Orioles Minor League Game Summaries - September 2, 2007

Norfolk Tides (AAA)

Record
(68-72)

6

5

Recap:  

The Tides and Braves headed into the top of the 11th tied at 2-2 before Norfolk tagged reliever Zach Schrieber for four runs to put the game away...or so it would seem.  Richmond rallied in the bottom of the inning for three runs thanks to a homerun and a two-RBI double.  Tides reliever Francis Beltran buckled down to strike out Brandon Jones as Norfolk barely escaped the Richmond comeback, 6-5.

Richmond's Gregor Blanco led off the first inning with a solo homerun to right field, his third of the season and the 10th allowed by Tides' starting pitcher Tim Kester.   Kester coughed up a single to the next batter he faced, but settled in to strike out two and induce a fly out to end the inning.

In the top of the second, Jon Knott answered back with a lead-off homerun of his own, this one his 13th of the year.  The Tides waited until the top of the fifth to get on the board again.  Sebastian Boucher's infield single started things off and he eventually scored on Adam Stern's squeeze bunt to take the lead 2-1.  Stern reached on the bunt but was stranded when Brandon Fahey flew out to left to end the inning. 

A sacrifice fly in the bottom of the seventh squared things up at 2-2, but both teams came alive in the 11th.  Norfolk manufactured their runs, starting with a Jon Knott walk.  That free pass was negated, though, as Knott was caught stealing when Jason Dubois missed an apparent hit-and-run call.  Dubois went on to single as did Ryan Hubele behind him.  Boucher drew a walk to load the bases with one out, and Cesar Crespo's single drove in two to put the Tides up 4-2.  An error on a Travis Brown grounder scored Boucher, but a greedy Crespo was nailed at the plate trying to score.  Stern singled home Brown to stretch the Norfolk lead to 6-2.  

The Braves wouldn't go quietly, however.  After ex-Oriole Larry Bigbie struck out to start the inning, a homerun and a single ended the night for Richard Salazar.  Tides skipper Gary Allenson called on Francis Beltran to put an end to Richmond's effort.  He induced the second out of the inning on a ground out, but a walk followed by an RBI double pulled the Braves to within a run at 6-5.  After a visit from pitching coach Larry McCall, Beltran sruck out Brandon Jones for the final out of the game.

Tides win 6-5 in 11 innings. Salazar (W, 1-1, 11.74) gets the win, Beltran (S, 8) the save.

Noteworthy:

- Adam Stern went 4-for-6 with two RBI.

- Cesar Crespo went 2-for-4 with a double and two RBI.  

  Boxscore

(by Scott Hoffman)

Bowie Baysox (AA)

Record
(71-66)

7

6

Recap:  

On the heels of a 20 run loss a night prior the Baysox fell short at the end, dropping their second in a row to the Connecticut Defenders, 7-6 in front of 4,691 at Prince Georges Stadium. It was just one of those days for starting pitcher Chris Waters who made his final start of the season to the tune of six innings, five runs on six hits with five walks and seven strikeouts.

“It was hard to find a groove,” said Waters, “Towards the end I started getting it a little bit and picked up the tempo. It’s the end of the season and it just wasn’t there today.” Despite Sunday’s outcome, Waters says the only thing keeping his charter season with the Orioles organization from being an all around success was the fact that he holds the Eastern League lead in walks by an overwhelming margin.

“Besides the walks, [it was a success]. Walks get you in trouble and that’s where my ERA is. I mean, I have 86 walks and a four and a half ERA. You cut the walks in half and the ERA goes with it.”

On the other hand, Connecticut pitcher Dave McKae kept the Baysox lineup under wraps through five, allowing just two hits including a Jeff Fiorentino solo home run, before Bowie rallied for three more in the sixth. Consecutive RBI’s from Matt Cepicky, Morgan Clendenin and Bryan Bass brought the Baysox within one run at 5-4.

An inning later Bowie ’s baseball Renaissance man, Luis Jimenez, drove in the game tying RBI with a single to left scoring Luis Montanez to knot it all up at five. Jimenez’ success in 2007 comes as no surprise to Fiorentino, who also says that success couldn’t happen to a better teammate.

“He’s awesome; a great guy. He’s basically a big teddy bear. He goes out there and has a good time, he loves everybody and he’ll do anything for anybody,” Fiorentino said. “I’ve batted behind him all year and it was nice because he always got on base.

“He just knows what he’s doing. When he’s out there it seems like he’s going to get a hit every time. When he gets out, that’s more of a shock than him getting a hit or hitting a home run for the eighth consecutive day,” joked Fiorentino. “He’s a great guy to have on your team. I hated playing against him.”

But the Defenders notched a pair of runs against reliever Felix Romero in the eighth to send the Baysox back on the comeback trail heading into the ninth. A leadoff home run from Bryan Bass got the rally started but back to back pop ups with the tying run in scoring position ultimately killed the drive.

Labor Day marks the denouement of the Baysox 2007 season with a 2:05 showdown with the Connecticut Defenders being all that’s left on tap. Making the final start for the Baysox will be left hander Carlos Perez (0-1, 2.25 ERA) who will face Connecticut ’s Geno Espineli (7-10, 3.56 ERA).

