The Norfolk Tides lost for the third straight time to the Richmond Braves earlier today. The Bowie Baysox defeated the Harrisburg Senators and a clutch home run lifted the Frederick Keys over the Winston-Salem Warthogs.

The Delmarva Shorebirds fell to the Lakewood BlueClaws and the Aberdeen IronBirds used a dominating pitching performance to beat the Staten Island Yankees.

Norfolk, Frederick and Delmarva will all conclude their seasons tomorrow. Bowie will wrap up the regular season, but they’ll begin the Eastern League playoffs on Wednesday. The IronBirds will play six more games in 2008.

Norfolk Tides (AAA)

Score: Richmond Braves 2, Norfolk Tides 1

Recap: Gary Knotts (2-7) pitched well in his first start since being acquired by the Tides earlier this month, but it wasn’t enough for the victory as Norfolk lost to Richmond, 2-1. He allowed two runs and four hits in 6 1/3 innings.

First baseman Chris Heintz was 2-for-3 with a solo home run for the Tides. Former Orioles closer Jorge Julio pitched a scoreless inning to pick up his 13th save of the season. In his past 11 innings, Julio has 18 strikeouts and he hasn’t allowed an earned run for Richmond.

Bowie Baysox (AA)

Score: Bowie Baysox 7, Harrisburg Senators 3

Recap: Right fielder Nolan Reimold and catcher Matt Wieters both hit home runs to lead the Baysox to a 7-3 victory over Harrisburg. Reimold hit a two-run shot in the first inning and Wieters added a solo home run in the third. Wieters finished 2-for-4 with two runs scored in the game.

Shortstop Blake Davis had two RBIs and center fielder Mike Rodriguez scored two runs for Bowie. Starting pitcher Chris Tillman (11-4) earned the win after pitching five innings, allowing two runs and five hits. He had seven strikeouts and walked four.

Frederick Keys (A)

Score: Frederick Keys 6, Winston-Salem Warthogs 4

Recap: Right fielder Brandon Tripp’s three-run home run in the bottom of the eighth inning powered the Keys to a 6-4 win over Winston-Salem. Starting pitcher Kyle Schmidt allowed three runs and 12 hits in six innings, but he didn’t factor in the decision.

Shortstop Jason White and first baseman Brandon Snyder smacked back-to-back singles to start the eighth. After designated hitter Chris Vinyard hit an RBI double, Tripp hit his 17th home run of the season to put the Keys ahead of the Warthogs.

Center fielder Chris Amador and catcher Brian Valichka had two hits each for the Keys. Valichka had two RBIs in the game.

Delmarva Shorebirds (A)

Score: Lakewood BlueClaws 5, Delmarva Shorebirds 4

Recap: The BlueClaws scored two runs in the fifth inning against Shorebirds relief pitcher Andrew Schindling (1-1) to beat Delmarva, 5-4. Starting pitcher Luis Noel allowed three runs and four hits in four innings for the Shorebirds.

Designated hitter Paco Figueroa was 2-for-5 with a run scored and shortstop Pedro Florimon Jr. had two hits and an RBI for Delmarva. Third baseman Tyler Henson, right fielder Wally Crancer and left fielder Robbie Widlansky all scored a run for the Shorebirds.

Aberdeen IronBirds (A)

Score: Aberdeen IronBirds 5, Staten Island Yankees 1

Recap: IronBirds starting pitcher Rick Zagone (7-1) shined once again during Aberdeen’s 5-1 victory over Staten Island. Zagone had 10 strikeouts and he only allowed three hits in seven scoreless innings.

Right fielder Jacob Julius was 2-for-4 with a home run and four RBIs for the IronBirds. First baseman Paul Chmiel was 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored. Relief pitcher Oliver Drake gave up one run and two hits in two innings.

Posted by Dean Jones Jr. at 9:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Game recaps
        

The Norfolk Tides will play the Richmond Braves on the road. The Bowie Baysox take on the Harrisburg Senators and the Frederick Keys look to rebound from last night’s loss to the Winston-Salem Warthogs. The Delmarva Shorebirds and Aberdeen IronBirds will each continue their final homestand tonight.

The Keys have increased their attendance for the fourth consecutive season, the team announced in a news release today. With two home games remaining, Frederick has averaged 4,456 fans per game. The current total of 285,184 fans is the highest amount since 2002.

Norfolk Tides (AAA)

Opponent

Richmond Braves

Probable pitchers

Norfolk: Gary Knotts (2-6, 5.23 ERA)
Richmond: Anthony Lerew (0-4, 4.80 ERA)

Notes

* Relief pitcher Kam Mickolio had not allowed an earned run in 14 of his 16 games with Norfolk before last night. However, he allowed one run and two hits in an inning of work against Richmond in the 8-6 loss.

* Fredy Deza has 15 strikeouts in seven innings since being promoted from Frederick on Aug. 15. The 25-year-old relief pitcher is 1-1 with a 2.57 ERA in five appearances with Norfolk.

* Norfolk only has seven home runs as a team in August. This total is 10 home runs less than any other team. The Tides only have 65 home runs this season, which is the fewest in the International League.

Bowie Baysox (AA)

Opponent

Harrisburg Senators

Probable pitchers

Bowie: Chris Tillman (10-4, 3.17 ERA)
Harrisburg: Bobby Brownlie (8-3, 3.75 ERA)

Notes

* Tillman has pitched six innings in each of his past five starts. During that stretch, the 20-year-old starting pitcher is 3-1 with 44 strikeouts in 30 innings. He’s only allowed five runs and 19 hits in those five games.

* Right fielder Nolan Reimold is hitting .403 with eight home runs and 17 RBIs in 20 games against Harrisburg this season. He also has five doubles and 11 runs scored against the Senators in 2008.

* Akron Aeros third baseman Wes Hodges has six RBIs in his past two games. This is significant because it tied him with former Baysox outfielder Lou Montanez at 97 RBIs. Montanez still leads the Eastern League in home runs (26) and batting average (.335) with two games to go in the regular season.

Frederick Keys (A)

Opponent

Winston-Salem Warthogs

Probable pitchers

Frederick: Kyle Schmidt (4-4, 3.51 ERA)
Winston-Salem: Jacob Rasner (5-7, 3.55 ERA)

Notes

* Schmidt pitched seven no-hit innings in his last start against the Salem Avalanche on Aug. 24. He had six strikeouts and walked four in the game. Schmidt is 2-0 in August and he has only given up four earned runs in 30 innings this month.

* Center fielder Chris Amador is hitting .325 with two home runs, nine RBIs and seven runs scored in his past 10 games. The 25-year-old outfielder has a .240 batting average in 110 games this season, but he’s hitting .273 in August.

* Chris Vinyard is only hitting .234 in 121 games for the Keys this season, but he’s had a lot of success at Harry Grove Stadium. The 22-year-old first baseman is batting .314 with 11 home runs and 37 RBIs in 55 games at home this season. He has a .168 batting average with five home runs and 27 RBIs in 66 games on the road.

Delmarva Shorebirds (A)

Opponent

Lakewood BlueClaws

Probable pitchers

Delmarva: Luis Noel (10-8, 3.96 ERA)
Lakewood: Julian Sampson (10-4, 4.72 ERA)

Notes

* Noel is 10-8 with a 3.88 ERA in 26 starts for the Shorebirds this season. However, the 20-year-old right-hander is only 2-5 with a 5.29 ERA in his past 10 starts. He allowed one earned run and two hits in five innings during his last start against Lakewood on Aug. 26.

* Second baseman Ryan Adams broke the record for most errors in a single season in the history of the South Atlantic League with two defensive miscues last night. The 21-year-old infielder’s 52 errors haven’t affected his hitting. He is hitting .309 with 26 doubles, 11 home runs, 57 RBIs and 68 runs scored in 118 games for the Shorebirds.

* Wally Crancer is hitting .351 with one home run and 10 RBIs in his past 10 games. The 24-year-old outfielder is hitting .288 with six home runs and 39 RBIs in 81 games for Delmarva in 2008.

Aberdeen IronBirds (A)

Opponent

Staten Island Yankees

Probable pitchers

Aberdeen: Rick Zagone (6-1, 3.27 ERA)
Staten Island: Casey Erickson (3-0, 3.10 ERA)

Notes

* Zagone allowed two earned runs and seven hits in five innings during his last start against the Oneonta Tigers on Aug. 26. He had eight strikeouts in the game. In 52 1/3 innings for the IronBirds this season, Zagone has 65 strikeouts.

* Outfielder Kraig Binick is hitting .280 with 19 RBIs and 20 runs scored in 33 games for the IronBirds in 2008. He is hitting .333 with 14 runs scored in 17 games at Ripken Stadium, but only .220 with six runs scored on the road.

