Norfolk Tides (46 – 42) Lost 4 to 1 – Triple-A

Ian Locke

Luis Sardiñas and Mike Yastrzemski both had two hits apiece to help pace a 10-hit attack, but the Gwinnett Stripers topped the Tides 4-1 Thursday night at Harbor Park.

The Tides entered the contest as the second-highest scoring offense in the International League, but Norfolk was limited to a single run despite registering its fifth game of 10 or more hits in July. Norfolk has batted a league-best .282 through nine games this month, but the loss dropped the Tides to 5-4 in July.

Sardiñas doubled and singled in the contest, continuing his torrid stretch to open the month of July. He’s hit safely in seven consecutive games to open the month, batting .414 (12-29) with four doubles and four runs scored.

Yastrzemski’s two-hit night gave him hits in eight of his last nine games with an at-bat, while Cedric Mullins doubled and scored as he extended his hitting streak to 12 games – matching the longest streak by a Norfolk player this season. Renato Nuñez plated Mullins with a third inning single for Norfolk’s lone run of the contest.

Norfolk starter Matt Wotherspoon (2-6) took the loss after yielding three runs on seven hits over 4.2 innings of work. Making his fifth start of the season – and fourth start of the year against Gwinnett – Wotherspoon struck out five and walked a pair while throwing 63 of his season-high 91 pitches for strikes. He yielded an RBI single to Rio Ruiz and a sacrifice fly to Carlos Franco in the third frame, then surrendered a run-scoring single to Phil Gosselin with two outs in the fourth inning.

Matt Wisler (3-4) earned the win after allowing a run on eight hits over six innings. He struck out four while issuing one walk, throwing 64 of his 93 pitches for strikes. Jacob Webb worked a scoreless ninth to register his third save of the season.

Luis Marte had three hits and an RBI in his Triple-A debut to help pace the Stripers offense.

Bowie Baysox (40 – 49) Won 7 to 5 – Double-A

Baysox Score Six in Ninth, Five with Two Down in Improbable Rally in Reading

Reading, PA – The great Jack Buck once said – “I can’t believe what I just saw.” A crowd of close to 6,000 Reading faithful echoed those sentiments as the Baysox stunningly rallied from four down in the ninth inning to win 7-5 in the series opener.

With Aderlin Rodriguez aboard and one down, Anderson Feliz doubled him home on a hard groundball down the left field line scoring Rodriguez to make it 5-2, Reading. With two down, Feliz remained at second base. But the Baysox were down but not out.

Erick Salcedo walked, Ryan McKenna singled loading the bases and pinch-hitter D’arby Myers singled bringing home two runs and Bowie was within 5-4. A fourth consecutive batter was down to his final strike – this time COrban Joseph. He lined a single over the shortstop’s head and the game was tied at 5-apiece.

Reliver Jeff Singer was lifted for Luke Leftwich and Ryan Mountcastle was waiting. Mountcastle, who extended his hit streak to 13 games earlier, lined a two-RBI double to right-center on the first pitch he saw to lift the Baysox to the improbable 7-5 win.

Branden Kline came on and shut the door for his seventh save of the year. Tanner Chleborad (4-0) worked a scoreless eighth inning for his fourth win. This was after Brian Gonzalez got through seven innings in his start.

Frederick Keys (40 – 51) Lost 3 to 2 – Class A Advanced

Geoof Arnold

BLUE ROCKS CLIP KEYS IN SERIES FINALE

ALVARADO TURNS IN SEASON-HIGH 7.1 INNINGS

FREDERICK, MD-Cristian Alvarado worked a season-high 7.1 innings, but the Wilmington Blue Rocks scored early to take the series finale 3-2 on Thursday night at Nymeo Field. With the setback, Wilmington claimed three in the four-game series.

Alvarado (8-7) allowed all three runs over the first two innings before locking in for the rest of the game. Blake Perkins doubled to begin the game, moved to third on a sac-bunt and scored on a sac-fly to left by Gabriel Cancel.

One inning later, Perkins made it 3-0 game. After the Blue Rocks (42-47, 11-8) put two on base, a fielder’s choice and a throwing error by Jomar Reyes put men at second and third for Wilmington. Two batters later, Perkins stroked a two-run single.

Following the second, Alvarado faced only one batter over the minimum for the rest of his start. Despite suffering the loss, the right-hander allowed three runs on seven hits in 7.1 innings. He walked one and struck out four while throwing 96 pitches (66 strikes).

Frederick (40-51, 5-17) plated single markers in the second and fifth innings. With two outs in the second, Cole Billingsley walked, moved to second on a wild pitch and scored on a Jake Ring RBI single. Three innings later, Wilson Garcia slugged his 17th home run to left off Cristian Castillo.

