Orioles minor league recap 5/7: Basallo homers in Tides loss in Nashville

Norfolk, Aberdeen and Delmarva all suffered close loses while Chesapeake had its series opener washed out.

Triple-A: Nashville Sounds (Brewers) 5, Norfolk Tides 3

Norfolk reliever Walter Pennington gave up four runs in the 8th inning as the Sounds came from behind to take the win from the Tides.

Norfolk led early on thanks to some small ball in the 3rd. The Tides got back-to-back singles from Dylan Beavers and Tyler O’Neill to start the inning. Beavers then moved to third on a flyout by Samuel Basallo before scoring on a sac fly from Vimael Machín. O’Neill finished his day 1-3 with the single and a walk during the first game of his rehab assignment.

Nashville tied the game at 1-1 thanks to a bases-loaded walk in the bottom of the 4th. Basallo wasted no time getting the Tides their lead back, launching a solo HR to center field off former MLB All-Star Brandon Woodruff. It was Basallo’s fourth long ball of the season and second since returning from the IL 12 days ago.

Both the Tides’ and Sounds’ bats went quite from there, as each team only registered a lone single from the bottom of the 5th through the top of the 8th. Norfolk starter Kyle Brnovich put together his best start of the season, finishing with 5.0 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 4 BB and 6 K. Raúl Alcantara gave the Tides two scoreless innings with three Ks before turning the ball over to Pennington in the bottom of the 8th.

Pennington started the inning by walking the bases loaded and then walked in the tying run to knot the game at 2-2. Rodolfo Martinez took over for Pennington, who had walked four while only getting one out. The Sounds took the lead when Anthony Seigler singled off Martinez, and after a wild pitch and passed ball, that lead ballooned to 5-2.

Livan Soto led off the top of the 9th with a single before Terrin Vavra and Jordyn Adams walked to load the bases with one out. Beavers hit a sac fly to left to score Soto and cut the Nashville lead to two. TT Bowens then replaced O’Neill looking to extend the game, but instead struck out to wrap up the Sounds victory.

Box Score

Double-A: Chesapeake Baysox at Portland Sea Dogs (Red Sox)—Ppd. due to rain

The Baysox and Sea Dogs got rained out in Maine and will play a doubleheader today.

High-A: Jersey Shore BlueClaws (Phillies) 7, Aberdeen IronBirds 4

The IronBirds tied the game in the top of the 9th, only to give up a three-run, walk-off homer in the bottom of the 9th to drop their game against the BlueClaws.

Aberdeen took an early lead in the 3rd thanks to a Jersey Shore error. With one out in the inning, Aron Estrada tripled down the right field line and scored when the Blue Claws airmailed their throw into third.

That lead was short-lived, however, as Aberdeen starter Ty Weatherly gave way to Alejandro Méndez and things fell apart in the 4th. With runners one first and second, Weatherly gave up a two-out single to right to allow Jersey Shore to plate their first runs and take a 2-1 lead. He was then relieved by Méndez, who gave up a double to the first batter he faced as the Pelicans expanded their lead to 3-1. Myrtle Beach’s final run of the inning came when Zach Arnold scored after a throwing error by Leandro Arias.

Aberdeen mounted a two-out rally in the 7th to cut into the lead. Aneudis Mordán started the rally with a double to left and then scored on an Estrada single, cutting the deficit to 4-2. Estrada then stole second and moved to third on a throwing error. After a Griff O’Ferrall walk, Estrada scored on a passed ball to bring the IronBirds within one.

In the 9th, Ryan Stafford led off the inning with a walk and moved into scoring position by stealing second. Two flyouts left Aberdeen down to its last out with a runner on second. Estrada was the hero once again, singling home the tying run on an 0-2 pitch down the middle. In the bottom of the inning, Zane Barnhart got within an out of forcing extras, only to groove a fastball to Kehden Hettiger, who blasted it to right for the walk-off homer.

Box Score

Low-A: Myrtle Beach Pelicans (Cubs) 3, Delmarva Shorebirds 1

The Shorebirds only managed three hits, didn’t get on the scoreboard until the 9th inning and never got much going during their loss to the Pelicans. Myrtle Beach took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the 1st thanks to a lack of control from Delmarva starter Yeiber Cartaya. With two outs, Cartaya loaded the bases on a walk and two hit batsmen. The Pelicans’ Owen Ayers then singled to left to plate two runs and give Myrtle Beach an early lead.

That single was the only hit Cartaya allowed over 3.2 innings as he racked up a season-high six Ks. The 22-year-old from Venezuela has struggled with walks and hit batsmen all year, putting up a 1.89 WHIP despite a .214 BAA and those struggles reared their head again despite an otherwise dominant start.

Myrtle Beach added an insurance run in the 7th when Ty Southisene reached on a lead-off walk, stole second and scored on a single to center. The Shorebirds attempted to start a rally in the top of the 9th when Kevin Guerrero and Cole Urman led off the inning with a single and a walk. Guerrero scored after back-to-back groundouts, leading Delmarva down two with two outs and a runner on second. The tying run never got a chance to swing the bat, though, as Alfredo Velásquez was caught stealing at third to end the game.

Box Score

Wednesday’s Scheduled Games

Norfolk Tides at Nashville Sounds, 7:35pm ET (Cameron Weston vs. TBD)

Chesapeake Baysox at Portland Sea Dogs, Game 1, 5pm ET (Trace Bright vs. Yordanny Monegro)

Chesapeake Baysox at Portland Sea Dogs, Game 2 (Juan Nuñez vs. TBD)

Aberdeen IronBirds at Jersey Shore BlueClaws, 11:05am ET (Blake Money vs. Casey Steward)

Delmarva Shorebirds at Myrtle Beach Pelicans, 6:35pm ET (TBD vs. TBD)