Luis Ortiz (1-0) picked up his first Triple-A victory after allowing one run on three hits – all singles – over six strong innings of work. He is the Orioles Hangout MiLB player of the day.
Ian Locke
Norfolk Tide Win 7-1
Norfolk used a strong start from Luis Ortiz and a six-run seventh inning to charge past the Columbus Clippers 7-1 Friday night at Harbor Park.
Making his Harbor Park debut, Ortiz (1-0) picked up his first Triple-A victory after allowing one run on three hits – all singles – over six strong innings of work. The 22-year-old, acquired from Milwaukee in a July 31st trade for infielder Jonathan Schoop, struck out three without walking a batter to help pitch the Tides to a win in the opener of a crucial three-game set. He retired the final eight batters he faced and faced just four batters over the minimum, throwing 59 of his 85 pitches for strikes.
The Tides gave Ortiz some early offense in the second frame, as Jaycob Brugman plated a pair of runs with a two-out single. Columbus pulled within a run on a sacrifice fly in the fourth frame, and the game stayed that way until Norfolk broke the game open with a huge seventh inning.
The Tides sent 10 men to the plate in the seventh frame, registering four hits and two walks while taking advantage of a crucial error. With two outs and runners on second and third, Mike Yastrzemski hit a sharp grounder that first baseman Yandy Diaz could not handle, allowing two runs to score on the miscue. Breyvic Valera, Pedro Álvarez & Chance Sisco each followed with run-scoring singles, and a wild pitch later capped the scoring as Norfolk took a 7-1 advantage.
Luis Gonzalez made the lead hold up, striking out six over 3.0 shutout innings to earn his first career Triple-A save. Gonzalez has posted a 2.40 ERA in seven outings since joining Norfolk from Double-A Bowie.
With the win, Norfolk (61-54) pulled a game ahead of Columbus (61-56) in the International League Wild Card standings. The victory also moved Norfolk a game ahead of Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (60-55) in the Wild Card standings, as the RailRiders dropped a 4-3, 10-inning decision at Durham.
Adam Pohl
Rodriguez Lifts Baysox to Come From Behind Win 7-5
Down 5-2 in Seventh Inning, Baysox Climb Back for 7-5 Win in Hartford
Hartford, CT – In the eighth inning, Aderlin Rodriguez started the rally. And in the ninth, he finished it. Rodriguez’s two-out, two-run single lifted the Baysox to an improbable 7-5 come from behind victory in Hartford, CT Friday night.
Bowie trailed 5-2 with one out in the seventh inning. That’s when Martin Cervenka sparked the rally with a solo home run on a line drive shot to left field. It was his 13th of the season. In the eighth inning, a two-out rally brought Bowie even. Rodriguez and Yusniel Diaz singled. That set the table for Austin Hays who lined a dipping drive into centerfield to score Rodriguez. A batter later, Anderson Feliz tied the game with a basehit to left field plating Diaz. The game was tied at 5-all.
In the ninth inning Rylan Bannon reached via a five-pitch walk. He then reached second safely as Ryan McKenna’s bunt was thrown low and went skidding into center. After a Corban Joseph sac-bunt pushed runners to second and third, Ryan Mountcastle struck out looking. It set the table for Rodriguez. He lined a sharp single to left plating both Bannon and Joseph to give Bowie a 7-5 lead.
The Baysox trailed 4-0 early as starter Dillon Tate had a rocky start. He bounced back not allowing an earned run for the remainder of his six-inning outing. Jay Flaa (3-1) worked two scoreless innings to get the win and Branden Kline notched his 11th save with a 1-2-3 ninth inning.
By Frederick Keys
FREDERICK, MD-A trio of home runs helped the Buies Creek Astros (66-50, 29-18) defeat the Frederick Keys (55-62, 20-28) 6-4 on Friday night despite a late comeback effort. Continuing his Major League rehab assignment, Craig Gentry went 1-for-5 with a single and three strikeouts.
Trailing 6-2 going into the bottom of the ninth, the Keys were looking for a comeback. Randolph Gassaway started the frame with a double, and Collin Woody reached on an error. A single from Cole Billingsley scored Gassaway and brought up pinch hitter Wilson Garcia. Garcia tagged a ball to righ-center field, but Jacob Meyers leapt at the wall to make the catch. After Alejandro Juvier was hit by a pitch, T.J. Nichting reached on an error that allowed another run to score. With the bases loaded and the score 6-4, Gentry struck out to end the game.
Two batters into the game, the Astros took a 2-0 lead. Corey Julks led off the game and reached on an error by Jomar Reyes . The next batter was J.J. Matijevic, who launched a two-run home run to right field.
The Keys would tie the game in the third inning. Nichting worked a one-out walk. Following a Gentry strikeout, Preston Palmeiro hit an RBI double to left-center field. Gassaway followed with double to center field to score Palmeiro and make it 2-2.
Buies Creek got those two runs back in the next half inning. Seth Beer hit his first Carolina League home run on a ball that barely got over the left field fence. Two batters later, Orlando Marquez hit his first CL home run to push the lead to 4-2.
In the ninth, the Astros added a pair of runs. Beer recorded a leadoff double while Chuckie Robinson followed with a walk. Both runners advanced on a wild pitch, and eventually scored on a Cody Bohanek single which made it 6-2.