Posted by Dean Jones Jr. at 10:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Game previews
        

The Orioles continued their struggles with a loss to the Tampa Bay Rays and it was also a pretty rough night in the minor leagues. The Bowie Baysox split a doubleheader with the Harrisburg Senators, but that was the only win for an affiliate of the Orioles tonight.

The Norfolk Tides lost to the Richmond Braves and the Frederick Keys allowed two late runs in their loss to the Winston-Salem Warthogs. The Delmarva Shorebirds committed five errors and lost to the Lakewood BlueClaws. The Aberdeen IronBirds scored six runs in the second inning, but their bullpen failed to hold the early lead in their extra-inning loss to the Staten Island Yankees.

Norfolk Tides (AAA)

Score: Richmond Braves 8, Norfolk Tides 6

Recap: Second baseman Eider Torres was 2-for-5 with two RBIs, but the Tides lost to Richmond, 8-6, at Harbor Park tonight. Center fielder Luis Terrero and right fielder Chris Roberson also had two hits each for Norfolk.

Starting pitcher Craig Anderson (7-9) suffered the loss after allowing seven runs and 10 hits in four innings. Former Oriole Jorge Julio pitched one scoreless inning to collect his 12th save of the season for Richmond.

Bowie Baysox (AA)

Score: Harrisburg Senators 4, Bowie Baysox 2; Bowie Baysox 8, Harrisburg Senators 3

Recap: Baysox starting pitcher Brad Bergesen (15-6) pitched all seven innings in the first game, but he picked up the loss as Bowie fell to Harrisburg, 4-2. Bergesen gave up four runs and seven hits in the game. It was his third consecutive loss, although he hasn’t allowed more than four earned runs in any of those starts.

Right fielder Nolan Reimold hit his 23rd home run of the season in the first game and first baseman Ryan Finan had two hits for the Baysox.

In the second game, David Hernandez (10-4) allowed three runs and six hits in five innings to lead the Baysox to an 8-3 victory over the Senators. He had five strikeouts and walked four hitters in the game. Relievers Ryan Keefer and Wilfredo Perez combined to retire the final six hitters in order.

Reimold was 3-for-3 with a double and an RBI and eight different Baysox players scored runs in the second game. Designated hitter Matt Wieters and second baseman Carlos Rojas each had two hits in the game. Center fielder Mike Rodriguez hit a three-run home run in the fifth inning.

Frederick Keys (A)

Score: Winston-Salem Warthogs 5, Frederick Keys 3

Recap: Third baseman Brandon Snyder and center fielder Chris Amador both hit home runs, but it wasn’t enough to lead the Keys to victory. Winston-Salem scored two runs against Keys relief pitcher Kenny Moreland in the ninth inning to beat Frederick, 5-3.

Starting pitcher Tim Bascom allowed three runs and seven hits in seven innings, but he didn’t factor in the decision. Amador hit a two-run shot in the second inning and Snyder added a game-tying solo home run in the sixth. Designated hitter Billy Rowell was 2-for-3 in the game.

Delmarva Shorebirds (A)

Score: Lakewood BlueClaws 6, Delmarva Shorebirds 1

Recap: Second baseman Ryan Adams had two of Delmarva’s five errors in the 6-1 loss to Lakewood. With the two defensive miscues, Adams established a new record for the most errors by a second baseman in a single season in the history of the South Atlantic League. Third baseman Tyler Henson committed his 29th error in the game. Starting pitcher Sean Gleason and right fielder Wally Crancer also had errors for Delmarva.

Gleason (12-2) picked up the loss after allowing five runs (two earned) and eight hits in 5 2/3 innings for the Shorebirds. Left fielder Robbie Widlansky was 2-for-4 with a double in the loss. First baseman Anthony Martinez had an RBI single for Delmarva.

Aberdeen IronBirds (A)

Score: Staten Island Yankees 7, Aberdeen IronBirds 6, 10 innings

Recap: Aberdeen scored six runs in the second inning, but they couldn’t hang on for the win. A wild pitch by relief pitcher Brandon Cooney allowed the go-ahead run to score in the top of the 10th inning and Staten Island defeated the IronBirds, 7-6.

Yankees closer Pat Venditte, who pitches with both hands, tossed a scoreless inning to collect his 21st save. He has allowed only three earned runs in 30 2/3 innings so far this season.

IronBirds starting pitcher Nathan Moreau surrendered four runs and five hits in four innings. He had five strikeouts and walked one. Shortstop Greg Miclat had a two-run single for the IronBirds. Left fielder Kraig Binick and first baseman T.J. Baxter each had two hits.

Posted by Dean Jones Jr. at 11:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Game recaps
        

The Norfolk Tides will attempt to rebound from last night’s loss to the Richmond Braves in the final game at Harbor Park this season. The Bowie Baysox will face the Harrisburg Senators in a doubleheader and the Frederick Keys will host the Winston-Salem Warthogs.

The Delmarva Shorebirds begin the final series of the season against the Lakewood BlueClaws and the Aberdeen IronBirds host the Staten Island Yankees at Ripken Stadium.

Norfolk Tides (AAA)

Opponent

Richmond Braves

Probable pitchers

Norfolk: Craig Anderson (7-8, 6.17 ERA)
Richmond: Matt DeSalvo (2-11, 4.53 ERA)

Notes

* Anderson is 6-1 with a 3.44 ERA in his past 10 appearances. He allowed one earned run and seven hits in his last start on Aug. 25 against the Charlotte Knights. Anderson has earned a victory in each of his past five games.

* First baseman Mike Costanzo is hitting .342 with five doubles and 12 RBIs in his past 10 games. The 24-year-old infielder has a .263 batting average with 11 home runs and 62 RBIs in 126 games for the Tides this season.

* Outfielder Chris Roberson is 14-for-36 (.389) with five RBIs and five runs scored in his past 10 games.

Bowie Baysox (AA)

Opponent

Harrisburg Senators (DH)

Probable pitchers

Game 1

Bowie: Brad Bergesen (15-5, 3.11 ERA)
Harrisburg: Jordan Zimmermann (6-2, 3.28 ERA)

Game 2

Bowie: David Hernandez (9-4, 2.58 ERA)
Harrisburg: Cory VanAllen (3-2, 4.95 ERA)

Notes

* Hernandez pitched seven innings to pick up the win in his last start against Binghamton on Aug. 24. He gave up two earned runs and four hits in the game.

* Bergesen, who won the Eastern League’s Pitcher of the Year award earlier this week, has lost consecutive games for the first time this season. In his last start against Binghamton on Aug. 23, Bergesen allowed three runs and five hits in four innings. He is 3-1 with a 2.93 ERA in five starts against Harrisburg in 2008.

* Catcher Matt Wieters is hitting .368 with two doubles, two home runs, five RBIs and seven runs scored in his past 10 games. He currently has an eight-game hitting streak for the Baysox. In 126 games split between Bowie and Frederick in 2008, Wieters is hitting .351 with 26 home runs and 88 RBIs.

Frederick Keys (A)

Opponent

Winston-Salem Warthogs

Probable pitchers

Frederick: Tim Bascom (6-5, 5.93 ERA)
Winston-Salem: Clevelan Santeliz (3-6, 5.02 ERA)

Notes

* Bascom has earned a victory in his past three starts. He surrendered two earned runs and seven hits in six innings against the Salem Avalanche in his last start on Aug. 23. Bascom is 6-5 with a 5.93 ERA this season, but he hasn’t given up more than three earned runs in a start since July 28.

* Right fielder Brandon Tripp is only hitting .235 this season, but he’s been playing well recently. The 23-year-old outfielder is 11-for-34 with three home runs, four doubles, 10 RBIs and nine runs scored in his past 10 games. He has 16 home runs and 66 RBIs this season after batting .288 with 19 home runs and 79 RBIs for Delmarva in 2007.

* Billy Rowell is hitting .368 with a home run and two doubles in his past 10 games. The 19-year-old infielder has eight RBIs and five runs scored during that span.

* The Keys were eliminated from postseason contention with last night’s loss to Winston-Salem. It will be the first time in four years that they won’t be competing for the Carolina League championship.

Delmarva Shorebirds (A)

Opponent

Lakewood BlueClaws

Probable pitchers

Delmarva: Sean Gleason (12-1, 2.61 ERA)
Lakewood: Vance Worley (2-2, 2.89 ERA)

Notes

* Gleason has emerged as the Shorebirds’ ace after beginning the season in the bullpen. He is 7-0 with a 2.00 ERA and 48 strikeouts in his past 10 starts. Gleason allowed one earned run and three hits in six innings against Lakewood in his last start on Aug. 25.

