Ian Locke
Josh Rogers great in Norfolk 1-0 win.
Luis Sardiñas capped a four-hit night with a walk-off homer in the bottom of the ninth, giving Norfolk a 1-0 win over Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Wednesday night at Harbor Park.
Sardiñas, who had singled in his first three plate appearances, blasted a 1-0 offering from Stephen Tarpley (1-1) off the roof of the picnic area in left field for his second walk-off homer of the season. The four hits tied a career-best for Sardiñas, who has now batted .400 (14-35) with two home runs and six RBI over his last nine games.
The walk-off win was the 12th of the season for the Tides, with each of the last three walk-off victories coming on game-ending home runs. The victory also moved Norfolk (60-53) a full game ahead of Scranton (59-54) in the IL Wild Card standings.
Norfolk starter Josh Rogers turned in a tremendous outing but did not factor in the decision, scattering four hits over 7.1 shutout innings against his former team. Rogers, acquired as part of a trade with the New York Yankees for LHP Zach Britton on July 24th, walked one and struck out four while throwing 63 of his 96 pitches for strikes. The 24-year-old southpaw retired his final eight batters and faced just three batters over the minimum, and he now owns a 1.33 ERA through three starts since joining the Orioles organization. Wednesday’s start was the fifth time this season Rogers has worked 7.0 shutout innings in a start – two of which have come in a Norfolk uniform.
Lucas Long (2-0) earned the win in relief of Rogers, tossing 1.2 innings of shutout relief. Long now owns a 1.53 ERA through six games since joining the Tides from Double-A Bowie on July 18th.
Adam Pohl
Bowie Breaks Out Bats In 13-6 Romp
All nine Baysox batters record at least one hit in victory
BOWIE, Md. — Anderson Feliz drove in a career-high six runs, while the offense erupted for a season-high 18 hits en route to a 13-6 win over the New Hampshire Fisher Cats in front of 2,383 Wednesday evening at Prince George’s Stadium.
Bowie (52-61) took its first lead of the series in the first inning off RHP Jordan Romano. With two outs, Aderlin Rodriguez sent a towering double to right-center field, beyond the leaping attempt of Andrew Guillotte. Ryan McKenna scored on the 64th RBI of the season for the Baysox first baseman.
A fielding error kept the rally going and Feliz made the Fisher Cats pay with a three-run home run to deep right-center field. The ninth long ball for the second baseman scored Rodriguez and Austin Hays, and put the hosts ahead 4-0 early.
New Hampshire (65-47) cut the lead in half with two runs in the top of the second, but Bowie responded with three runs in the bottom half of the inning. Brett Cumberland launched his first Double-A home run deep to right field to lead off the frame. After a pair of singles, Ryan Mountcastle and Austin Hays each lined RBI singles to left field to complete the five-hit rally and extend the lead to 7-2.
A Cavan Biggio homer brought the guests within three runs at 7-4 in the top of the fifth, but Bowie erupted for three more runs in the bottom half of the fifth inning. Feliz recorded his fourth and fifth RBI of the night on a two-run flared single over the drawn-in infield, scoring Rodriguez and Hays. One batter later, Ademar Rifaela lined a 1-0 single to center field off New Hampshire reliever Andrew Case to give the Baysox double-figure runs.
Rodriguez continued the offensive outburst in the sixth inning, launching a two-run opposite-field home run down the right field line. The 19th home run of the season extended the Baysox lead to 12-4 and gave Rodriguez his team-leading 19th multi-RBI game of the season.
Feliz continued his career night with a RBI single up the middle in the eighth inning to score Craig Gentry. With the hit, Feliz joined Rodriguez, Gentry and Erick Salcedo as the four Bowie batters to record three-hit nights Wednesday.
Defensively, Keegan Akin held a red-hot Fisher Cat offense in check throughout his six innings of work. The lefty earned his 12th win of the season to keep pace atop the league leaders, allowing three earned runs on eight hits while striking out six batters. With the win, Akin has won three straight contests and has allowed three earned runs or less in 17 of his 21 starts this season. Tanner Chleborad and Matthew Grimes combined to allow two runs in the final three innings with four strikeouts from the bullpen.
Kyle Huson
KEYS FALL TO NATIONALS 7-2
SAGDAL, GARCIA EACH HOMER
WOODBRIDGE, VA-The Potomac Nationals (61-49, 24-19) jumped out to an early lead and held on to defeat the Frederick Keys (54-61, 19-27) 7-2 on Wednesday night. The win was the Nationals sixth in a row, while they have outscored the Keys 31-2 over the last three contests.
Luis Garcia got the scoring started for the Nationals in the first inning. The 18-year-old launched a solo home run to right field to make it 1-0.
The P-Nats added to their lead in the fourth thanks to another home run. Garcia led off with a single. Ian Sagdal followed the single with a two-run blast to right field. It was the third basemen’s fifth home run of the year.
