Chesapeake won a rain-shortened game, Delmarva won a walkoff, and Aberdeen won a slugfest.
Triple-A: Nashville Sounds (Brewers) 6, Norfolk Tides 4
It was a game of missed opportunities for the Tides, who banged out 13 hits but went just 1-for-12 with men in scoring position and stranded 10 runners on base. I’ve got good news and bad news about Samuel Basallo. The good news is that he went 3-for-5 to raise his OPS to a season-high .971. The bad news is that the Sounds ran wild on Basallo behind the plate, stealing five bases without being caught.
Shortstop Jeremiah Jackson, a minor league signing, also had three hits and is OPS’ing 1.088 in 10 games for Norfolk. Dylan Beavers went 0-for-4. Still no sign of Heston Kjerstad, who was optioned to Triple-A on Tuesday but has yet to play for the Tides.
A quintet of Norfolk pitchers struggled, combining to give up 12 hits and 6 walks, though they did strike out 14. Nashville starter Logan Henderson earned the victory, giving him the distinction of having beaten both the Orioles and the Tides this year. Former Oriole Vinny Nittoli followed him with 1.2 innings of scoreless relief.
Double-A: Chesapeake Baysox 3, Harrisburg Senators (Nationals) 0 — 6 inn.
Rain brought an early end to this one in the top of the sixth, sealing a one-hit shutout for Baysox starter Nestor German. It was German’s first career complete game and shutout. Sure, it comes with an asterisk, but I’m sure he’ll take it. He was extremely sharp, striking out six batters and walking just one.
The Baysox scratched out three runs despite going hitless with runners in scoring position. Adam Retzbach and Silas Ardoin provided the offense with solo homers in the fourth and fifth, respectively, and the other Chesapeake run scored on a Senators error. Enrique Bradfield Jr. was up to his usual tricks, stealing two bases.
Even with the win, the Baysox have some problems on offense. Every hitter in Friday’s lineup, besides Bradfield and Retzbach, has a sub-.200 batting average this year.
High-A: Aberdeen Ironbirds 10, Jersey Shore BlueClaws (Phillies) 7
The IronBirds erupted for 11 hits and nine walks to build a seemingly comfortable 10-3 lead, then had to sweat out a four-run bottom of the ninth by the BlueClaws to hang on for a 10-7 win. Leadoff hitter Griff O’Ferrall set the table with four walks, and every other batter in the lineup had a hit except for Vance Honeycutt, who struck out five times.
First baseman Anderson De Los Santos was a home run shy of the cycle. For good measure, the IronBirds racked up seven stolen bases, including two apiece by O’Ferrall and Jake Cunningham. The IronBirds could have done even more damage had they not gone 2-for-20 w/RISP. On the mound, starter Cohen Achen held Jersey Shore to one hit and one run in 5.1 innings.
Low-A: Delmarva Shorebirds 4, Salem Red Sox 3 — 10 inn.
It was a dramatic win for the Shorebirds, who tied the game in the ninth, fell behind in the top of the 10th, and then plated two in the bottom half to walk it off. Their winning rally came with two outs, when Nate George doubled to plate the Manfred Man and then scored on a Raylin Ramos RBI single.
Starter Jacob Cravey was solid enough for Delmarva, holding the Red Sox to two runs in five innings. Relievers Ryan Cabarcas, Devin Kirby (in his Low-A debut), and Adrián Delgado combined for five innings without allowing an earned run.
Saturday’s scheduled games:
- Norfolk: vs. Nashville, 6:35 PM. Starter: Chayce McDermott (0-3, 9.68)
- Chesapeake: vs. Harrisburg, 6:35 PM. Starter: Trey Gibson (1-0, 1.50)
- Aberdeen: at Jersey Shore, 7:05 PM. Starter: Luis De León (0-0, 2.00)
- Delmarva: vs. Salem, 7:05 PM. Starter: Evan Yates (2-1, 3.70)