Ian Locke
Tides lose 6-2
Breyvic Valera had three hits and an RBI to pace Norfolk’s 11-hit attack, but the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders broke open a tie game with four late runs in a 6-2 win over the Tides Thursday afternoon at Harbor Park.
Valera, acquired as part of a July trade with the Los Angeles Dodgers for infielder Manny Machado, singled twice and doubled in the contest as Norfolk dropped the rubber match of the three-game set. Valera has now hit safely in four consecutive games, and he’s hit .262 with nine RBI in 16 games with the Tides this season.
Valera and Armando Araiza had RBI singles in the seventh inning to knot the score at 2-2, but the RailRiders scored four runs in the eighth inning to reclaim the lead. L.J. Mazzilli – son of former Tide Lee Mazzilli – gave Scranton the lead with a one-out RBI double off of Michael Kelly (0-1). It was the third double of the contest for Mazzilli, who later came around to score on a two-out, two-run single by Mark Payton.
Norfolk starter John Means did not factor in the decision after allowing two runs on seven hits over 5.2 innings of work. Means, who entered the day ranked third among Orioles minor leaguers with 113 strikeouts this season, struck out just one batter and issued one walk while throwing 65 of his 103 pitches for strikes. The only runs he surrendered came in the fifth frame, when Ryan McBroom – his former teammate at West Virginia University – grounded a two-run single into left field. Means has now allowed three earned runs or less in 15 consecutive starts.
Pedro Álvarez and Luis Sardiñas each had two hits apiece in the setback. Norfolk went 2-for-16 with runners in scoring position and left 10 men on base.
With the loss, Norfolk (60-54) and Scranton (60-54) are now tied for the IL Wild Card lead. The two clubs will meet again next week in a four-game set in Moosic, PA.
Robby Veronesi
Fisher Cats Clinch Series With 7-2 Win
Kremer strikes out nine batters over six innings
BOWIE, Md. — The Bowie Baysox jumped out to an early lead, but the New Hampshire Fisher Cats scored seven unanswered runs to earn a 7-2 win in front of 4,013 at Prince George’s Stadium Thursday afternoon.
For the second straight game, the hosts jumped out to a lead in the first inning. With the bases loaded, Austin Hays beat out a potential double play to score Craig Gentry for his 20th RBI of the season. In his third rehab start with the Baysox, Gentry has gone 6-for-10 with three runs scored from the top two spots of the order.
The Baysox (52-62) loaded the bases for the second straight inning and once again manufactured a run. Aderlin Rodriguez lined a sacrifice fly to deep left field. Martin Cervenka, who led off with the fourth of five walks issued by RHP Hector Perez through the first two innings, trotted home on the 67th RBI for Rodriguez this season. Cervenka reached safely during all four plate appearances, recording his 21st multi-hit game of the season.
Despite taking the loss, Dean Kremer tossed a quality start for Bowie on the mound. The RHP allowed two earned runs on five hits over six innings while striking out nine batters for the fifth time in 2018. Kremer has struck out at least nine batters in eight of his 21 starts for Class-A Advanced Rancho Cucamonga, Double-A Tulsa and Bowie.
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
‘BIRDS BLANKED IN ROME AGAIN IN 5-0 loss
Delmarva strands 10 on base
ROME, GA – The Delmarva Shorebirds couldn’t string enough hits together in a 5-0 loss to the Rome Braves on Thursday night at State Mutual Stadium.
Keith Weisenberg (1-2) anchored the second straight shutout win for the Braves (21-24, 61-53), scattering four hits over 5.1 scoreless innings while walking two and fanning seven. DL Hall (2-7) endured the loss for the Shorebirds (22-23, 57-55), surrendering four runs (two earned) on six hits in five innings, walking one and striking out four.
After Hall made short order of the Braves in the first two innings, Rome got to the native Georgian in the bottom of the third. Marcos Almonte reached on a one-out error at second, and Alan Crowley poked a single into center. Justin Dean walked to load the bases, and AJ Graffanino dropped a soft liner into left, scoring Almonte to break up the scoreless deadlock. Jefrey Ramos followed with a grounder to third base; Trevor Craport slung home for the force, but Jean Carrillo’s throw to first base struck Ramos in the back of the neck and ended up behind the bag. Both Dean and Graffanino scored to make it 3-0 Braves.
Dean tripled with one out in the fifth and scored on another Graffanino single to make it 4-0, and Brendan Venter’s RBI double in the eighth gave the game its final margin.
Delmarva got multiple men on base in the first, fifth, and eighth innings to no avail. The Shorebirds’ best chance came with the bases loaded and two out in the fifth, but Weisenberg struck out Zach Jarrett to end the threat. Troy Bacon and Zach Daniels combined for 3.2 innings in relief to complete the clean sheet.
Seamus Curran and Jean Carlos Encarnacion each had two hits for the Shorebirds, who batted just 1-for-12 with men in scoring position and left 10 on base. The shutout loss was the Shorebirds’ 10th of the second half.
Graffanino led the Braves with a two-hit, two-RBI night, while Greyson Jenista went 2-for-4 with a run and Dean scored twice.
Aberdeen PR
Ironbirds fall 5-4
Aberdeen, MD: The Vermont lake Monsters got in early this morning from the road but showed no signs of being tired as they pounced all over the IronBirds tonight. The got to Jimmy Murphy early and didn’t look back on their way to a 5-4 win.
RIVAS GETS IT STARTED: Alfonso Rivas got it started for the Lake Monsters in the first. With runners at the corners, Rivas drove a liner into right field to score Joseph Pena.
KEEPING IT GOING: Vermont didn’t waste anytime as the got two more runs in the second inning. First, it was Noah Vaughan who smashed a double into the left-center gap to score Max Schuemann from second. Later in the inning, Joseph Pena struckout but advanced to first on a passed ball by Luke Ringhofer. Coming into score for the Lake Monsters third run was Noah Vaughan.
THORBURN GETS ‘BIRDS GOING: After Alexis Torres singled and advanced to second on an error from Joseph Pena, Luke Ringhofer put Robbie Thorburn in a position to get the IronBirds first run of the night with a sac bunt. Thorburn did just that on a RBI groundout to second. It made the score 3-1.
VAUGHAN COMES THROUGH AGAIN: Noah Vaughan came through again in the 6th with a huge RBI double. It was Vaughan’s second double of the night and put some distance between Vermont and Aberdeen.
YAHN’S BIG BAT: Willy Yahn has been clutch all season long for the ‘Birds. Nothing changed tonight as he came through with a double in the 6th that scored Robert Neustrom.
COMIN BACK: In the 8th, with runners at the corner Adam Hall came up and delievered. He tapped a ball slowly baclk to the pitcher, Brandon Withers, who was able to corral it and throw to first but it was no where near the first bag. It allowed both Nick Horvath and Willy Yahn to score and it made it a 5-4 ball game.
BIRD WATCHING: JC Escarra has been a difference maker with his bat this year and it has led to his All-Star selection. Tonight, his offense was on display as he again had a multi-hit game. He doubled and singled in four plate appearances.
— michael williams (@TheWeams) August 10, 2018