* Center fielder Joe Nowicki is hitting .281 with 19 home runs and 77 RBIs for the Shorebirds in 2008. The 25-year-old outfielder hit .283 with eight home runs and 41 RBIs for Aberdeen last season. He signed with the Orioles as a free agent in 2006.

Aberdeen IronBirds (A)

Opponent

Staten Island Yankees

Probable pitchers

Aberdeen: Nathan Moreau (1-1, 5.20 ERA)
Staten Island: Nick Montgomery (1-2, 3.18 ERA)

Notes

* Moreau pitched well in his last start against the Oneonta Tigers on Aug. 25. The 21-year-old left-handed pitcher gave up one run and four hits in five innings, but he didn’t factor in the decision.

* After representing the IronBirds in the New York-Penn League All-Star Game earlier this month, catcher Caleb Joseph has been struggling to make contact. He is hitting .200 (6-for-30) in eight games since the All-Star break. He was only 2-for-12 in the three-game series against the Vermont Lake Monsters, but the two hits were home runs – a grand slam in Wednesday’s game and a three-run shot in last night’s game.

* Shortstop Greg Miclat is hitting .393 with two doubles and seven runs scored in nine games since being promoted to the IronBirds. He has reached base in every game. Miclat was 2-for-3 with two walks and two runs scored during last night’s game against Vermont.

Posted by Dean Jones Jr. at 12:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Game previews
        

The game between the Bowie Baysox and Harrisburg Senators was postponed due to rain tonight. It will be made up as the first game of a doubleheader tomorrow. The teams will play two seven-inning games beginning at 5:05 p.m.

The Delmarva Shorebirds edged the Lake County Captains and the Aberdeen IronBirds jumped ahead early to defeat the Vermont Lake Monsters. The Norfolk Tides lost to the Richmond Braves at Harbor Park tonight. The Frederick Keys committed three errors during the eighth inning of their loss to the Winston-Salem Warthogs.

Norfolk Tides (AAA)

Score: Richmond Braves 7, Norfolk Tides 2

Recap: For the fourth consecutive start, Tides pitcher Andy Mitchell (12-8) was unable to pick up his 13th win of the season. He allowed five runs (four earned) and four hits in 3 2/3 innings as the Tides lost to Richmond, 7-2, at Harbor Park.

First baseman Mike Costanzo and right fielder Chris Roberson were both 2-for-4 for Norfolk. Shortstop Luis Hernandez had an RBI double in the loss. The Tides had four errors, including two by second baseman Brandon Fahey.

Former Orioles closer Jorge Julio pitched a scoreless inning for the Braves. He is 1-2 with a 2.21 ERA and 11 saves in 35 appearances with Richmond this season.

Frederick Keys (A)

Score: Winston-Salem Warthogs 12, Frederick Keys 4

Recap: Keys starter Pedro Beato (4-10) struggled once again in Frederick’s 12-4 loss to Winston-Salem. Beato gave up five runs and nine hits in 6 2/3 innings tonight and he now has a 5.85 ERA this season.

Three errors and a wild pitch by the Keys in the top of the eighth inning helped the Warthogs to score seven runs (one earned) and break the game open.

Right fielder Brandon Tripp hit his 16th home run of the season in the second inning for Frederick. He finished 1-for-3 with two RBIs and two runs scored. Keys catcher Justin Johnson was 2-for-4 in the game.

Delmarva Shorebirds (A)

Score: Delmarva Shorebirds 2, Lake County Captains 1

Recap: Center fielder Joe Nowicki hit his 19th home run of the season in the bottom of the third inning to power the Shorebirds to a 2-1 victory over Lake County.

Nowicki’s home run was one of only three hits for the Shorebirds in the game. Designated hitter Ryan Adams was 1-for-3 with a run scored and right fielder Wally Crancer hit a double for Delmarva.

Starting pitcher Zach Britton (12-7) had seven strikeouts in six innings to pick up the win. He allowed one run and four hits in the game. Relief pitcher Hank Williamson had five strikeouts in three scoreless innings to pick up his first save for the Shorebirds.

Aberdeen IronBirds (A)

Score: Aberdeen IronBirds 8, Vermont Lake Monsters 1

Recap: Designated hitter Caleb Joseph hit a three-run home run in the first inning to lead the IronBirds over Vermont, 8-1, in the series finale. Shortstop Greg Miclat was 2-for-3 with two runs scored. Joseph and left fielder Kraig Binick also scored two runs in the game for Aberdeen.

Starting pitcher Aaron Odom (3-5) allowed one run and four hits in five innings to earn the victory. He had five strikeouts and walked three.

Relief pitcher Brent Allar struck out three hitters in one inning during his first appearance with the IronBirds. Chris Ray, continuing his rehab stint in the minor leagues, had two strikeouts and gave up one hit in an inning of work.

Posted by Dean Jones Jr. at 11:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Game recaps
        

The Norfolk Tides take on the Richmond Braves at Harbor Park and the Frederick Keys face the Winston-Salem Warthogs at Harry Grove Stadium.

The Bowie Baysox are on the road against the Harrisburg Senators, the Delmarva Shorebirds continue their final homestand against the Lake County Captains and the Aberdeen IronBirds host the Vermont Lake Monsters.

Norfolk Tides (AAA)

Opponent

Richmond Braves

Probable pitchers

Norfolk: Andy Mitchell (12-7, 4.14 ERA)
Richmond: James Parr (4-3, 3.38 ERA)

Notes

* Mitchell is 3-0 with a 1.42 ERA in four games (two starts) against Richmond this season. He allowed one run and six hits in nine innings during his last start against the Charlotte Knights on Aug. 24. Mitchell didn’t factor in the decision because the Tides lost the game in 10 innings.

* Mike Costanzo has 21 RBIs in August, which is tied for fifth in the International League. The 24-year-old infielder has had at least two RBIs in a game on seven different occasions this month.

* Outfielder Luis Terrero is second in the league with 87 RBIs this season. He is hitting .306 with one home run, seven RBIs and nine runs scored in his past 10 games.

* The Tides currently lead Richmond 11-7 in the season series with four games remaining between the two teams in 2008. Norfolk has won six of the past eight games.

Bowie Baysox (AA)

Opponent

Harrisburg Senators

Probable pitchers

Bowie: Brad Bergesen (15-5, 3.11 ERA)
Harrisburg: Jordan Zimmermann (6-2, 3.28 ERA)

Notes

* Bergesen is 3-1 with a 2.93 ERA in five starts against Harrisburg in 2008. However, he has lost back-to-back games for the first time this season. In his past two starts, Bergesen has allowed five earned runs and nine hits in 10 innings pitched.

* Third baseman Jeff Nettles trails former Baysox outfielder Lou Montanez by two home runs in the Eastern League. Nettles hit his 24th home run last night in Bowie’s 9-3 loss to Trenton. With four games left in the season, Montanez is on pace for the Triple Crown in the league, but Nettles could change those plans if he hits a few more home runs.

Frederick Keys (A)

Opponent

Winston-Salem Warthogs

Probable pitchers

Frederick: Pedro Beato (4-9, 5.78 ERA)
Winston-Salem: John Ely (9-12, 4.68 ERA)

Notes

* Beato is 1-7 with a 6.95 ERA since coming off the disabled list in June. He allowed six earned runs and seven hits in six innings during his last start against the Salem Avalanche on Aug. 22. He hasn’t won a game since July 16, when he gave up two earned runs and five hits in seven innings against the Lynchburg Hillcats.

* Brandon Snyder is hitting .413 with seven doubles, two home runs and 17 RBIs in August. He is 10-for-17 with three RBIs and six runs scored in his past four games.

* The Keys’ starting pitchers have carried a no-hitter at least into the fifth inning in each of the past three games. In five of the past six games, the Keys’ starter has pitched at least six innings.

Delmarva Shorebirds (A)

Opponent

Lake County Captains

Probable pitchers

Delmarva: Zach Britton (11-7, 3.18 ERA)
Lake County: Joanniel Montero (4-6, 5.16 ERA)

Notes

* Britton pitched six innings in his last start against the Hagerstown Suns. He suffered the loss after allowing four earned runs and seven hits in the outing.

* Infielder Jedidiah Stephen is 0-for-20 with 11 strikeouts in five games since being promoted from Aberdeen. Outfielder Robbie Widlansky is 7-for-28 with two RBIs and two runs scored in seven games since being called up by the Shorebirds.

* Center fielder Matt Angle ranks sixth in the South Atlantic League with 37 stolen bases, but he hasn’t successfully swiped one since Aug. 17 against the Savannah Sand Gnats. He’s been caught stealing twice during that time period.

