Orioles minor league recap 8/27: Lots of big offense on the farm (not you, Norfolk)

Triple-A: Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp (Marlins) 3, Norfolk Tides 1

It was a bad night for Tides’ hitters. They tallied just two hits, a single from number nine hitter Greg Cullen and a solo home run by Brett Phillips. Phillips, subject of many recent arguments in Birdland, also struck out three times. The team did pick up five walks, including one apiece from Gunnar Henderson and Jordan Westburg.

Drew Rom made the start and had a solid but not remarkable outing. He gave up just one run when a runner on third with two outs scored on a wild pitch. He completed five innings with four hits and two walks allowed.

Meanwhile the conversion of D.L. Hall to relief pitcher could be going better. Hall entered the game with two outs in the seventh and got a groundout to end the inning. In the eighth, however, Hall walked the leadoff batter who then scored on a double. Hall then threw two wild pitches to allow the runner on second to score. Ouch.

Box Score

Double-A: Altoona Curve (Pirates) 10, Bowie Baysox 8 - F/10

You should win a game when you score eight runs, but that wasn’t the case for the Baysox last night. Starting pitcher Garrett Stallings gave up five runs in five innings and relief pitchers Clayton McGinness and Jake Prizina didn’t fare much better. The game was tied 7-7 going into the 10th inning when Prizina gave up three runs to blow the game.

The Baysox put up a crooked number in the fourth inning, loading the bases with no outs. Adam Hall and John Rhodes knocked in runs on ground balls, one ground out and one fielder’s choice. Then Andres Angulo properly doubled in the third run. It was part of a two-hit, two RBI day for Angulo.

The only Baysox long ball came from Andrew Daschbach, his 12th of the year. Colton Cowser and Connor Norby were both hitless with a walk in the game, while Joey Ortiz singled and walked twice.

Box Score

High-A: Aberdeen IronBirds 11, Wilmington Blue Rocks (Nationals) 4

The IronBirds had a big night on offense with five players putting up multi-hit games. The only batter who failed to reach base is catcher Ramon Rodriguez, and even he got to get in on the fun with a sacrifice fly.

The big inning was the second, where the IronBirds scored six runs and sent 11 batters to the plate. Isaac de Leon started things off with a triple, followed by three straight singles from Maxwell Costes, Frederick Bencosme, and Darell Hernaiz. Bencosme, who was playing in his first game since being promoted to high-A, tallied two hits, including a triple. He scored two runs and got an RBI from the number nine spot in the lineup. Not a bad debut!

The wild second inning included an additional three singles plus a bases-loaded walk by Billy Cook and Rodriguez’s sacrifice fly.

Heston Kjerstad was one of just two players who didn’t get a hit, though he did walk and reach on a hit by pitch. 20-year-old Isaac Bellony, who has struggled at high-A, reached based three times with two singles and a walk.

Starting pitcher Ignacio Feliz was knocked out in the second inning after allowing four of five batters to reach base. Houston Roth picked up the win with one run allowed in four innings.

Box Score

Low-A: Delmarva Shorebirds 12, Lynchburg Hillcats (Guardians) 11 - F/10

It was almost a devastating blown game for the Shorebirds, who led 10-2 after six innings. But Shorebirds’ relievers allowed the Hillcats to score back-to-back four-run innings at the end of the game to tie it. Thankfully the Shorebirds took advantage of their extra-innings runner to win the game in the bottom of the 10th.

Delmarva jumped out to a big lead in the very first inning thanks to a grand slam from Noelberth Romero. We won the Andrew Cashner trade! It was one of two home runs in the game for the Shorebirds, the other hit by Reed Trimble in the eighth inning. It was a three-hit, five-RBI game for Trimble.

It was also a three-hit game for rookie stud Jud Fabian, who picked up two singles and a triple. Jackson Holliday went 1-for-5 while Douglas Hodo walked three times. Silas Ardoin, son of Danny, reached base four times with two hits and two walks.

Moises Chace started the game and gave up two runs in four innings, issuing four walks. His relief, 2022 draft pick Trace Bright, pitched three innings without allowing a hit. And the less said about the rest of the pitching in the game the better.

Box Score

Sunday’s Scheduled Games

• Norfolk @ Jacksonville, 6:35. Starter: Chris Vallimont
• Bowie vs Altoona, 1:05. Starter: TBD
• Aberdeen @ Wilmington, 1:05. Starter: Daniel Lloyd
• Delmarva vs Lynchburg, 5:05. Starter: TBD