Orioles minor league recap 8/5: Bradfield debuts, Aberdeen commits eight errors in ninth straight loss

Triple-A: Charlotte Knights (White Sox) at Norfolk Tides — postponed

Rain washed away Friday’s matchup. The two teams will play a doubleheader today.

Double-A: Bowie Baysox 4, Portland Sea Dogs (Red Sox) 3

Jackson Holliday is back! Activated from the injured list after missing more than a week with an illness, the #1 prospect in baseball went 1-for-4 in Bowie’s win. The hitting star again for the Baysox was the red-hot Billy Cook, who crushed his fifth home run in his last six games. The 2021 tenth-round pick has pushed his season OPS over .800 (.802). Third baseman Joseph Rosa also homered. Among the 2022-drafted outfield prospects, Dylan Beavers doubled while Jud Fabian went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts.

Right-hander Kyle Brnovich made his second rehab start for Bowie and struck out five batters in four innings. He issued two walks, three hits, and two runs. Keagan Gillies scattered three baserunners in two scoreless innings to pick up the win in relief. Nolan Hoffman struck out two in the ninth for his fourth save.

Box score

High-A: Hickory Crawdads (Rangers) 7, Aberdeen IronBirds 5

It is just plain ugly in Aberdeen right now. Not only did the IronBirds lose their ninth game in a row, they did so by committing eight errors in this game. Let me repeat that: EIGHT ERRORS.

The first two miscues occurred in the third, when center fielder Elio Prado muffed a fly ball that led to an unearned run, with right fielder Luis Valdez later making an errant throw that inning. The other five errors all happened in the final three innings as Aberdeen blew a late lead. In the seventh, Samuel Basallo made a throwing error trying to cut down a runner stealing, and pitcher Carson Carter later fired the ball into center field on a pickoff attempt, letting a run score. Carter made another errant pickoff throw in the eighth. The defensive meltdown reached its nadir in the ninth, when Basallo, Valdez, and second baseman Max Wagner all committed throwing errors in the span of three batters. Who is teaching these guys how to throw??

It’s a shame they couldn’t play defense, because the IronBirds hit well enough to win. They reached base 17 times and went 5-for-17 with runners in scoring position. The speedy Valdez had three stolen bases, including a steal of home on the catcher’s throw back to the pitcher. On the mound, starter Kyle Virbitsky struggled, allowing eight baserunners in three innings. He gave up four runs, but only two were earned, because...you know. And right-hander Logan Rinehart was impressive in his organizational debut, tossing three scoreless innings of relief. The O’s acquired Rinehart from Seattle on Tuesday for Eduard Bazardo.

Box score

Low-A: Delmarva Shorebirds 7, Lynchburg Hillcats (Guardians) 6

After Basallo’s promotion to Aberdeen earlier this week, the Shorebirds don’t have many familiar prospects in the lineup, but that didn’t stop them from putting seven runs on the board in the first three innings to earn a win over Lynchburg. Trailing 4-2 in the third, they erupted for a five-run rally to flip the script. Noelberth Romero got the rally started with a leadoff homer, Randy Florentino later knocked a two-run single, and a Carter Young two-run single capped the scoring.

Starter Yaqui Rivera went just two innings, getting chased after three straight singles to start the third. In came lefty Joe Kemlage, whom the O’s signed two days ago after he was released by the Giants. Kemlage allowed all three inherited runners to score — sorry, Yaqui — but worked three scoreless, hitless innings of his own to pick up the win in his organizational debut.

Box score

Bonus FCL content

The Orioles’ first-round pick in the 2023 draft, Enrique Bradfield Jr., made his professional debut last night for the Florida Complex League Orioles. Batting leadoff and playing center field, as the O’s hope he’ll one day be doing in the majors, Bradfield reached base three times and had a steal. That included a tapper to the pitcher that he somehow turned into three bases. Look at that speed!

Box score

Saturday’s scheduled games:

• Norfolk: vs. Charlotte, 5:35 PM, Game 1. Starter: Justin Armbruester (1-1, 4.50)
• Norfolk: vs. Charlotte, Game 2. Starter: TBD
• Bowie: vs. Portland, 6:35 PM. Starter: TBD
• Aberdeen: vs. Hickory, 7:05 PM. Starter: Brandon Young (0-0, 3.00)
• Delmarva: vs. Lynchburg, 7:05 PM. Starter: Deivy Cruz (7-2, 3.53)