Aberdeen IronBirds (A)

Opponent

Vermont Lake Monsters

Probable pitchers

Aberdeen: Aaron Odom (2-5, 4.23 ERA)
Vermont: Pat McCoy (1-5, 5.79 ERA)

Notes

* Center fielder Calvin Lester is hitting .310 in 27 games at Ripken Stadium, but he only has a .198 batting average in 27 road games. He is 13-for-25 in his past seven home games.

* Shortstop Garabez Rosa made his debut for the IronBirds last night and was 0-for-4 with a strikeout. He was the 46th different player used by Aberdeen this season.

* After tonight’s game, the IronBirds will play their final eight games against divisional opponents. They’ll play two games at Ripken Stadium and two games on the road against both the Staten Island Yankees and Brooklyn Cyclones to conclude the 2008 season.

Posted by Dean Jones Jr. at 5:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Game previews
        

The Norfolk Tides scored plenty of runs tonight, but it wasn’t enough to pick up a victory over the Durham Bulls. The Bowie Baysox lost their final home game, but they still won the first division title in franchise history because the Akron Aeros lost.

The Delmarva Shorebirds won two games against the Lake County Captains and the Aberdeen IronBirds failed to get on the scoreboard in their loss to the Vermont Lake Monsters.

Norfolk Tides (AAA)

Score: Durham Bulls 11, Norfolk Tides 9

Recap: The Tides couldn’t overcome a five-run first inning by Durham in the 11-9 loss at Harbor Park. Norfolk scored four runs in the bottom of the seventh, but it wasn’t enough to win.

Starting pitcher Ryan Bukvich (8-4) picked up the loss for the Tides after allowing seven runs (five earned) and seven hits in three innings. Bulls starting pitcher David Price (1-1) won for the first time in four Triple-A starts after giving up two runs and four hits in five innings.

Center fielder Luis Terrero was 4-for-5 with two RBIs and three runs scored for Norfolk and catcher Chris Heintz was 2-for-5 with four RBIs. Tides first baseman Mike Costanzo also added two RBIs.

Bowie Baysox (AA)

Score: Trenton Thunder 9, Bowie Baysox 3

Recap: The Baysox were temporarily grounded by the Thunder tonight at Prince George’s Stadium. Trenton scored six runs (five earned) in the top of the third inning against Baysox starting pitcher Jason Berken and went on to win, 9-3.

Berken (12-4) only lasted four innings and suffered his first loss since June 19. Bowie’s only runs came on a three-run home run by third baseman Jeff Nettles in the sixth inning. It was his 24th home run of the season. Catcher Matt Wieters was 2-for-4 with a run scored and shortstop Blake Davis was 2-for-3 for the Baysox.

Despite the loss, Bowie clinched the Southern Division championship because the Akron Aeros lost the second game of their doubleheader to the Altoona Curve, 1-0. It’s the first division title in franchise history for the Baysox.

Delmarva Shorebirds (A)

Score: Delmarva Shorebirds 7, Lake County Captains 2; Delmarva Shorebirds 4, Lake County Captains 3

Recap: The Shorebirds finished the suspended game from earlier this month by defeating Lake County, 7-2, and then they beat the Captains in the regularly scheduled game, 4-3. Robert Neigebauer (4-0) pitched five innings for Delmarva, allowing two runs (one earned) and three hits, to pick up the victory in the first game. Shorebirds reliever Joe Esposito (2-0) struck out five Lake County hitters in three scoreless innings to collect the win in the second game.

Shorebirds first baseman Anthony Martinez and designated hitter Paco Figueroa each had three hits in the first game. Martinez had two doubles and two RBIs. Second baseman Ryan Adams was 2-for-5 and shortstop Pedro Florimon Jr. was 1-for-2 with two runs scored.

Center fielder Joe Nowicki led the Shorebirds in the second game. He was 2-for-3 with two doubles and three RBIs. Figueroa and Florimon also had two hits for Delmarva in the second game.

Aberdeen IronBirds (A)

Score: Vermont Lake Monsters 5, Aberdeen IronBirds 0

Recap: IronBirds starting pitcher Cole McCurry (7-3) continued his shaky August, surrendering four runs (three earned) and four hits in five innings during the IronBirds’ 5-0 loss to Vermont at Ripken Stadium.

The IronBirds didn’t provide a lot of help for the left-handed starter. Aberdeen managed only five hits and they committed three errors. First baseman T.J. Baxter was 2-for-3. Designated hitter Greg Miclat, right fielder Arthur Bonevacia and center fielder Calvin Lester each had a hit for Aberdeen in the loss.

Posted by Dean Jones Jr. at 11:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Game recaps
        

The Norfolk Tides are looking to win the season series with a victory against the Durham Bulls tonight at Harbor Park. The Bowie Baysox can wrap up the Southern Division title in the Eastern League by sweeping the Trenton Thunder.

The Delmarva Shorebirds will complete a suspended game before facing the Lake County Captains in the regularly scheduled meeting between the two teams. The Aberdeen IronBirds face the Vermont Lake Monsters again and the Frederick Keys are idle.

Norfolk Tides (AAA)

Opponent

Durham Bulls

Probable pitchers

Norfolk: Ryan Bukvich (8-3. 4.26 ERA)
Durham: David Price (0-1, 4.85 ERA)

Notes

* Bukvich has allowed three hits in six shutout innings against the Bulls so far this season. He is 5-2 with a 3.28 ERA in 17 games at Harbor Park this year. Bukvich pitched a scoreless inning out of the bullpen against the Charlotte Knights on Aug. 23 in his last appearance. He had two strikeouts and walked one.

* Yesterday’s win was the 11th walk-off victory for the Tides this season. Norfolk is 24-21 in games decided by one run.

* Price was the first overall pick by the Tampa Bay Rays in the 2007 MLB draft. He was 11-0 with a 1.85 ERA in 15 starts split between Single-A Vero Beach and Double-A Montgomery before being promoted to Durham. In three starts for the Bulls, Price is 0-1 with a 4.85 ERA.

* The Tides have won six of their past seven games against Durham. Norfolk has scored 42 runs in those games. Each team has won 10 games in the season series and tonight’s game is the final meeting between the two teams in 2008.

Bowie Baysox (AA)

Opponent

Trenton Thunder

Probable pitchers

Bowie: Jason Berken (12-3, 3.37 ERA)
Trenton: Jeff Marquez (0-1, 3.60 ERA)

Notes

* Berken is 8-0 with a 1.98 ERA in his past 11 starts for Bowie. He currently ranks fourth in the Eastern League with 122 strikeouts. Teammates David Hernandez (161) and Chris Tillman (147) are first and second in the league in that category.

* Right fielder Nolan Reimold is 6-for-16 with three home runs, four RBIs and four runs scored in his past four games. He is currently fourth in the league with 22 home runs this season. Bowie’s Jeff Nettles has 23 home runs and former Baysox outfielder Lou Montanez continues to lead the Eastern League with 26.

* The Baysox will clinch the Southern Division championship for the first time in franchise history with a win or a loss by the Akron Aeros tonight. Bowie currently leads Akron by 5 1/2 games.

Delmarva Shorebirds (A)

Opponent

Lake County Captains

Probable pitchers

Delmarva: Chris Salberg (1-4, 3.86 ERA)
Lake County: Joey Mahalic (7-5, 4.02 ERA)

Notes

* Delmarva and Lake County will complete a suspended game prior to tonight’s regularly scheduled contest. The Shorebirds were leading 2-0 in the fourth inning on Aug. 9 at Lake County when rain forced play to be halted. The game will be completed from that point and a seven-inning game will follow. The starters listed above are for the second game.

* Salberg allowed three runs and eight hits in 4 1/3 innings against the Hagerstown Suns in his last start on Aug. 23. He had five strikeouts in the loss.

* Left fielder Robbie Widlansky was 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI triple in last night’s 3-0 victory over the Lakewood BlueClaws. He also scored a run. In six games since being promoted from Aberdeen, Widlansky is hitting .269 (7-for-26) with two doubles, two runs scored and two RBIs.

Aberdeen IronBirds (A)

Opponent

Vermont Lake Monsters

Probable pitchers

Aberdeen: Cole McCurry (7-2, 2.80 ERA)
Vermont: Will Atwood (1-1, 2.98 ERA)

Notes

* McCurry was 6-0 with a 1.31 ERA in July, but he is 0-2 with a 4.71 ERA in four outings so far this month. He allowed four runs and five hits in five innings pitched against the Tri-City ValleyCats in his last start on Aug. 23.

