Orioles Minor League Game Summaries - April 8, 2008

Norfolk Tides (AAA)

Record
(3-3)

5

6

Recap:  

LF Luis Terrero fell a homerun short of the cycle but drove in three and RHP Ryan Bukvich fended off a Red Wings rally in the 8th as Norfolk dropped Rochester 6-5 on Tuesday.

23-year-old LHP Hayden Penn got the start for the Tides, and while he got hit around a bit, he kept Norfolk in the game.  He yielded a leadoff homerun in the top of the 2nd and was tagged for three runs in the top of the fourth on three singles and a double.  Penn was ultimately relieved with two outs in top of the sixth having given up a total of four runs on eight hits and a walk while striking out three.  

With one out in the bottom of the 4th, RF Adam Stern started off a three-run inning with a double.  After 2B Mike McCoy followed with a walk, Stern scored on SS Eider Torres' single up the middle.  Terrero drove both of them in with a double to left field but was thrown out after getting caught hung up between second and third.  

The Tides followed with two more runs in the bottom of 5th, the first when 3B Mike Costanzo crossed the plate on a fielder's choice and the second on a McCoy RBI single.  Another RBI double by Terrero added what turned out to be the winning run in the bottom of the 6th inning.

Bukvich took the hill for Norfolk to start the 8th and gave up a one-out single to former O's farmhand Jon Knott who later scored on a double in the gap.  Bukvich induced a ground out and pop out to end the inning and handed the ball to closer, RHP Bob McCrory, who preserved the victory with a scoreless 9th.  Penn (W, 1-1, 9.00) gets the win and McCrory (S, 2, 3.00) the save.  

TIDES TIDBITS:

• Adam Stern went 2-for-3 with a double.  He's 3-for-9 on this homestand.

• Luis Terrero had a monster night going 3-for-3 with two doubles, a triple, three RBI, and two walks.  Had he hit for the cycle, it would have been the third time in his career.  He did it twice in 2002.

Boxscore

(by Scott Hoffman)

Bowie Baysox (AA)

Record
(1-5)

3

8

Recap:  

Off to one of the worst starts in franchise history, the Baysox were due for an explosion. On Tuesday night the fireworks erupted at Prince George ’s Stadium as the Baysox clobbered their way to an 8-3 victory over the Reading Phillies.

Leading the way for the Baysox was Jonathan Tucker who finished 2-4 with four RBI’s including a three-run double in the fifth inning. Not to mention some sterling defense at second base. “I’ve always been the type of player that takes pride in my energy and I bring that energy every day to the ballpark,” Tucker said. “Whether it’s a bunt, whether I get on by an error and steal a base or if it’s a defensive spark, anything that can get us going and get myself going at the same time.”

First baseman Ryan Finan also had a hand in the hit party. Finan had a pair of doubles on the way to a 3-4 night and said that Tuesday’s output may be just the spark the team needed to start winning consistently.

“We’ve been playing a lot of extra inning games – four out of our first five – we were just a few breaks away from being 4-1. I know that sounds kind of weird being 0-5 but maybe this will get us going,” Finan said.

Meanwhile, Baysox starting pitcher Chris Waters authored the Baysox most impressive pitching performance of the season tossing five shutout innings, yielding just two hits while striking out four. Coming off a season where he led the Eastern League in walks, Waters walked no one on Tuesday night and acknowledged that command will be his most important attribute in 2008.

“Since spring training started it’s been my approach to get hitters in the first three pitches,” he said. “I know last year I picked a lot, fell behind and with my stuff I can throw stuff for strikes but it’s not overpowering so I have to get ahead in the count. Basically, that’s all I’ve done.”

Not to be forgotten was reliever Felix Romero who tossed two perfect innings in relief of Waters, not allowing a single base runner while striking out four. At one point Bowie pitchers retired 20 Reading batters in a row en route to the team’s first win of the season.

“We’ve had four extra inning ballgames where we’ve been just one hit, one pitch away and I’m just glad we didn’t have to put ourselves in that situation,” said Tucker. “We jumped out ahead and we build on that lead and didn’t give them a shot to get back in the game. I’m pretty pleased how we played tonight.”

On Wednesday the Baysox and Phillies will play the rubber game of their three game series. Bowie ’s Chorye Spoone (0-0, 5.49 ERA) will take the mound against Reading ’s Josh Outman (0-0, 1.80 ERA).

