Eduard Bazardo A 2.5-hour rain delay after the first inning threw the Tides’ pitching plans into disarray, forcing starter Bruce Zimmermann to exit after one inning, in which he gave up two runs on three hits. The parade of relievers who followed him had mixed results, none worse than Nick Vespi, who blew a three-run lead in the fifth inning on three singles, two walks, and a game-tying fielder’s choice by former Oriole Andrew Velazquez. The southpaw Vespi, who’d been a standout performer at Norfolk the last two years, now has a 7.71 ERA at Triple-A this season.
Reliever Corbin Martin took the loss by giving up two runs. In better news, right-hander Logan Rinehart, making his Triple-A debut, threw three scoreless innings. The O’s acquired Rinehart from the Mariners last year for veteran right-hander Eduard Bazardo.
The Tides scored all five of their runs in the fifth inning and were shut out in the other eight. That one prolific frame featured a Terrin Vavra two-run single and Daniel Johnson three-run homer. Niko Goodrum had the only other two hits for Norfolk in the game.
Double-A: Altoona Curve (PIT) 7, Bowie Baysox 6 (11 inn.)
The Baysox had trouble holding leads in this game, first blowing an early 5-1 lead, then letting a 6-5 edge in the 10th slip away before Altoona walked it off in the 11th. The way they lost was pretty ugly, with catcher Samuel Basallo committing a throwing error on a bunt attempt that scored the free baserunner from second base. It was Basallo’s ninth error.
Basallo, the Orioles’ #2 prospect, didn’t have a great day at the plate, either. He went 1-for-6 with a single and a strikeout. Fellow top prospect Enrique Bradfield Jr. took an 0-for-5. But outfield prospects Jud Fabian and Dylan Beavers combined to reach base seven times, including three hits for Beavers and three walks for Fabian. And right fielder Tavian Josenberger ran wild, racking up four stolen bases, his first four at Double-A after swiping 45 in High-A.
Ex-Pirates prospect Patrick Reilly, pitching against his former organization, suffered his first rough outing since joining the Orioles at the trade deadline. In 4.1 innings, he was tagged for four runs, including a three-run homer by number nine hitter Brenden Dixon. But Ryan Long did a nice job in long relief, entering the game in the fifth and pitching all the way to the 10th, allowing only one earned run.
High-A: Greenville Drive (BOS) 5, Aberdeen IronBirds 3
Just as the Orioles were dominated by Red Sox pitching, their High-A affiliate suffered the same fate against Boston’s. Greenville starter Hayden “Don’t Call Me Cedric” Mullins threw five scoreless innings and held the IronBirds to one run despite four hits and four walks. Aberdeen went 2-for-11 with runners in scoring position. Outfielder Jake Cunningham led the IronBirds with three hits, first baseman Aneudis Mordán doubled twice, and left fielder Aron Estrada tripled and took two walks atop the lineup.
Starting pitcher Edgar Portes racked up eight strikeouts in four scoreless innings, but Aberdeen relievers couldn’t find the strike zone in the fifth. Graham Firoved walked four of the five batters he faced and uncorked a wild pitch, and then Cooper McKeehan unleashed three more wild pitches. Minor league baseball, folks. The Drive scored all five of their runs in that inning. Yaqui Rivera and Kyle Virbitsky restored order with three scoreless frames.
Low-A: Delmarva Shorebirds 9, Carolina Mudcats (MIL) 3
For the second time in three days, the Shorebirds prevented O’s affiliates from suffering a clean sweep. Delmarva trailed this game 3-0 early before erupting for nine unanswered runs, scoring in every inning from the fourth through the eighth.
A trio of 2024 draft picks sparked the offense, as Griff O’Ferrall, Ethan Anderson, and Austin Overn — the Orioles’ second, third, and fourth overall selections — reached base 11 times and scored seven runs. Overn had three walks and Anderson three singles. Behind the plate, Anderson was charged with two passed balls, and the Shorebirds committed five errors total.
Eighth rounder Colin Tuft also walked twice, and Overn, Anderson, and Tuft each stole a base. It was not a good day for Carolina catcher David García, who allowed six stolen bases and also made three throwing errors.
Starter Keeler Morfe, an 18-year-old righty, gave up three runs in 3.1 innings in his second start at Low-A. Three Delmarva relievers shut out the Mudcats the rest of the way, including lefty Juan Rojas, who worked four scoreless innings.
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