* Caleb Joseph’s grand slam in the third inning of last night’s game was only the fourth in team history, but three of them have been hit in 2008. T.J. Baxter hit one in the first game of the season and Tyler Kolodny hit a walk-off grand slam on Aug. 10.

* The IronBirds collected their 14th come-from-behind victory in last night’s game. Vermont scored in the third inning to take the 1-0 lead, which also snapped Aberdeen’s 12-game streak of scoring first.

Posted by Dean Jones Jr. at 5:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Game previews
        

The Bowie Baysox will be participating in the Eastern League postseason for the first time since 1997, but the team's individual accomplishments this year are also being rewarded.

Starting pitcher Brad Bergesen was selected as the league's Pitcher of the Year and manager Brad Komminsk was honored as the league's Manager of the Year. Former Baysox outfielder Lou Montanez, who was promoted to the Orioles earlier this month, was named the Eastern League Most Valuable Player.

Bergesen started the season for the Frederick Keys, but he joined the Baysox on April 21. In 23 games since being promoted, Bergesen is 15-5 with a 3.11 ERA. He started the Eastern League All-Star Game for the Southern Division and he was also selected to the league's postseason All-Star team. He currently leads the league in victories and WHIP (1.14). Bergesen established a franchise record in wins this season, breaking the previous record of 13. John Stephens won the award as a member of the Baysox in 2001.

Montanez hasn't played for the Baysox since Aug. 4, but he still leads the league in batting average (.335), home runs (26) and RBIs (97). He could become the first player to win the Triple Crown in the Eastern League since 1976. The 26-year-old outfielder also leads the league in runs scored (90), slugging percentage (.601), total bases (271) and extra-base hits (63). He is currently second in the league in hits (151), tied for fourth in doubles (32) and tied for 10th in on-base percentage (.385). He joins Calvin Pickering as the only Baysox players to win the Eastern League MVP. Pickering won the award in 1998.

For the second time in his career, Komminsk has won the award for the league's top manager. He also won during the 2002 season with the Akron Aeros. In his first season with the Baysox, Komminsk has led the team to an 82-55 record. Prior to coaching, Komminsk spent 17 seasons as an outfielder in professional baseball, including eight seasons in the major leagues.

Posted by Dean Jones Jr. at 11:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)
        

The Orioles selected left-handed pitcher Zach Britton in the third round of the 2006 MLB draft. Britton had played for Weatherford High School in Texas before being drafted by the Orioles.

Baltimore Sun reporter Jeff Zrebiec wrote a story about Britton that was published in yesterday’s newspaper. In the story, Britton discusses his decision to sign a professional contract with the Orioles and skip an opportunity to pitch at Texas A&M.

Britton started 11 games for the Bluefield Orioles in 2006, allowing 20 earned runs in 34 innings. He was 0-4 with 21 strikeouts and 20 walks. Last season, Britton made 15 starts for the Aberdeen IronBirds and finished 6-4 with a 3.68 ERA in 63 2/3 innings.

The biggest improvement for Britton came this season with the Delmarva Shorebirds. In 26 starts so far in 2008, the 20-year-old pitcher is 11-7 with a 3.18 ERA. The most important statistic, however, is his strikeout-to-walk ratio. Britton has 107 strikeouts and only 48 walks in 141 1/3 innings. While the numbers are not overwhelming, they represent a remarkable improvement for Britton from his first season in Bluefield.

As Zrebiec states in the article, Britton has excelled this year for the Shorebirds because he has worked hard to develop his off-speed repertoire over the past couple years.

When attempting to project Britton’s potential impact in the major leagues, it’s important to consider that he already has three professional seasons of experience and won’t celebrate his 21st birthday until Dec. 22. Britton has made substantial improvements in each season during his young career. While he is likely a few years away from helping the Orioles, the hopes will remain high for Britton as long as he keeps improving each year.

Don’t forget to keep checking back for more ‘Surveying the minors’ features about your favorite minor league players in the future.

General information

Name: Zach Britton
Age: 20
Height: 6 feet 2
Weight: 185 lbs.
Hometown: Weatherford, Texas
Nicknames: Rook / Lefty
Position: Left-handed pitcher
High school/college: Weatherford High School (Weatherford, Texas)
Time in professional baseball: Three years

Favorites

Current MLB player: Tom Glavine
All-time MLB player: Tom Glavine
Food: Latin
Music: Country
TV show: The Office
Movie: For Love of the Game
Hobbies: Spending time with friends and family

Other questions

1. What is one thing that you’d like the fans to know about you?

My brother, Buck, is a second baseman with the Orioles as well.

[Editor’s note: Buck Britton hit .289 with 14 RBIs and 19 runs scored in 47 games for Bluefield in 2008.]

2. At this point in your career, what has been your favorite moment?

Playing in the Hall of Fame Game in Cooperstown, N.Y., when Cal Ripken Jr. was inducted [into the National Baseball Hall of Fame] in 2007.

3. Who is your role model?

My father.

4. In the minor leagues, what do you do for fun on a road trip?

Sleep.

5. If you could play any other position, what would it be and why?

Designated hitter, so I could hit again.

The survey was distributed and returned by Delmarva’s media relations department. Check out other ‘Surveying the minors’ features about the O’s minor leaguers here.

Posted by Dean Jones Jr. at 6:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)
Categories: Surveying the minors
        

As I mentioned earlier, the game between the Frederick Keys and Lynchburg Hillcats was canceled due to rain. It’s not expected to be rescheduled at this time, but that could change if the result will affect the playoff race in the Carolina League.

The Norfolk Tides beat the Durham Bulls in extra innings and the Bowie Baysox defeated the Trenton Thunder again tonight. The Delmarva Shorebirds and Aberdeen IronBirds were also victorious.

Norfolk Tides (AAA)

Score: Norfolk Tides 5, Durham Bulls 4, 10 innings

Recap: First baseman Mike Costanzo’s one-out RBI single in the bottom of the 10th inning led the Tides to a 5-4 victory over Durham tonight at Harbor Park. Two errors by the Bulls in the inning allowed the Tides to load the bases prior to Costanzo’s game-winning hit. Costanzo was 3-for-4 with a double, three RBIs and a run scored.

Tides designated hitter Luis Terrero had a two-run double in the third inning, but he was thrown out while attempting to stretch it into a triple. Second baseman Eider Torres was 2-for-4 with two runs scored for Norfolk.

Starting pitcher Garrett Olson allowed three runs and four hits in seven innings for Norfolk. He had nine strikeouts and walked two, but didn’t factor in the decision. Tides reliever Kam Mickolio (1-0) pitched one scoreless inning with three strikeouts to earn the victory.

Bowie Baysox (AA)

Score: Bowie Baysox 4, Trenton Thunder 2

Recap: Baysox starting pitcher Zach Clark (4-1) allowed two runs and five hits in 7 1/3 innings pitched to lead Bowie to a 4-2 victory over Trenton tonight at Prince George’s Stadium. Clark has allowed four earned runs in 28 1/3 innings over his past four starts for the Baysox.

Third baseman Jeff Nettles was 2-for-4 with an RBI double and first baseman Ryan Finan scored two runs for Bowie. Catcher Matt Wieters was 1-for-4 with a run scored and designated hitter Jonathan Tucker had a triple, an RBI and a run scored.

Closer Julio Manon struck out all three hitters he faced in the ninth inning to collect his 32nd save of the season, which is the best in the Eastern League. The Baysox increased their lead to 5 1/2 games tonight because the game between the Akron Aeros and Altoona Curve was rained out.

Delmarva Shorebirds (A)

Score: Delmarva Shorebirds 3, Lakewood BlueClaws 0

Recap: Left-handed pitcher Nathan Nery (6-3) tossed seven shutout innings, allowing only four hits with three strikeouts, to lead the Shorebirds to a 3-0 victory over Lakewood. Left fielder Robbie Widlansky fueled the Shorebirds’ offense by going 2-for-4 with a double, an RBI triple and a run scored.

Second baseman Paco Figueroa and catcher Brendan Monaghan each had an RBI for the Shorebirds. Reliever Andrew Schindling pitched the final two innings to earn his first save of the season for Delmarva. With tonight’s victory, the Shorebirds finished with a 36-32 record away from Perdue Stadium, including 20-14 in the second half of the season.

Aberdeen IronBirds (A)

Score: Aberdeen IronBirds 5, Vermont Lake Monsters 1

Recap: Catcher Caleb Joseph led the IronBirds’ offensive attack by hitting a grand slam in the bottom of the third inning tonight to lead Aberdeen to a 5-1 victory over Vermont at Ripken Stadium. It was Joseph’s sixth home run of the season. First baseman Paul Chmiel was 3-for-3 with a double and a run scored for the IronBirds. Center fielder Calvin Lester had two hits and left fielder Arthur Bonevacia had an RBI for Aberdeen.

