The IronBirds failed to score in the first seven innings before eking out a 3-2 win.
Triple-A: Charlotte Knights (White Sox) 7, Norfolk Tides 4
Cameron Weston tossed a clean first but ran into trouble in the second. Weston allowed three runs and threw 35 pitches in the inning before being lifted for Corbin Martin. Martin allowed a run in 1.2 innings.
Roansey Contreras allowed three runs over three frames in relief. Contreras felt like a dark horse to help this team after the O’s successfully passed him through waivers, but the 25-year-old holds a 5.63 ERA through eight appearances.
The offense came from a pair of RBI singles by Terrin Vavra, an RBI double from Luis Vázquez, and a base hit by Jordyn Adams. Vavra was the only player to record a multi-hit game.
Coby Mayo went hitless in five trips. Samuel Basallo scored twice after a single and a walk, and Dylan Beavers finished 1-for-5. Vimael Machín failed to record a hit but walked twice.
Double-A: Hartford Yard Goats (Rockies) 3, Chesapeake Baysox 2
Douglas Hodo III tied the game at two with a solo homer in the fifth, and neither team scored in innings six through nine. Hodo plated the Baysox first run of the game with a single that drove in Adam Retzbach.
Baysox starter Ryan Long limited Hartford to a pair of runs (only one earned) over 4.1 innings. He struck out four, did not issue a walk, and now holds a 2.35 ERA. Gerald Ogando, Daniel Lloyd and Keagan Gillies all kept the Yard Goats off the board in regulation. Catcher Yasmil Bucce recorded two hits in five trips.
Peter Van Loon allowed a sacrifice fly in the tenth after Chesapeake failed to score.
High-A: Aberdeen IronBirds 3, Bowling Green Hot Rods (Rays) 2
Aberdeen failed to score in the first seven innings, but the IronBirds’ patience finally paid off. The team took five consecutive walks to score its first two runs of the game in the eighth. Bowling Green pulled Adam Boucher after the first four, but Jack Snyder entered and served up the fifth and final walk of the frame. I didn’t get a look at the strike zone, but the Hot Rods’ manager was ejected at the end of the inning.
Dominic Freeberger gave a run back in the top of the ninth, but Jalen Vasquez won the game with a walk-off bunt. The IronBirds took eight walks compared to four hits in the contest.
Low-A: Fayetteville Woodpeckers (Astros) 6, Delmarva Shorebirds 2
Braylin Tavera and Raylin Ramos provided the only pop for Delmarva with a pair of solo home runs. Ramos led the charge for the Shorebirds with an impressive 3-for-3 effort along with a walk.
Jacob Cravey took the loss after allowing three runs in 3+ innings. All three of Cravey’s earned runs came via solo homers. Fayetteville eventually used some small ball to extend its lead off of Kenny Leiner, and Ben Vespi allowed a run over two innings.
Friday’s Schedule
Norfolk: at Charlotte, 7:04 pm. Starter: Brandon Young (1-1, 2.76 ERA)
Chesapeake: at Hartford, 7:10 pm. Starter: Levi Wells (0-1, 2.76 ERA)
Aberdeen: vs Bowling Green, 7:05 pm. Starter: Nestor German (4-4, 4.60 ERA)
Delmarva: at Fayetteville, 7:05 pm. Starter: Sebastian Gongora (0-1, 8.22. ERA)