Orioles minor league recap 8/22: Drew Rom has a nice debut for Norfolk

Triple-A: Durham Bulls (Rays) 5, Norfolk Tides 4

Welcome to Norfolk, Drew Rom! The Tides got 4.2 strong innings from Rom in his Tides debut. The 2018 fourth-rounder kept the Bulls off the board until the fifth inning and struck out nine. Here’s the lefty Rom at work confounding hitters:

A four-run sixth inning for Norfolk reliever Pat Conroy put the Tides in a hole they couldn’t climb out of. Maybe the Tides were missing some punch at the plate with Kyle Stowers, Yusniel Díaz and Richie Martin all called up to Baltimore. They managed just six hits on Sunday (two of them by shortstop Cadyn Grenier), and zero RBI hits. Jacob Nottingham drove in a run with a sac fly. A second run scored off a wild pitch by Durham’s Dalton Moats. And the Tides’ third and fourth runs both came off of groundouts by O’s No. 1 prospect Gunnar Henderson. It was Henderson’s second straight start at second base, for those counting.

Box Score

Double-A: Somerset Patriots (Yankees) 13, Bowie Baysox 3

Garrett Stallings hadn’t given up more than two runs in any of his last four starts but eight runs (six earned) allowed in 4.1 innings was quite the setback. You’d hope it’d have been Giancarlo Stanton that made Stallings pay, but the rehabbing Yankee slugger went 0-for-4. Among other lowlights, Stallings walked a pair and threw a run-scoring wild pitch in the first, allowed an RBI triple in the second, and gave up a three-run home run in the fifth. Three Baysox relievers each allowed a home run after him: Griffin McLarty, Tyler Burch, and Hector Pérez. So in short, a bad day on the mound.

With nine hits by Baysox hitters, there would have been more runs if those hits had just been evenly distributed. Instead, Colton Cowser (O’s No. 5 prospect) had to be a piggy with three hits and a walk in the leadoff spot. Catcher Maverick Handley homered, and so did the No. 9 hitter Andrew Daschbach, a two-run shot.

Box Score

High-A: Aberdeen IronBirds 4, Asheville Tourists (Astros) 2

The Ironbirds managed just seven hits (and just one for extra bases, from Darell Hernaiz) but that was enough thanks to a sharp three-pitcher combined effort from Houston Roth (4.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 3 SO), Jake Lyons (3 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 4 SO) and Ignacio Feliz (2.0 IP, 2 H, 1 BB, 2 SO).

Darell Hernaiz had the only multi-hit game (2-for-4, run scored). A rehabbing Jonathan Araúz drove in a run with a sac fly and was at the plate for a run-scoring balk. Heston Kjerstad, DH’ing, singled in four trips, and so did TT Bowens. Chris Givin singled, scored, and drove in a run.

Box Score

Low-A: Salem Red Sox 6, Delmarva Shorebirds 5

The Shorebirds were on the wrong end of a SportsCenter Top-10 double play and couldn’t overcome one bad inning from their starter. Delmarva’s Moisés Chace had a 3-1 lead entering the fourth but he allowed five baserunners and four runs that inning alone. After him, Yaqui Rivera threw three decent innings, but a walk and a double put the Red Sox ahead for good. Alejandro Méndez threw one scoreless inning.

Still, some Shorebirds hitters had nice days. Jud Fabian walked and scored twice. Dylan Beavers (the O’s No. 10 prospect) walked and drove in a run. Max Wagner tripled and walked. Frederick Bencosme singled twice and drove in two. And catcher Adam Retzbach, drafted in 2022, went 2-for-3.

Box Score

There are no scheduled games on Monday.