IronBirds starting pitcher Pat Egan (5-5) had another strong outing to pick up his third consecutive victory. He allowed one unearned run and four hits in six innings pitched. Reliever Oliver Drake had five strikeouts in three scoreless innings to pick up his first save of the season for Aberdeen.

Posted by Dean Jones Jr. at 10:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Game recaps
        

The Norfolk Tides return to Harbor Park for their final homestand of the 2008 season. The Bowie Baysox hope to continue their success against the Trenton Thunder. The Delmarva Shorebirds play their final road game of the season tonight. The Aberdeen IronBirds return home to Ripken Stadium to begin a seven-game homestand.

The game between the Frederick Keys and Lynchburg Hillcats has been canceled due to rain. It was the final scheduled meeting between the two teams this season, so the game won't be made up.

In case you missed it, Keys pitcher Jake Arrieta was named the Carolina League Pitcher of the Year earlier today.

Norfolk Tides (AAA)

Opponent

Durham Bulls

Probable pitchers

Norfolk: Garrett Olson (1-2, 2.76 ERA)
Durham: Ben Hendrickson (10-8, 4.54 ERA)

Notes

* Olson allowed five runs (four earned) and nine hits in five innings pitched against the Toledo Mud Hens in his last start on Aug. 22. Tonight will be the left-hander’s second start for Norfolk since being demoted by the Orioles.

* Catcher Omir Santos has hit .371 with four RBIs in 11 games against Durham so far in 2008. Outfielder Tike Redman has a .349 batting average with 16 runs scored in 18 games against the Bulls.

* Norfolk has a .271 team batting average so far this season, which ties the team for second in the International League with the Louisville Bats. The Rochester Red Wings lead the league with a .273 average.

* The Tides need to win three of their final four home games in order to finish with a .500 mark at home in 2008. Norfolk is currently 33-35 at Harbor Park.

Bowie Baysox (AA)

Opponent

Trenton Thunder

Probable pitchers

Bowie: Zach Clark (3-1, 2.70 ERA)
Trenton: Eric Hacker (7-3, 2.65 ERA)

Notes

* Clark has pitched at least six innings in six of his eight starts for Bowie this season. He picked up a win against the Reading Phillies in his last start on Aug. 21. Clark allowed one run and five hits in seven innings pitched.

* Outfielder Jonathan Tucker is 8-for-17 with a double, a home run, three RBIs and two runs scored in four games against Trenton so far this season.

* After last night’s victory, the Baysox are currently 4-0 against Trenton in 2008. The Thunder are currently in first place in the Northern Division of the Eastern League. Bowie leads the Akron Aeros by five games in the Southern Division.

Delmarva Shorebirds (A)

Opponent

Lakewood BlueClaws

Probable pitchers

Delmarva: Nathan Nery (5-3, 4.12 ERA)
Lakewood: Chance Chapman (7-5, 2.94 ERA)

Notes

* Nery pitched seven scoreless innings in his last start on Aug. 22 against the Hagerstown Suns. The 23-year-old left-handed starting pitcher had six strikeouts and only allowed two hits to earn his fifth victory of the season.

* Center fielder Matt Angle ranks sixth in the South Atlantic League with 37 stolen bases in 2008. He finished second in the New York-Penn League last season with 34 stolen bases in 66 games for Aberdeen.

* Second baseman Ryan Adams is eighth in the league with a .311 batting average in 114 games this season. Adams only hit .236 in 67 games for the IronBirds in 2007.

Aberdeen IronBirds (A)

Opponent

Vermont Lake Monsters

Probable pitchers

Aberdeen: Pat Egan (4-5, 3.70 ERA)
Vermont: Brad Peacock (3-5, 3.32 ERA)

Notes

* Egan has picked up a victory in three consecutive starts. The right-handed pitcher has only allowed three runs and struck out 18 hitters in 19 innings pitched during that span.

*The IronBirds have scored first in their past 12 games, but they have only won four of those games. The team has lost six straight games away from Ripken Stadium.

* Garabez Rosa was added to Aberdeen’s roster today after hitting .330 with four home runs and 29 RBIs in 49 games for the Gulf Coast Orioles this season. The 18-year-old infielder was fourth in the Gulf Coast League in batting average and third in hits (61).

Posted by Dean Jones Jr. at 5:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Game previews
        

Frederick Keys starting pitcher Jake Arrieta has been named the Carolina League Pitcher of the Year, the team announced in a news release today.

Arrieta becomes only the second Keys player to receive the honor. Orioles relief pitcher Jim Johnson also won the award with the Keys in 2005. The award has been given to the league’s top pitcher since the 1979 season.

Arrieta was the starting pitcher for the Carolina League in the Carolina/California League All-Star Game in Myrtle Beach, S.C., earlier this season. He also pitched for Team USA in the MLB Futures Game at Yankee Stadium and started one game for the United States during the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.

The 22-year-old starting pitcher was 6-5 with a league-leading 2.87 ERA in 20 starts for the Keys this season. He had 120 strikeouts in 113 1/3 innings and held opposing hitters to a .199 batting average. The Orioles selected the right-hander in the fifth round of the 2007 MLB draft.

Keys pitching coach Blaine Beatty won the award as a member of the Hagerstown Suns in 1987, two years before the Keys became a franchise. Other notable winners of the award include former Orioles Randy Myers (1984) and Kent Mercker (1988), as well as Charles Nagy (1989), Bartolo Colon (1995) and Rick Ankiel (1998).

Click here to read a recent O's on Deck Q&A with Arrieta.

Posted by Dean Jones Jr. at 3:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Rain caused the cancellation of tonight’s game between the Norfolk Tides and Charlotte Knights. The game will not be made up since it was the last game between the two teams this season and the result wouldn’t affect the postseason race.

The Bowie Baysox jumped way out in front of the Trenton Thunder and cruised to a 10-5 victory in a potential preview of the Eastern League championship. Trenton has already clinched the Northern Division and Bowie leads the Akron Aeros by five games in the Southern Division.

The Delmarva Shorebirds were officially eliminated from the South Atlantic League playoff race after the Lakewood BlueClaws beat them tonight. The Aberdeen IronBirds squandered an early lead in their loss and the Frederick Keys beat the Lynchburg Hillcats thanks to another strong pitching performance.

Bowie Baysox (AA)

Score: Bowie Baysox 10, Trenton Thunder 5

Recap: The Baysox used five home runs, including two by right fielder Nolan Reimold, to cruise to a 10-5 victory over Trenton in a matchup of division leaders at Prince George’s Stadium tonight. Bowie led 10-0 after eight innings and withstood a five-run ninth inning by the Thunder to win.

Reimold hit a two-run home run in the seventh inning and added a solo shot in the eighth. Center fielder Sebastien Boucher, designated hitter Mike Rodriguez and left fielder Jonathan Tucker also homered for the Baysox. Boucher and Tucker finished with three hits each.

Starting pitcher Chris Tillman (10-4) had eight strikeouts in six scoreless innings to earn the victory. He allowed four hits and walked two. Relief pitcher Chris Ray had two strikeouts in one inning pitched. Greg Aquino also pitched a scoreless inning.

Frederick Keys (A)

Score: Frederick Keys 7, Lynchburg Hillcats 3

Recap: Starting pitcher Brandon Erbe (10-12) dominated the Lynchburg hitters tonight, collecting nine strikeouts in seven innings pitched. Erbe allowed two hits and walked one in the Keys’ 7-3 victory over the Hillcats.

Keys center fielder Chris Amador was 2-for-4 with a grand slam, a double and two runs scored. First baseman Brandon Snyder was 3-for-5 with two doubles, two runs scored and an RBI. Third baseman Billy Rowell was 3-for-4 in the game.

Delmarva Shorebirds (A)

Score: Lakewood BlueClaws 4, Delmarva Shorebirds 3

Recap: The Shorebirds scored two unearned runs in the top of the eighth inning on an error by Lakewood second baseman Derrick Mitchell, but they couldn’t close out the victory. BlueClaws first baseman Mike Durant delivered a two-run double with two outs in the bottom of the eighth to propel Lakewood to the 4-3 victory over the Shorebirds.

Shorebirds shortstop Pedro Florimon Jr. was 2-for-3 with an RBI and designated hitter Ryan Adams had a double and scored a run. Left fielder Robbie Widlansky and first baseman Anthony Martinez both doubled for Delmarva. Starting pitcher Luis Noel allowed one run and two hits in five innings pitched, but he didn’t factor in the decision.