Enoli Parades (3-1) earned the win. He fired two scoreless innings of relief. Cristian Alvarado(10-9) took the loss. The right-hander tossed six innings and allowed four runs (three earned) on just four hits, including three home runs. He walked one and struck out eight. Finishing the final four innings, Tyler Ivey earned his first save. He allowed two runs on four hits and struck out five.
Will DeBoer
SHOREBIRDS OUTPUNCH FIREFLIES TO WIN 9-7
Jarrett drives in four, finishes double shy of cycle
COLUMBIA, SC – The Delmarva Shorebirds rediscovered their offensive mojo, outslugging the Columbia Fireflies 9-7 in Friday night’s series opener at Spirit Communications Park.
Luis Perez (3-2) earned his third win for the Shorebirds (23-23, 58-55), giving up five runs (two earned) on four hits in six innings while walking two and striking out four. Yeizo Campos (1-4) got saddled with the loss for the Fireflies (18-28, 52-61), allowing seven runs on six hits in four-plus frames. Diogenes Almengo came in for the seventh and picked up his first hold, and Nick Vespi notched his team-leading sixth save with a scoreless eighth and ninth.
After being shut out for 18 consecutive innings, Delmarva found some instant offense in the first inning off the bat of Zach Jarrett, who smashed a line drive home run down the left field line to put the Shorebirds up 1-0. Columbia answered with a solo blast from Matt Winaker in the bottom of the first, and Zach Rheams put the Fireflies up 2-1 with a home run in the fourth.
Delmarva opened up a conga line against Campos in the top of the fifth. Trevor Craport led off with a walk, then Jean Carrillo and Will Robertson singled to load the bases. Mason McCoy lined a base hit into center to bring home Craport as the tying run, and Cadyn Grenier worked a full count walk to force in Carrillo and put the Shorebirds up 3-2. Jarrett came up next and crushed a line drive to the base of the wall in right center, scoring all three runners on a triple that knocked Campos out of the game. Ryan Ripken rolled a two-out infield single down the third base line three batters later to bring Jarrett home, capping a six-run inning to make it 7-2.
Not to be outdone, the Fireflies took advantage of a break in the bottom of the fifth. Carlos Sanchez hit a two-out grounder to third that Jean Carlos Encarnacion mishandled, then David Miranda singled and Edgardo Fermin walked to load the bases. Hansel Moreno then clubbed a three-run double off the wall in dead center, getting Columbia back within 7-5.
The Shorebirds tacked on one in the top of the seventh on a bases-loaded single from Craport but left them loaded after that. The Fireflies peeled off a pair more in their half of the seventh. Sanchez and Miranda belted back-to-back dobules, then after Miranda moved to third on a groundout, he scored on a balk, making it 8-7.
Delmarva got an insurance tally in the ninth inning. Seamus Curran led off with a single, and Ripken walked two batters later. Both runners moved up on a wild pitch, and Craport dropped a soft flyball into left for a base hit. Curran scored, and while Ripken was thrown out trying to come in behind, the Shorebirds took control again at 9-7.
Vespi walked the leadoff man in the ninth but relied on a 4-6-3 double play to relieve the pressure and struck out Miranda to ice it.
Jarrett finished a double shy of the cycle, going 3-for-5 with a triple, homer, three runs scored, and four RBIs. Craport reached base all five times he came to bat, finishing 3-for-3 with two walks, a run, and two RBIs.
Miranda led the way for the Fireflies from the nine-hole, going 2-for-4 with a double, RBI, and two runs scored. Sanchez scored twice right in front of him in the eight slot.
One night after enduring back-to-back shutouts, the Shorebirds pounded out 13 hits. The Fireflies had managed just two runs total in their previous two games; Delmarva and Columbia teamed up to score 16 runs.
By Aberdeen IronBirds
Aberdeen, MD – A long offensively notable night in Aberdeen went back and forth for the majority of it. Aberdeen caught a four run 8th inning and took the win 8-3.
A KNIGHT TO REMBEMBER: Blaine Knight made his professional debut on the mound in Aberdeen on a Friday night. The third rounder from Arkansas pitched 1.1 IP and tossed 29 pitches. He allowed five hits and a run, but got his first professional outing under his belt. He struckout Noah Vaughn to start the second inning as his first pro strikeout.
STRIKE BACK: With a 1-0 deficit in the bottom of the first, the IronBirds answered the call. Robbie Thorburn started off with a single, then J.C. Escrra dropped a beautiful bunt base hit. Robert Neustrom finished it off with an RBI knock to tie the game.
POWER ON: In the 4th inning the lights went out at Ripken Stadium and delayed the game for twenty minutes. When they came on, so did the IronBird’s bats. Alexis Torres ripped an RBI double to score Nick Horvath in the first at bat after the outage. Adam Hall followed him with his RBI double. Robbie Thorburn tacked on another to make it 4-1 IronBirds.
CHURLIN CHURNIN’: Anthony Churlin drilled a homer in the fifth inning to help Vermont answer. Lake Monster batters would get three more hits in a row and another run out of it to make it 4-3 after five.
ESCARRA CARRIES ONE: With the bases loaded in the 6th and two outs, J.C. Escarra pounded a ball to right center and cleared the bases. Aberdeen had already scored a run on wild pitch, so they took a nasty 8-3 lead.
— michael williams (@TheWeams) August 11, 2018