NOTES:

• Nick McCurdy tossed a scoreless ninth inning despite allowing a walk and a hit.
  
  

• Jeff Fiorentino went 2-4 with a home run (15) and two runs scored.
  
  

• Luis Jimenez wound up 1-4 with an RBI and a walk.
  
  

• Luis Montanez was 2-3 with a walk.

Boxscore

(by Mike Miller)

Frederick Keys
 (A+)

Record
(30-35)

4

1

Recap:  

Frederick Keys starting pitcher David Hernandez decimated Winston-Salem hitters throughout the night, striking out a franchise record 18 batters in nine innings but the Keys lost when an error filled tenth inning befell them in a 4-1 loss to the Warthogs. The record had stood at 16 strikeouts since May 30th, 1990 when RHP Arthur Rhodes struck out Salem batters left and right in the first season of Harry Grove Stadium.

Rhodes, who has undergone Tommy John surgery and is out for the 2007 season, is still in the big leagues after coming up through the Orioles organization. His 16-year career is one Hernandez would love to mimic, but on this night it was Hernandez who held the spotlight.

The game still was tied into the bottom of the ninth inning when the Keys had the winning runner at third base with no outs. After a strikeout and an intentional walk to load the bases Frederick attempted a suicide squeeze. The runner at third base Pete Maestrales raced to the plate as batter Chris Amador tried to lay down a game winning bunt. He could not and Maestrales was tagged out with the rally soon after foiled.

Winston-Salem would plate three runs in the top of the tenth inning. With two on and one out Warthogs DH Rod Allen Jr. hit a potential inning ending double play ball to shortstop. The groundball was misplayed by Keys SS Tyler Henson and three runs would score later in the inning.

The regular season finale is Monday, September 3rd at 2:00 p.m. The Keys will host Game Two of the Northern Division Championship Series Thursday September 6th at 7:00 p.m.

For tickets contact the Keys Box Office at 1-877-8-GO-KEYS or purchase online at frederickkeys.com.

Boxscore

(by Adam Pohl)

Delmarva Shorebirds
 (A-)

Record
(31-34)

0

1

Recap:    

The Delmarva Shorebirds scored the game's only run in the bottom of the ninth as they edged the visiting Lake County Captains, 1-0  Sunday night.

Kyle Schmidt was magnificent for winners. But as it's been most of the year,  he wasn't the winner himself. The right-hander pitched seven scoreless innings, fanning eleven batters. But he was long gone when Dave Cash grounded a single to left with two out in the ninth inning, sending Miguel Abreu  scampering home with the winning run. While Cash was batting only .262 for the season and had batted only .242 in his previous ten games, he was batting .306 with runners in scoring position coming into the game. And again, he didn't miss.

As for Schmidt, this was the second time in his last four starts that he struck out 11 batters in a game—he also did it on August 18^th in a home game against the Lexington Legends. While he didn't get the decision, he gets another “well-done”, the strikeout championship of the Delmarva Shorebirds with 145, and almost certainly a promotion to Frederick next season.

The winning pitcher was right-hander Mick Mattaliano (1-0), who was pitching at Aberdeen in the New York-Penn League a week ago. He went the final two innings, allowing two hits and striking out one. Abreu and Cash each had two hits for Delmarva.

Right-hander Pedro Beato takes the mound Monday night in the final game of the season.

Boxscore

(by Michael Nortrup)

Aberdeen Ironbirds
 (SS-A)

Record
(32-37)

2

6

Recap:    

The season may be almost over but Zach Britton is in mid-season form.

Britton scattered three hits over 5 2/3 shutout innings and Anthony Martinez and Matt Tucker each drove in two runs as Aberdeen won 6-2 in the final Sunday home game of the season.

Britton won for the first time since August 9 and extended his scoreless innings streak to 10 2/3 innings, which began with five scoreless innings at Staten Island on Tuesday.

Tucker drove in two runs with a double in the fourth inning off Hudson Valley starter Alex Cobb. Cobb (5-5) lost his second straight start and allowed eight hits—a season high—for the third time this season.

Martinez went 3-for-4 and also drove in two runs for Aberdeen , which took both games in the abbreviated two game series. The two teams continue the rivalry with a two game series at Hudson Valley on Labor Day.

The IronBirds blew the game open and chased Cobb from the game with four runs in the seventh inning. Martinez ’s two-run single highlighted the inning, which also included a Ryan Adams bases-loaded walk and a Kraig Binick RBI bloop single to shallow center.

Hudson Valley second baseman Brad Matthews hit his first professional home run off Luis Noel in the eighth inning.

Game Notes- Matt Angle was caught stealing for only the fourth time in 35 attempts in the first inning... Martinez has five multi-hit games in his last 10 games… Binick is 5-for-8 since going hitless in his IronBirds debut on Friday…Hudson Valley first baseman Brad Humphrey was ejected by home plate umpire Shea Gibson for arguing a called third strike in the eighth inning.

Boxscore

(by Brendan Wilhide)