Aberdeen IronBirds (A)

Score: Oneonta Tigers 6, Aberdeen IronBirds 4

Recap: Oneonta scored four runs in the eighth inning against Aberdeen relievers Ryan O’Shea and Brandon Cooney to come from behind to complete the three-game sweep over the IronBirds. Aberdeen led 4-0 after two innings, but they couldn’t hold the lead.

The IronBirds wasted a strong pitching performance from starting pitcher Rick Zagone, who had eight strikeouts in five innings pitched. He allowed two runs and seven hits.

Aberdeen catcher Chad Durakis, who attended St. Paul’s School and the University of Maryland, was 3-for-4 with a double and a run scored. Center fielder Kraig Binick had two hits and two RBIs for the IronBirds. Designated hitter Greg Miclat was 2-for-4 and scored two runs.

Posted by Dean Jones Jr. at 11:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Game recaps
        

Prior to this season, Norfolk’s Oscar Salazar had only played 32 games above the Double-A level. Salazar became one of the top hitters in the International League this season and was named to the league’s postseason All-Star team today.

Salazar is third in the league with a .316 batting average and second in the league with 85 RBIs. The 30-year-old first baseman also has 13 home runs. He is hitting .423 against left-handed pitching in 2008. Salazar is hitting .366 with 19 RBIs in August.

Last season, Salazar was named to the Double-A Eastern League’s postseason All-Star team as a third baseman. Tides relief pitcher Cory Doyne was Norfolk’s lone representative on the IL’s postseason All-Star team last year.

Posted by Dean Jones Jr. at 5:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

The rehab tour through the minor leagues for Orioles relief pitchers Chris Ray and Greg Aquino continues today with a stop in Bowie. The two pitchers will each throw an inning for the Baysox during tonight’s game at Prince George’s Stadium against the Trenton Thunder. Ray is also expected to pitch an inning during Thursday night’s game for the Baysox.

The Orioles placed Aquino on the 15-day disabled list in mid-July with a strained left hamstring. In three rehab appearances – one each at Frederick, Aberdeen and Delmarva – the 30-year-old reliever has allowed only one hit with three strikeouts.

Ray is attempting to recover from Tommy John surgery in August of last year. He’s pitched well during his rehab stint, with the exception of his appearance at Frederick. In that game, Ray allowed two runs and three hits in one inning.

Norfolk Tides (AAA)

Opponent

Charlotte Knights

Probable pitchers

Norfolk: Ryan Bukvich (8-3, 4.26 ERA)
Charlotte: Tomo Ohka (5-11, 4.01 ERA)

Notes

* Bukvich was 1-3 with a 2.89 ERA and nine saves while pitching for Charlotte last season. He suffered the loss in his last start on Aug. 20 after pitching 3 2/3 innings against the Toledo Mud Hens, allowing six runs (five earned) and six hits. Bukvich pitched one scoreless inning of relief against Charlotte on Aug. 23.

* Tides reliever Jon Leicester has only allowed one earned run in 15 2/3 innings in August. He has 20 strikeouts and only two walks in nine games this month.

* Jim Miller is 0-3 with a 6.57 ERA in eight games vs. Charlotte this season, but he is 3-2 with a 2.44 ERA against the rest of the International League.

Bowie Baysox (AA)

Opponent

Trenton Thunder

Probable pitchers

Bowie: Chris Tillman (9-4, 3.32 ERA)
Trenton: Jason Jones (13-5, 2.79 ERA)

Notes

* Tillman pitched six scoreless innings on Aug. 14 against Trenton. He had seven strikeouts and only allowed three hits in the outing. Tillman has 36 strikeouts in his past four starts.

* Catcher Matt Wieters currently has a five-game hitting streak. He is batting .391 (34-for-87) with eight doubles, six home runs and 27 RBIs since July 29.

* Reliever Chad Thall has not allowed a run in nine of his past ten outings for the Baysox. The 23-year-old pitcher allowed four runs in one inning on Aug. 9 against the New Britain Rock Cats, but he didn’t give up any runs in 12 innings during the other nine appearances.

Frederick Keys (A)

Opponent

Lynchburg Hillcats

Probable pitchers

Frederick: Brandon Erbe (9-12, 4.51 ERA)
Lynchburg: Brad Lincoln (1-4, 4.86 ERA)

Notes

* Erbe pitched well in his last start on Aug. 21 against Lynchburg at Harry Grove Stadium. The 20-year-old right-hander pitched six scoreless innings and allowed only three hits. He had six strikeouts and walked two.

* Right-handed pitchers Jose Barajas and Ken Moreland were promoted to Frederick from the Bluefield Orioles before yesterday’s game. Barajas, who was the Orioles’ 26th-round draft pick in this year’s draft, pitched two scoreless innings during last night’s 5-0 victory over Lynchburg.

* The Keys have allowed four total hits in the past two games, but they only won one of the two. Keys starting pitcher Kyle Schmidt no-hit Salem for seven innings on Sunday, but the Keys lost, 2-1, after the Avalanche used three hits over the final two innings to score two runs. Last night, five Frederick pitchers combined to throw a one-hit shutout against Lynchburg.

Delmarva Shorebirds (A)

Opponent

Lakewood BlueClaws

Probable pitchers

Delmarva: Luis Noel (10-8, 4.05 ERA)
Lakewood: Julian Sampson (10-4, 4.35 ERA)

Notes

* Noel has struggled in the second half of the 2008 season. He is 3-7 since the All-Star break. However, Noel is 1-0 with a 1.50 ERA in two starts against the BlueClaws this season. He had 10 strikeouts in seven innings against Lakewood on June 14.

* With last night’s victory over Lakewood, the Shorebirds kept alive their slim playoff hopes. Delmarva is six games behind the West Virginia Power with eight games left to play. Any combination of losses by Delmarva or wins by West Virginia that equals two will eliminate the Shorebirds. For example, the Shorebirds would be officially eliminated if they lose tonight and West Virginia wins.

Aberdeen IronBirds (A)

Opponent

Oneonta Tigers

Probable pitchers

Aberdeen: Rick Zagone (6-1, 3.23 ERA)
Oneonta: Matt Hoffman (1-5, 3.29 ERA)

Notes

* Zagone has picked up a win in three of his past four starts and he has 27 strikeouts in those four appearances. He allowed no runs and one hit in six innings during his last start against the Tri-City ValleyCats on Aug. 21.

* IronBirds third baseman Tyler Kolodny had a throwing error in the sixth inning of yesterday’s game. Aberdeen has now committed an error in 10 of its past 11 games. The team had five errors in Sunday’s game and has 16 defensive miscues over that span.

* Shortstop Greg Miclat had a pinch-hit single in the ninth inning of Sunday’s game against Oneonta. IronBirds’ pinch hitters are now 3-for-19 this season.

Posted by Dean Jones Jr. at 4:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Game previews
        

The Orioles selected left-handed pitcher Rick Zagone in the sixth round of this year’s MLB draft and he was assigned to the Aberdeen IronBirds after signing his contract. He attended the University of Missouri for three years before being drafted.

Zagone was pretty successful during his freshman year for Missouri, but he seemed to digress in his next two seasons with the Tigers. He was 6-3 with a 3.28 ERA and 48 strikeouts in 68 2/3 innings pitched in his first year. In his sophomore season, Zagone was 7-2 with two complete games, but his ERA jumped to 5.03. Things got worse for Zagone during his junior season, which was earlier this year. He lost his spot in the Tigers’ starting rotation and was only 2-3 with a 5.25 ERA in 70 1/3 innings pitched.

But the 21-year-old left-hander has shown a lot of promise in his first two months of professional baseball. In 12 games (eight starts) with Aberdeen, Zagone is 6-1 with a 3.23 ERA. He has shown the ability to get a lot more strikeouts than he ever did in college. Through 47 1/3 innings pitched for the IronBirds in 2008, Zagone has 57 strikeouts. He never averaged more than one strikeout per inning during his three years at Missouri.

Zagone’s best start so far this season was against the Vermont Lake Monsters on Aug. 13. He had 11 strikeouts and only allowed one run and two hits in six innings. He also had nine strikeouts in five innings against the Jamestown Jammers on July 17. Both games resulted in victories for Zagone.

It’s not very clear what Zagone’s role will be in the major leagues. Some analysts see him becoming a reliever, but I think Zagone will make it hard for the Orioles to shift him away from being a starter. He deserves to keep starting games as long as he keeps getting strikeouts and logging innings during his climb through the minor leagues.

Don’t forget to keep checking back for more ‘Surveying the minors’ features about your favorite minor league players in the future.

