The Orioles affiliates finally got some runs on the board on Sunday, but it still wasn’t enough for Norfolk or Bowie, who both went home losers.
Frederick split games of a double-header, while Delmarva exploded for nine runs en route to a 9-1 victory. Let’s get to the recaps and see what can be gleaned from yesterday’s slate.
Charlotte 2, Norfolk 1 (game one)
Norfolk actually lost both games of their double-header, both by the same exact score. And in both contests, the team could only manage to scrape together four hits.
In the day-game, the Tides got their sole run on a Josh Bell RBI single that scored Matt Angle. Angle, Bell, Nolan Reimold and catcher Craig Tatum were the only ones to notch base-hits.
On the mound for the Tides was 27-year old veteran Michael Ballard. Ballard pitched only three innings and gave up two runs on four hits. He walked two and struck out two and needed 81 pitches to make it through three innings.
Lefty Alberto Castillo pitched the remaining three innings, allowing only two base-runners. One reached on a walk and the other after being hit by a pitch.
Charlotte 2, Norfolk 1 (game two)
Norfolk couldn’t must a better performance in the night-cap, scoring only one run and being held to only four hits. Those came off the bats of Brendan Harris, Josh Bell, Rhyne Hughes and Ryan Adams.
Bell provided the team’s only run with a solo HR in the top of the seventh-inning, his first of the season.
On the mound, the Tides threw veteran Chris George at the Knights, and the lefty only lasted two innings, allowing four hits and one run. Armando Gabino came on in relief and pitched the next three innings, giving up the other Knight’s run.
Key notes
– After a very weak offensive start to the season, the only Tides hitter to have an average over .300 is Tyler Henson (.333)
– Tides lead-off hitter Matt Angle is 1-for-14 on the season with six strikeouts
– The team has only scored five runs in four games
Harrisburg 4, Bowie 3
The Baysox endured their first heart-breaking loss of the 2011 season, allowing two runs in the bottom of the ninth-inning to send Harrisburg off to a 4-3 victory.
Bowie led 2-0 for seven innings, but Zach Clark got into some trouble in the eighth-inning, allowing back-to-back run-scoring singles that tied the game at two. And after getting an RBI ground-out from Billy Rowell, the club brought in Jose Diaz, who saved the game on Saturday night. Diaz couldn’t close it out, however, and he committed back-to-back errors after Brandon Waring committed one of his own, loading the bases for Adam Fox who hit an RBI single to tie the game at 3-3.
Nats outfielder Archie Gilbert won it with an RBI single that scored Devin Ivany.
Despite the bullpen meltdown, the Baysox were pretty good at the plate, racking up seven hits, three of which went for extra bases. Their run-scoring came via a Jeff Fiorentino sac-fly in the first, a Rowell RBI single in the second, and his RBI groundout in the ninth.
For the day Rowell 1-for-3 with two RBI and a stolen base, his first of the season.
Outfielders Ronnie Welty and Xavier Avery, as well as Brandon Waring and Robbie Widlansky provided the other hits for the Sox.
The bullpen meltdown also nullified a great start from Rich Zagone, who threw five-innings of two-hit ball. Zagone struck out two batters and allowed only two base-runners all night. He was aided by seven groundballs
Key notes
– SS Pedro Florimon leads the team with a .429 average through three games. He entered Sunday’s contest as a pinch-runner and scored the go-ahead run in the ninth.
– The Baysox starters haven’t allowed a run in their last nine-innings.
– Despite giving up two runs, Jose Diaz still has an ERA of 0.00, thanks to three errors in the bottom of the ninth-inning.
Frederick 7, Salem 2
The Keys jumped on the Red Sox early and often, scoring three runs a piece in the second and third innings, cruising to a 7-2 victory to salvage a split in the team’s double-header on Sunday.
Tyler Townsend, making his 2011 debut, provided most of the offense for the Keys, hitting three doubles, and driving in one run. He finished the day 3-for-4.
Tyler Kolodny also had a huge day for Frederick, crushing his first homer of the year, a three-run shot in the third inning.
Lead-off hitter Kyle Hudson also got in on the action, going 2-for-3 with a run, and RBI and walk and two steals.
The Keys other hits came off the bats of Dale Mollenhauer and Garabez Rosa.
The Keys took advantage of a rare off-night for Sox starter Drake Britton (no relation to our Zach), who only lasted 2.1 innings after giving up six earned runs on seven hits.
On the mound for the Keys, Ryan O’Shea pitched three innings of one-run ball, racking up four strikeouts, while Nathan Moreau pitched a scoreless inning in relief to earn the victory.
2010 third-round pick Daniel Klein made his 2011 debut, pitching two innings, giving up two hits and one run, a Daniel Butler solo HR. But don’t feel too bad Dan, as nobody could get Butler out on Sunday. He went 3-for-3.
Salem 5, Frederick 4 (game two)
Salem also used some late magic to sneak past Frederick in the second game of a double-header, scoring three runs in the bottom of the ninth-inning.
For the Keys, it was Josh Dowdy who threw away the game, giving up back-to-back doubles that tied the game, and then an RBI single from Vladimir Frias that sent the Red Sox home a winner.
The Keys got very little from the top of their lineup in game two, as Kyle Hudson and Stephen Bumbry combined to go 0-for-7 with three strikeouts.
L.J. Hoes had a big day for the Keys, without even notching a hit. He walked three times, scored a run and stole two bases, his first for the season.
Tyler Townsend went 0-for-3 in his second game of the season, to drop his average to .429, but he did score two runs.
Other highlights included Buck Britton’s season debut, in which he went 2-for-4 with three RBI. Michael Rooney, the team’s 30th-round pick in last year’s draft also made his debut, going 1-for-2 and adding a stolen base.
Key notes
– The Keys return home for their season-opener at Harry Grove Stadium for a three game set with Myrtle Beach.
Delmarva 9, Greensboro 1
The Shorebirds broke out the bats in a 9-1 victory over the Greensboro Grasshoppers, a game in which Delmarva racked up 14 hits, six of which went for extra-bases.
Kipp Schutz led the way for Delmarva, hitting a two-run double in the third, a three-run HR in the fourth, and adding an RBI single in the fifth. He finished the game 4-for-5 with six RBI and two runs scored.
Kieron Pope also had a great day for the Baby Birds, hitting a solo HR to lead off the second-inning. He also rapped an RBI double in the third and was hit by a pitch. He finished 3-for-4 with two doubles and two runs and is now hitting .444.
First-round pick Manny Machado also got in on the action, rapping a double, scoring twice and walking once.
International sign Jonathan Schoop rounded out the scoring with a 2-for-5 effort that also saw him score three runs. He hit the team’s fourth triple of the season.
On the mound, Jacob Pettit didn’t have to do too much, and he cruised through 5.2 innings, allowing only four hits and one run. He did walk three batters, but he also struck out four. Non-drafted free agent Aaron Swenson pitched 3.1 scoreless innings in relief and picked up the save.
Key notes
– The Shorebirds are 3-1 through their first four games.
– Kipp Schutz leads the team in just about every offensive stat through the first four games, pacing the team in hits, doubles, RBI and total bases.
– Machado is hitting .364 with three RBI, three runs and six walks in four games.
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