NOTES:

- Blake Davis went 1-3 with a walk and a pair of RBI’s. Davis also flashed some leather nabbing a ball deep in the hole at short and throwing out Reading second baseman Brad Harman with an off-balance throw to first during the third inning.

- Gerardo Casadiego was tagged for three runs in the ninth, all with two outs. He struck out two as well.

Boxscore

(by Mike Miller)

Frederick Keys
 (A+)

Record
(3-1)

8

7

Recap:  

The Keys attacked early and often, but so did the Indians.  RHP Jason Burch came on with two outs in the bottom of the ninth to stave off a Kinston comeback and preserve the 8-7 victory for Frederick.

In the top of the 2nd, the Keys took advantage of a leadoff walk to Todd Davison followed by Jason White getting hit by a pitch.  Miguel Abreu attempted a sacrifice bunt to move the runners up, but a throwing error resulted in Davison scoring and runners on second and third.  Chris Amador's sacrifice ground out scored White and Abreu scored on Matt Wieters' line drive single up the middle.  Before a Brandon Snyder strikeout ended the inning, the Keys had hung three runs on the Indians on just one hit.   

Chris Vinyard led off the 3rd with a homerun to left-center, but Kinston answered in the bottom half of the inning with a two-run homerun off of RHP Jake Renshaw.  

Frederick threatened with a big inning in the top of the 4th, but on four hits only scored one run on a Snyder ground out.  They managed two runs in the next inning, one on an Abreu ground out and the other when Danny Figueroa scored on a throwing error on a routinely-hit groundball off the bat of Amador.  That stretched the Keys' lead to five runs at 7-2.

LHP Ryan Rodriguez replaced Renshaw to start the bottom of the 6th, but after issuing a lead-off single and a walk he seemed to settle in by inducing a pop out to Wieters and a force out that left runners on first and third with one out.  However, back-to-back singles followed by another walk resulted in two runs scored and the bases loaded.  RHP JP Martinez came on to relieve Rodriguez.  He walked the first batter he faced, pushing across the third Indians run of the inning.  A fly out to left finally ended the inning and stopped the bleeding with the score 7-5 in favor of Frederick.  

Matt Wieters' RBI sacrifice fly drove in White in the top of the 7th in what proved to be a valuable insurance run.  The Indians scored one in the 7th and another with two outs in the bottom of the ninth.  Burch induced a game-ending ground out to first to seal the win for the Keys, 8-7.  Renshaw (W, 1-0, 3.00) gets the win, Burch (S, 2, 0.00) the save.  

Boxscore

(by Scott Hoffman)

Delmarva Shorebirds
 (A-)

Record
(1-3)

3

5

Recap:  

Delmarva got two doubles from Joe Mahoney and a solid effort from starter Tony Butler, but still fell to Lake County in the Captains’ home opener Tuesday night, 5-3. Lake County pitching held the Shorebirds to just 4 hits while striking out 10 to win for the fourth time in five games to open the season. Delmarva fell to 1-3.

Butler pitched four perfect innings (the 1^st, 2^nd, 4^th, and 5^th), but struggled mightily in the third, yielding three runs on three hits including a towering home run by Captains’ second basemen Karexon Sanchez. In his first start of the season, he went five innings, allowing just the three runs.

Captains’ starter Santo Frias was removed when the Shorebirds were threatening with one out in the fifth. Back-to-back one out walks ended the day for Frias, who was replaced by Josh Judy out of the bullpen. Judy proceeded to strike out Ryan Adams and Tyler Henson to retire the side and escape the jam, securing the lead for Lake County .

Lake County added two runs off of Delmarva reliever Joe Esposito in the sixth, and the Captains relievers would make the lead stand up. All together, Lake County ’s bullpen went four and two-thirds innings, allowing just one run on one hit.

Captains’ closer Vinnie Pestano walked Joe Nowicki to lead off the ninth, but then quickly closed the door, striking out the side for his second save of the season.

The series is set to resume at 12:05 pm on Wednesday afternoon, with the finale scheduled for Thursday evening at 7:05 pm. The Shorebirds return home to begin a five game homestand on Friday.

Boxscore

(courtesy of the Delmarva Shorebirds)