Josh Rogers worked seven strong innings and Pedro Álvarez homered as part of a three-hit night to help power the Tides to a 5-1 win over Toledo Saturday night at Harbor Park.
Making his organizational debut after being acquired from the New York Yankees in a trade for LHP Zach Britton, Rogers (7-8) limited the Mud Hens to three hits over seven sterling innings of work. He walked three and struck out two, facing six batters over the minimum while needing just 84 pitches to navigate his outing. The 24-year-old southpaw only allowed two Mud Hens to reach second base in the outing as he turned in his 11th Quality Start of the season. It was also the fifth outing this season in which Rogers registered seven shutout innings in a start.
Álvarez gave the Tides an early lead with a first inning RBI double off of Jacob Turner (1-4), then extended Norfolk’s advantage to 2-0 with a solo homer in the fourth frame. He capped his evening by singling and scoring a run in the sixth to help Norfolk win for the 10th time in the last 12 contests.
Luis Sardiñas belted a two-run home run in the win, helping Norfolk hold on to its 1.0-game lead over Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in the International League Wild Card standings.
The Baysox sent all nine batters to the plate in the opening frame, scoring five unearned runs in a 9-2 win in the series opener in Harrisburg Saturday evening.
After an error and a walk opened the frame, Ryan Mountcastle’s one-out RBI-single started the scoring. Then with two down, Jaycob Brugman lashed a double to the wall in left plating two runs to lead 3-0. Rylan Bannon would follow with an RBI double high off the wall in left-center to score Brugman. Next up was Martin Cervenka’s whose line drive single plated Bannon with the fifth run of the inning.
That was enough room for Keegan Akin who worked well with runners on. The leadoff man reached for Harrisburg in five of six innings but never scored against Akin. He worked six innings allowing two runs on seven hits, both solo home runs in the fifth inning. The win for Akin marks his tenth of the season. He is just the second Eastern League pitcher and third in Orioles minor league system to reach ten-win plateau.
The Baysox got the long ball as well. Bowie got solo home runs from Ryan McKenna and Aderlin Rodriguez in the win. Rodriguez’s home run, his 17th of the year, is his seventh during his current 12-game hit streak.
Bowie got perfect relief work from the duo of Zach Pop and Tanner Chleborad. Pop retired all six faced, three via the groundball. Chleborad came on and got three consecutive groundball outs to end the game. The win was a fifth in the last six for the Baysox.
Will DeBoer – Shorebirds win 5-2
The Delmarva Shorebirds broke open a long stalemate with a three-run ninth inning, muscling past the Kannapolis Intimidators 5-2 to snap a four-game skid on Saturday night at Intimidators Stadium.
With the game tied 2-2 in the ninth, Ryan Ripken led off with a sharp ground ball into left for a single. Branden Becker followed with another sharp grounder over the third base bag and into the left field corner, chasing home Ripken to put the Shorebirds (19-15, 54-47) in front 3-2. After a strikeout, Ben Breazeale drew a walk, and both runners advanced on a Kirvin Moesquit groundball that veered foul up the first base line before hooking back into the field of play for an out. Mason McCoy came up in a two-out RBI spot, and with a 3-2 count he laced a single into left, scoring both Becker and Breazeale to push the lead to 5-2.
The Intimidators (19-16, 58-44) wouldn’t go quietly in the bottom of the ninth. Carlos Perez led off with a sharp low liner to third for an infield single, and Anthony Villa drew a walk on four pitches to get the tying run to bat. Cameron Ming got the next two batters on an infield fly and a strikeout, but Luis Curbelo coaxed a walk, loading the bases with 2018 No. 4 pick Nick Madrigal coming to bat.
Delmarva went with Tim Naughton out of the bullpen to face Madrigal, and on a 2-2 pitch Madrigal hit a chopper toward the second base bag. McCoy grabbed it and stepped on second for the force play to end the game.
Ming (2-2) earned the win in relief for the Shorebirds, going 1.2 scoreless innings. Nin (4-4) took the loss after giving up three runs in his inning and two-thirds. Naughton’s one-out save was his fourth of the year.
Both sides threaded together a pair of early runs. In the top of the second, Will Robertson drew a two-out walk, and Breazeale dropped a deep flyball into the left field corner for an RBI double. In the third, McCoy walked to lead off, and Zach Jarrett reached on an error two batters later. After a wild pitch, Trevor Craport hit a chopper to short that chased McCoy home to make it 2-0 Shorebirds.
The Intimidators responded in the bottom of the third as Villa singled and Michael Hickman doubled him home. In the home fourth, Craig Dedelow belted a solo home run over the big wall in right to tie it at 2-2. Neither side could string together another rally until the ninth.
Becker finished 2-for-4 with a double, run, and game-winning RBI for the Shorebirds, while Breazeale doubled in another run, scored one, and walked twice.
Tyler Frost and Perez each managed two-hit games for the Intimidators.
Ryan Wilson made an emergency start for Delmarva as scheduled starter Scott Burke was scratched moments before first pitch. Wilson lasted four innings, allowing two runs on five hits while walking one and striking out four. Nick Vespi took the baton from Wilson in the fifth and managed three scoreless innings of his own.
Zach Lewis turned in a Quality Start in a no-decision for Kannapolis, giving up two runs (one earned) on three hits over six innings.
Delmarva shortstop and 2018 Orioles first-round pick Cadyn Grenier left the game in the top of the third inning after a bunt attempt deflected off the top of his head. At press time no new information is available.