In the fifth, Collin Woody hit his eighth home run of the year, and his seventh away from Nymeo Field. It ended a stretch of 29 unanswered runs for the P-Nats against the Keys. The Keys would add another run in the frame. Cole Billingsley walked and moved to second on a Daniel Fajardo single. The bases were loaded after Jake Ring looped a single into right, and Billingsley scored on a double play to make it 3-2 Nationals.
Potomac responded with three runs in the bottom half of the frame. Jack Sundberg drew a one-out walk. He then advanced to third on an errant pickoff attempt by Matthias Dietz, and scored on a Bryan Mejia single. After Garcia walked, Aldrem Corredor hit a two-out double to drive in Mejia and Garcia and push the Nationals lead to 6-2. In the seventh, Sundberg added an RBI single to finish the scoring.
A.J. Bogucki (3-1) picked up the win in two innings of relief. He allowed an inherited runner to score, but did not allow a run himself over two innings. Dietz (0-5) took the loss. The right-hander surrendered six runs on five hits over 3.1 innings. He walked three and struck out two.
Will DeBoer
ERROR SINKS SHOREBIRDS IN ANOTHER SHUTOUT 1-0
Delmarva blanked for ninth time in second half
ROME, GA – A fifth-inning error produced the only run the Rome Braves would need on the way to a 1-0 win over the Delmarva Shorebirds on Wednesday night at State Mutual Stadium.
Alan Rangel (4-6) took the reins in a dominating start for the Braves (20-24, 60-53), scattering just two hits over seven scoreless innings while walking one and striking out a season-high nine. Ryan Wilson (0-3) endured the loss for the Shorebirds (22-22, 57-54), allowing the unearned run on four hits over four innings; all three of Wilson’s losses this season have come in games in which he has allowed one unearned run. Kelvin Rodriguez notched his league-best 13th save with two scoreless frames to finish it off.
Rome nudged in front in the bottom of the fifth. Marcos Almonte doubled with two out, bringing Shean Michel to the plate. Michel laced a chopper to the left side the Jean Carlos Encarnacion gloved, but the throw to first sailed high, allowing Almonte to score to put the home side up 1-0.
Delmarva managed just two hits on the night and didn’t threaten until the top of the ninth against Rodriguez. Kirvin Moesquit drew a leadoff walk and promptly stole his SAL-leading 42nd base of the year. After a flyout, Zach Jarrett scorched a line drive to left and right at Michel, who dropped the ball. Moesquit took third on the error and the Shorebirds had first and third with one out. Rodriguez buckled down from there, though, striking out Seamus Curran and baiting Encarnacion to pop out to third, sealing the win for the Braves.
Almonte finished with half of the Braves’ six hits, going 3-for-3 with a double and the game’s only run. Greyson Jenista tripled, and Drew Lugbauer and Hagen Owenby each added singles.
Jarrett doubled in the fourth and Ryan Ripken singled in the second for the Shorebirds’ only hits on the night. The loss was Delmarva’s ninth shutout defeat of the second half, including five by a 1-0 margin.
Shorebird starter Brandon Bonilla pitched three innings, giving up two hits and walking one while striking out one.
Nick Vespi handled a perfect eighth.
The game started an hour and 14 minutes late due to rain but finished up in a neat 2:12.
Ironbirds
Aberdeen, MD: The Yankee bats were clicking early and often as they were led by Andres Chaparro and Josh Breaux with big nights at the batter’s box. The IronBirds got three hits from their talented first baseman, JC Escarra.
BREAUX BIG NIGHT: Josh Breaux had himself a ballgame. In thefirst he opened up the scoring with a sac fly that scored Ricardo Ferreira. Then in the 5th, he smoked an RBI double that pushed the Yankee lead to three. Then in the 8th, Breaux completed his big night with an RBI single. Breaux had come into the night with two RBI’s in his short time with the club.
BIG FLY: Andres Chapparo hit himself a big fly in the 4th. He cranked a fastball from Willie Rios into left-center for his 5th homerun of the year.
FERREIRA RED HOT: Ricardo Ferreira didn’t play in the first two games of this series but he made up for lost time. He had three hits tonight, all three singles, as the lead off hitter for Staten Island.
ESCARRA SHOW:It was all JC Escarra all night long for the IronBirds offense. The ‘birds first baseman was 3-for-4 tonight, all three singles.
SEMPLE(Y) DOMINANT: Shawn Semple had arguably his strongest outing of the season for Staten Island tonight. He want 6.0 IP giving up only three hits (all to Escarra) and struck out seven. He did not give up a run and walked one. He moved to 2-3 on the year with the win tonight.
BIRD WATCHING: JC Escarra raised his average above the .320 tonight with his three singles. He has been the IronBirds three hitter from day one this season and has not disappointed.
