammate Rylan Bannon was the Tides' offensive star of the day, hitting a consolation three-run home run in the bottom of the 8th for the final runs of the game. The home run was Bannon’s first since June 4th and saw him break out of an 0-11 mini-slump dating back to last week’s Nashville series. Gunnar Henderson (#3) went 1-3 with a walk and a run scored.
Double-A: Bowie Baysox 9, Binghamton Rumble Ponies (Mets) 0
While the Mets organization may have won the battle at Triple-A, the Baysox exacted a measure of revenge at the Double-A level. Andrew Daschbach and Chris Givin started the scoring early with a pair of RBI doubles in the second inning. The Baysox kept scoring in bunches, as a couple of two-run home runs from Givin and AJ Graffanino saw the lead balloon to 6-0 in the 6th. A Binghamton error in the 8th would lead to the final three runs scoring.
Givin was the offensive star of the night, going 3-4 while driving in three, and finishing a triple short of the cycle. The former Xavier Musketeer (like Lowther and Bannon) seems to be off to a hot start in only his second game with the Baysox. Cesar Prieto (#11) also had a standout game, going 3-4 with a double and stolen base.
All of this offense supported another valiant start from Chris Vallimont, who threw five innings, allowing two hits and striking out three. After struggling in the first two months of the season, Vallimont seems to have righted the ship in June. Over eight innings this month, Vallimont has now only allowed one run on three hits while striking out eight.
High-A: Aberdeen IronBirds 4, Jersey Shore BlueClaws (Phillies) 0
Tuesday night also saw a shutout at the High-A level, as Carlos Tavera set a new career-high with 10 strikeouts. Following his six-inning, eight strikeout, no runs allowed performance last week against Brooklyn, Tavera extended his shutout streak to 11 innings in shutting down the BlueClaws.
Offensively, shortstop Collin Burns outshined prospects like Colton Cowser (#4), Connor Norby (#10) and Colton Mayo (#7). The second-year pro out of Tulane started the scoring with his first minor league home run in the first inning. He then followed things up with a double in the second inning. Cowser and Norby each had a single, while Mayo walked twice.
The IronBirds and BlueClaws also finished a previously suspended game from May 1st, with Jersey Shore scoring two runs in the 9th to win 6-4.
Box Score (6/14) Box Score (5/1)
Low-A: Salem Red Sox (Red Sox) 12, Delmarva Shorebirds 3
Salem jumped all over three different Shorebirds pitchers, as this game was effectively over by the end of the third inning. After a two-run home run started the scoring for the Red Sox in the first, they added six more runs in the bottom of the third to lead 8-1 after three.
Heston Kjerstad (#9) had his first hitless game in his return from his two-year hiatus, going 0-3 while batting second. The outfielder did drive in a run on an RBI groundout in the fourth inning, as well as pushed across a run when he grounded into a double play in the third. After three games at Delmarva, the former No.2 overall pick is batting .300 with a double and two RBIs.
Wednesday’s Scheduled Games:
- Norfolk: vs. Syracuse, 6:35. Starter: Denyi Reyes (1-2, 6.51)
- Bowie: vs. Binghamton (Game 1), 5:35. Starter: Garrett Stallings (2-4, 6.64)
- Bowie: vs. Binghamton (Game2), Makeup of April 16 Game. Starter: TBD
- Aberdeen: at Jersey Shore, 7:05. Starter: Jean Pinto (2-3, 5.25)
- Delmarva: at Salem, 7:05. Starter: Carter Baumler (0-0, 0.00)
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