Orioles minor league recap 7/5: Pitching rules the day in a slew of low-scoring games

Triple-A: Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp (Marlins) 1, Norfolk Tides 0

The Tides took a walkoff loss on Lewin Diaz’s RBI double off Logan Gillaspie in the bottom of the ninth, which plated the game’s only run. As you can imagine, it was a great night for pitching and not so much for hitters. Tides starter Cody Sedlock worked five scoreless innings, Rico Garcia followed with two, and Gillaspie tossed a perfect eighth before losing in the ninth.

Norfolk, though, couldn’t get anything going against veteran big leaguer Elieser Hernandez, who struck out nine and allowed just two hits in five innings. Despite their top five hitters all being prospects of some intrigue — Gunnar Henderson (#3 tied), Jordan Westburg (#6), Kyle Stowers (#8 tied), Terrin Vavra (#12), and Yusniel Diaz (#29) — that quintet was a combined 1-for-20 with nine strikeouts, the only hit a Vavra leadoff single. Every batter in the Tides’ starting lineup struck out at least once, with 16 whiffs altogether.

Box score

Double-A: Somerset Patriots (Yankees) 1, Bowie Baysox 0

Bowie, like Norfolk, also lost 1-0. What was going on with offenses tonight? Were hitters just sluggish because they didn’t have their usual Monday off day? Once again, props to the pitching staff, with starter Ryan Watson holding Somerset to one run in five innings, striking out eight. He’s got a 3.66 ERA and 10.45 K/9 in 14 games for Bowie this season.

Bowie collected seven hits, all singles, with two coming from leadoff man Connor Norby (#11 prospect) and one from cleanup hitter Joey Ortiz (#14). Colton Cowser (#3 tied) went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts.

Box score

High-A: Aberdeen IronBirds 3, Brooklyn Cyclones (Mets) 1

Another low-scoring contest, but this time the O’s affiliate wound up on top. Connor Gillispie, a ninth round pick in 2019, delivered a quality start — six innings, one run — and gave up just one hit, though he did walk four. He lowered his ERA to 3.16. Right-hander Gregori Vasquez followed with three scoreless for his fifth save.

The IronBirds had only five hits, with no batter getting more than one, but eked out three runs. Shortstop Darell Hernaiz (#29 tied) doubled, walked, scored a run, and stole a base. Right fielder Billy Cook contributed an RBI double and threw out a runner at home plate.

Box score

Low-A: Delmarva Shorebirds 4, Salem Red Sox 3 — 10 innings

With seven total runs scored, this was by far the highest scoring game among the Orioles’ affiliates last night. The Shorebirds won on a walkoff when Roberto Martinez scored from third on Noelberth Romero’s grounder to second. Delmarva banged out 11 hits in all, though none from Heston Kjerstad (#10), who took a rare 0-for-4. Anthony Servideo, the Birds’ third round pick in 2020, cranked a home run. So did Isaac De Leon, acquired in the 2020 Richard Bleier trade.

Right-hander Miguel Padilla, fresh up from the GCL Orioles, held his own in his Delmarva debut. He rattled off four straight scoreless innings before stumbling in the fifth and giving up two runs, both of which scored on one sacrifice fly. Preston Price twirled two perfect innings of relief, and Dylan Heid took it the rest of the way, blowing the save in the ninth but staying in long enough to earn the win in the 10th.

Box score

There are no scheduled games for Tuesday.