Orioles minor league recap 6/21: Jean Pinto shows out in Double-A debut for winning Baysox

Triple-A: Norfolk Tides at Nasvhille Sounds (Brewers), PPD-rain.

For those excited to see the first game of Cedric Mullins and Ryan Mountcastle’s rehab assignment, you’ll have to wait another day. The Tides game never got started due to rain in Nashville. The postponement also means we’ll have to wait another day for the Triple-A debut of César Prieto. After .364 with a .882 OPS over 58 games for Bowie, the 24-year-old from Cuba will get to join the highly competitive infield situation at Norfolk—though not until Wednesday. The Tides will play a makeup double-header on Thursday.

Double-A: Bowie Baysox 4, Altoona Curve (Pirates) 1

While we didn’t get to see any debuts at Norfolk Tuesday, starting pitcher Jean Pinto shined in his debut for the Baysox. The 22-year-old right hander from Venezuela continued to throw dominant strikeout ability even with the bump in competition. After racking up 71 Ks in 50.1 innings at Aberdeen, Pinto racked up another four strikeouts in 4.1 innings against the Curve.

Things did not start off in ideal fashion for Pinto, as he gave up a lead off double to the first Altoona batter he faced. However, he got the next three batters out without the ball leaving the infield to work a scoreless inning. Pinto worked around a pair of hits in the 2nd for another scoreless frame and then blanked the Curve in the third while picking up a pair of Ks.

The shutout finally ended in the 4th, when the Curve got a leadoff single and then a two-out wild pitch and single allowed Altoona to push across their only run. After allowing two more singles in the bottom of the 5th, Pinto was lifted with one out. Connor Loeprich came in and stranded both runners by inducing a lineout that turned into a double play.

Loeprich worked two scoreless innings in the 6th and 7th before Ofreidy Gomez shut things down in the 8th and 9th to earn a save. Offensively, the Baysox were buoyed by a pair of two-run home runs. Coby Mayo started the scoring in the top of the 3rd when he rocketed his 12th home run of the season deep to left field. John Rhodes then added some insurance runs in the top of the 8th by launching a two-run shot over the left-center field fence.

Box Score

High-A: Wilmington Blue Rocks (Nationals) 7, Aberdeen IronBirds 6

The Aberdeen offense took a while to get into gear Tuesday, as a late inning rally fell just short in their loss to Wilmington. The IronBirds initially took a 1-0 in the 3rd inning when Jackson Holliday grounded out with the bases loaded to bring home left fielder Ryan Higgins. However, the Blue Rocks scored one run each in every inning from the 3rd through the 7th to take a commanding 5-1 lead into the 8th inning.

The IronBirds offense finally woke up in the top of the 8th inning. Center fielder Luis Valdez led off the inning with a walk, before Max Wagner moved him to third on a double to left field. Holliday then picked up his second RBI of the game, this time grounding out to shortstop to bring home Valdez. After Dylan Beavers walked, Creed Willems then tied the game by mashing a three-run homer to right-center—his fourth HR with the Ironbirds and 12th overall this season.

With things knotted up a 5-5, reliever Reese Sharp worked himself into a two-on, two-out jam in the bottom of the 8th. After working a 2-2 count against Wilmington first baseman T.J. White, Sharp gave up a single to surrender the lead to the Blue Rocks. Another single from the next Wilmington batter gave them a 7-5 lead that they took into the top of the 9th.

The IronBirds made a valiant effort at another comeback in the 9th, but ultimately fell short. After two quick outs from first baseman Isaac De León and Higgins, Valdez extended the game by reaching on an error. Wagner then singled to right, sending Valdez to third and giving Holliday the chance to play hero. The Orioles No.1 prospect bounced a ball up the middle and beat the throw for an infield single, driving home Valdez and cutting the Wilmington lead to one. However, Beavers couldn’t finish off the rally, as he grounded out on the first pitch he saw to end the game.

Box Score

Low-A: Delmarva Shorebirds 3, Augusta GreenJackets (Braves) 2

The Shorebirds used some timely home runs and good pitching to squeak past the GreenJackets on Tuesday night. Delmarva starter Jared Beck got off to a rocky start in the 1st inning, allowing a leadoff walk and then hitting the next batter to give Augusta two on and no outs. However, Beck set down the next three—including striking out the final two—to get out of the early jam. After setting down the August hitters in order in the 2nd, Beck again ran into trouble in the 3rd. He again walked the lead off batter, who then immediately stole second base. Two batters later, Beck allowed a single through the right side and August took the lead at 1-0.

However, the Delmarva offense immediately picked up their starter in the bottom of the 3rd. Left fielder Angel Tejada reached on an infield single with two outs, before center fielder Elio Prado launched a two-run HR to right field to give the Shorebirds a 2-1 lead. The homer was Prado’s fifth of the season and gave Delmarva a lead they never relinquished. Trendon Craig added to that lead in the bottom of the 4th inning, when he launched a solo shot over the right field fence.

Relievers Cesar Alvarez and Luis Sanchez combined for five scoreless innings, as each picked up three strikeouts. They then turned things over to Hugo Beltran in the 9th to close things out—and that’s when things got interesting. Back-to-back errors by second baseman Rolphy Cruz and shortstop Carter Young gave August a two-on and one out situation. Young then attempted to turn a double play, but after stepping on the bag at second, airmailed the throw to first—allowing a run to score for the GreenJackets.

The final out of the game came on an infield single that Cruz bobbled behind second base. On the bobble, Augusta got aggressive and tried to score the game-tying run, but Cruz cut the runner down at the plate to end the game.

Box Score

Wednesday’s schedule games

Norfolk Tides at Nashville Sounds. 7:35pm ET. TBD vs. Thomas Pannone

Bowie Baysox at Altoona Curve, Game 1, 4:30pm ET. TBD vs. Braxton Ashcraft

Bowie Baysox at Altoona Curve, Game 2. TBD vs. TBD (Makeup of April 22 game)

Aberdeen IronBirds at Wilmington Blue Rocks, Game 1, 5pm ET. Trace Bright vs. TBD

Aberdeen IronBirds at Wilmington Blue Rocks, Game 2. TBD vs. TBD (Makeup of April 30 game)

Delmarva Shorebirds vs. Augusta GreenJackets, 7:05pm ET. Juan De Los Santos vs. TBD