Orioles minor league recap 4/25: Cionel Pérez begins rehab assignment

The O’s reliever was back on the mound in Norfolk, and it did not go great. Elsewhere, Aberdeen was the lone winner on a tough night down on the farm.

Triple-A: Gwinnett Stripers (Braves) 4, Norfolk Tides 3

Bruce Zimmermann cruised through the first five innings of this game. Thanks to a pair of double plays along the way, the lefty kept the visitors off the board early on. But that came to an end in the sixth inning, when he faced seven hitters, allowed four hits and gave up three runs before escaping. Cionel Pérez made his first rehab appearance right after, and it did not go well. He allowed one run on two hits, and ended up with the loss. Garrett Stallings and Matt Krook tossed one scoreless inning apiece, although Krook also allowed three hits.

Kyle Stowers and Daniel Johnson both hit solo home runs for the Norfolk offense. Errol Robinson doubled, walked, and drove in a run. Connor Norby was 1-for-4 with two strikeouts and a stolen base. Coby Mayo was 0-for-4 with a one K.

Double-A: Richmond Flying Squirrels (Giants) 6, Bowie Baysox 3

Bowie was busy at the plate, but never at the right time. The team went 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position. John Rhodes had a big day at the plate though, going 2-for-4 with a double, a home run, and two RBI. Dylan Beavers also recorded a pair of hits and a run. Jud Fabian ended up 0-for-3 with two strikeouts and an RBI on a sacrifice fly. Samuel Basallo went hitless but also walked twice.

Alex Pham started on the mound, lasting five innings and allowing three runs on three hits, three walks, and six strikeouts. Kyle Virbitsky took the loss after his 1.2 innings in which he gave up two runs on three hits, a walk, a strikeout, and a home run. Trey McGough tossed 1.1 innings and struck out two while also serving up a run.

High-A: Aberdeen IronBirds 5, Jersey Shore BlueClaws (Phillies) 4

The IronBirds tallied 10 hits and two walks on the way to this win. Mac Horvath led the way with two hits, including a triple, and two RBI. Creed Willems went 1-for-4 with a run, and an RBI. Ryan Higgins had a pair of singles. Tavian Josenberger was 1-for-4 with a double and a run.

Levi Wells racked up six strikeouts across his three innings while allowing two runs on two hits and two walks. But it was Preston Johnson that earned the win with his four innings of work in which he allowed just one unearned run on three hits and five strikeouts. Luis Sánchez gave up a run and recorded one out. Deivy Cruz struck out three batters over 1.2 innings to secure the save.

Low-A: Fredericksburg Nationals (Nationals) 6, Delmarva Shorebirds 0

It was a brutal day on offense for Delmarva. They managed just three hits and no walks. Angel Tejada’s double was their only extra-base knock. Aneudis Mordán and Alfredo Velásquez had a single each.

The outcomes were a little more mixed on the pitching side. Trey Gibson had a tough start, allowing four runs (just one earned, though) on four hits, two walks, and four strikeouts over 3.2 innings. Grabiel Salazar recorded just one, but did so without allowing any runs. Jacob Cravey was the standout with his 3.2 scoreless innings in which he gave up three hits and two walks but struck out three. His season ERA is 0.61 over 14.2 innings. Zan Barnhart threw the final 1.1 frames and gave up two runs on two hits, a walk, and three stikeouts.

Box Scores

Thursday’s Schedule

• Norfolk: vs Gwinnett, 12:05. SP: Cade Povich (2-1, 0.83 ERA)
• Bowie: at Richmond, 6:35. SP: Ryan Long (0-1, 6.00 ERA)
• Aberdeen: vs Jersey Shore, 7:05. SP: TBD
• Delmarva: vs Fredericksburg, 7:05. SP: Blake Money (0-1, 6.75 ERA)