Earning the victory, Castillo (4-5) worked three innings of one-run relief and scattered four hits. Julio Pinto tallied the save tossing a scoreless ninth.

Delmarva Shorebirds (48 – 40) Won 11 to 6 – Class A

Will DeBoer

‘BIRDS SURVIVE LIGHTNING, LATE ‘DOGS RALLY
Becker, Breazeale, Hogan combine for nine RBIs in bottom of order

CHARLESTON, SC – The Delmarva Shorebirds waited out a lightning delay and held back a late Charleston RiverDogs rally, winning the game and clinching another series 11-6 on Thursday night at Joe Riley Park.

Jhon Peluffo (3-4) continued his recent resurgence for the Shorebirds (13-8, 48-40), allowing one unearned run on three hits in five innings while walking one and striking out three. Jio Orozco (1-2) got shelled for the loss for the RiverDogs (12-7, 45-41), giving up seven runs on eight hits in four frames.

The Shorebirds got to Orozco early and often. Cadyn Grenier slashed a one-out double down the left field line in the first inning, then Zach Jarrett dropped a bloop single into right to put men on the corners. Trevor Craport came up next and laced a grounder through the left side, scoring Grenier to get Delmarva on the board. Ryan Ripken singled to load the bases, then Mason McCoy walked to force in a run and Branden Becker lifted a sac fly into left to plate another. Ben Breazeale capped the fun with a two-out line drive single to right, bringing in Ripken to make it 4-0 before Peluffo even took the hill.

The RiverDogs got a gift run in the bottom of the first when Matt McPhearson led off with a walk and eventually scored on a Dermis Garcia infield single and throwing error at short. Peluffo settled in from there, tossing four scoreless innings, featuring a home run-saving catch by Zach Jarrett to rob Oswaldo Cabrera in the fourth. Peluffo got the Shorebirds through the fifth before a brief lightning storm halted the game for half an hour.

In the meantime, Delmarva continued to add to its lead. Becker belted a three-run homer to right in the third inning, while Breazeale came through with another two-out RBI single in the fifth to make it 8-1.

The RiverDogs clawed their way back into it against Ryan Wilson in the bottom of the eighth. Eduardo Navas led off with a walk, and McPhearson singled two batters later to put two on. Wilkerman Garcia followed up with a single to score Navas and move McPhearson to third, and McPhearson came in on a wild pitch to make it 8-3.

Cabrera slashed a double to left center to score Garcia, then after the Shorebirds turned to Max Knutson to strike out Dermis Garcia, Chris Hess lifted a routine flyball to right that Jarrett simply dropped, allowing Cabrera to race in to get Charleston within 8-5. The RiverDogs’ four-spot came largely on 10 two-strike foul balls in the inning.

With momentum swung to the home side, Delmarva seized it right back with two out in the ninth. Mason McCoy started the rally with a single, then Branden Becker slashed a single into right and took an extra base on a bobble. For the third time in the game, Breazeale notched a two-out RBI base-knock, scoring McCoy. Max Hogan followed by pulling a sharp grounder over the first base bag that pinballed in the right field corner. Becker and Breazeale both scored to push the Shorebird lead back to 11-5.

Mitchell Hansen started the RiverDog ninth with an automatic double, and Navas drew another walk to put two men on. After a flyout, McPhearson notched a single to bring around Hansen and make it 11-6. A walk to Wilkerman Garcia loaded the bases with one out, but Cameron Ming coaxed a 4-6-3 double play off the bat of Cabrera, bringing proceedings to a long-awaited end.

Becker led the way for the Shorebirds, going 2-for-4 with a home run, three runs scored, and four RBIs. Breazeale finished 4-for-5 with a double, run and three RBIs. While every Shorebird had at least one of the team’s 15 hits, it was the bottom three in the Delmarva batting order – Becker, Breazeale, and Hogan – who came up biggest, combining for seven hits, four runs, and nine RBIs on the night.

McPhearson helped get the RiverDogs back into it, going 2-for-4 with a walk, two runs, and an RBI.

Aberdeen IronBirds (12 – 14) Lost 6 to 0 – Class A Short Season

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Tony has owned and operated Orioles Hangout since 1996 and is well known for his knowledge of the Baltimore Orioles organization from top to bottom. He's a frequent guest on Baltimore-area sports radio stations and can be heard regularly on the 105.7 FM The Fan. His knowledge and contacts within the Orioles minor league system and the major league baseball scouting industry is unparalleled in the Baltimore media and is known as an expert on the Orioles prospects.