General information

Name: Rick Zagone
Age: 21
Height: 6’4”
Weight: 210 lbs.
Hometown: Crystal Lake, Ill.
Nicknames: Zone, Zags, Goney
Position: Left-handed pitcher
High school/college: University of Missouri
Time in professional baseball: First year

Favorites

Current MLB player: Carlos Zambrano
All-time MLB player: Mark Grace
MLB team: Chicago Cubs
Sport (other than baseball): Football
Food: Pasta
Music: Rap
TV show: Seinfeld
Movie: Dumb and Dumber
Hobbies: Golf and cards

Other questions

1. At this point in your career, what has been your favorite moment?

Starting my first professional game for the IronBirds.

2. Who is your role model?

My parents.

3. In the minor leagues, what do you do for fun on a road trip?

Play cards and go to the movies.

4. If you could play any other position, what would it be and why?

First base, because I grew up playing there.

The survey was distributed and returned by Aberdeen’s media relations department. Check out other ‘Surveying the minors’ features about the Orioles' minor leaguers here.

Posted by Dean Jones Jr. at 6:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Surveying the minors
        

The Norfolk Tides defeated the Charlotte Knights in a game that was ended early because of rain. Frederick’s bullpen stepped up to help the Keys beat the Lynchburg Hillcats and the Delmarva Shorebirds got another solid pitching performance to beat the Lakewood BlueClaws. The Aberdeen IronBirds lost to the Oneonta Tigers.

Norfolk Tides (AAA)

Score: Norfolk Tides 4, Charlotte Knights 1, 8 innings

Recap: Tides starting pitcher Craig Anderson (7-8) allowed one run and seven hits in 6 1/3 innings to pick up the win in Norfolk’s rain-shortened 4-1 victory over Charlotte. He is now 5-0 with a 3.05 ERA in eight games (six starts) since the All-Star break. The game was halted due to rain with two outs in the top of the eighth inning.

Center fielder Jeff Fiorentino and shortstop Luis Hernandez had back-to-back RBI doubles in the fifth inning for the Tides. Third baseman Freddie Bynum was 1-for-3 with two runs scored.

I found it very interesting that Norfolk’s starting lineup in tonight’s game included four players that have played shortstop for the Orioles this season – Hernandez, Bynum, first baseman Brandon Fahey and second baseman Eider Torres.

Frederick Keys (A)

Score: Frederick Keys 5, Lynchburg Hillcats 0

Recap: After starting pitcher Jake Renshaw was placed on the disabled list before the game with a sore elbow, the Keys were forced to split his start between several relievers. The unexpected move worked because Frederick only allowed one hit in the game and took advantage of five errors by Lynchburg to pick up the 5-0 victory.

Keys pitcher Brett Bordes started the game and had two strikeouts and one walk in two innings pitched. Relief pitcher Ryan Ouellette (4-7) earned the win after pitching the third and fourth innings. Mick Mattaliano, Jose Barajas and Ryan Rodriguez combined for the final five innings. Mattaliano allowed a one-out double to Hillcats shortstop Brian Friday in the sixth inning for Lynchburg’s only hit.

Second baseman Miguel Abreu and first baseman Brandon Snyder each had three hits for the Keys. Designated hitter Chris Vinyard had two RBIs.

Delmarva Shorebirds (A)

Score: Delmarva Shorebirds 8, Lakewood BlueClaws 3

Recap: Shortstop Tyler Henson and catcher Wally Crancer both hit home runs in the Shorebirds’ 8-3 victory over Lakewood. Starting pitcher Sean Gleason (12-1) allowed one run and three hits in six innings to earn the victory.

Right fielder Joe Nowicki, Henson and Crancer each had three hits for Delmarva. Third baseman Jedidiah Stephen was 0-for-4 and he remains hitless in four games since being called up from Aberdeen.

Second baseman Ryan Adams scored two runs, but he committed his 50th error of the season in the eighth inning. The defensive miscue ties him with Juan Samuel for the most errors by a second baseman in a single season in the history of the South Atlantic League.

Aberdeen IronBirds (A)

Score: Oneonta Tigers 4, Aberdeen IronBirds 2

Recap: Oneonta scored three runs (two earned) against Aberdeen reliever Anthony Kirbis in the bottom of the sixth inning to defeat the IronBirds, 4-2. Starting pitcher Nathan Moreau allowed one run and four hits in five innings pitched for Aberdeen.

Right fielder Jacob Julius was 2-for-3 with an RBI for the IronBirds. Catcher Caleb Joseph was 1-for-4 with a run scored and shortstop Greg Miclat was 0-for-3.

Posted by Dean Jones Jr. at 11:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Game recaps
        

The Delmarva Shorebirds are honoring Nick Markakis by giving away bobbleheads in the likeness of the Orioles outfielder to the first 1,000 fans at Friday night's game against the Lake County Captains.

The bobblehead doll features Markakis in his Shorebirds uniform. He played for Delmarva during the 2004 season. Markakis hit .299 with 11 home runs, 22 doubles, 64 RBIs and 12 stolen bases in 96 games that year.

I'm going to make an educated guess here and say this bobblehead giveaway will probably be pretty popular. It's close to Ocean City on Labor Day weekend and it's involving one of the biggest stars on the Orioles, so I think there will be plenty of people lining up early for this one.

Friday night's game is scheduled for 7:05 p.m., but the gates open an hour before the first pitch. Make sure you get there early if you plan on going. For more details, check out the Shorebirds' Web site.

Posted by Dean Jones Jr. at 7:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

The playoff-bound Bowie Baysox are idle, but there is still plenty of baseball to be played in the Orioles’ minor-league system tonight.

The Norfolk Tides continue their three-game series on the road against the Charlotte Knights. The Frederick Keys will play the Lynchburg Hillcats to begin their final series on the road in 2008. The Delmarva Shorebirds begin a crucial three-game series against the Lakewood BlueClaws and the Aberdeen IronBirds play the Oneonta Tigers.

One quick note: I've received a few requests to link to the official Web sites of the different O's affiliates in the game previews and recaps. Unfortunately, the blog software was giving me trouble when I was trying to do this over the past couple days. I'm not sure what the problem is, but you can access the different sites by clicking here. You can also find this information all the time by clicking on "Links: O's affiliates, area teams" on the right side of this blog under the different resources that are listed.

Another quick note: I'm attempting to compile a list of current minor leaguers from Maryland for use in the future on the blog. I'm off to a pretty good start, but it's nearly impossible to name every player. Please e-mail me if you know of someone from the state (or that played in college here). Thanks in advance for the help.

Norfolk Tides (AAA)

Opponent

Charlotte Knights

Pitchers

Norfolk: Craig Anderson (6-8, 6.47 ERA)
Charlotte: Charlie Haeger (9-12, 4.63 ERA)

Notes

* Anderson is 4-0 with a 3.34 ERA in seven games (five starts) since the All-Star break. The 27-year-old pitcher allowed three runs or less in each of those seven games. He pitched two scoreless innings of relief against the Toledo Mud Hens on Aug. 21 to pick up the win in his last appearance.

* Outfielder Chris Roberson leads the International League with 21 outfield assists. Roberson also has a six-game hitting streak. He is 10-for-24 with a home run and four RBIs during that span.

* Norfolk leads the league with a .339 batting average (42-for-124) with the bases loaded. With eight games remaining, the Tides have scored 605 runs. The team scored 568 runs last season and 497 in 2006.

Frederick Keys (A)

Opponent

Lynchburg Hillcats

Pitchers

Frederick: Brett Bordes (0-1, 11.57 ERA)
Lynchburg: Michael Crotta (9-9, 4.82 ERA)

Notes

* Jake Renshaw was originally scheduled to make tonight's start for the Keys, but he was placed on the disabled list with elbow inflammation. Instead, Bordes will be making his first career start. He's expected to pitch two or three innings before the Keys go to the bullpen.

* Lynchburg won two out of three games against the Keys in Frederick last week. Two of the three games went into extra innings. Frederick’s only win was in the series finale when third baseman Billy Rowell hit a walk-off solo home run to give the Keys a 2-1 victory.

Delmarva Shorebirds (A)

Opponent

Lakewood BlueClaws

Pitchers

Delmarva: Sean Gleason (11-1, 2.65 ERA)
Lakewood: Vance Worley (2-1, 2.29 ERA)

Notes

* Gleason makes his 20th start for the Shorebirds tonight. He pitched seven scoreless innings against Hagerstown in his last start on Aug. 20 to earn his 11th victory of the season. The 23-year-old right-hander hasn’t allowed a home run since Lakewood’s Michael Taylor hit one against him on June 8. He has thrown 90 2/3 innings without surrendering another home run.

* The Shorebirds have nine games remaining in the 2008 season and they currently trail the West Virginia Power by six games. Lakewood is 2 1/2 games behind West Virginia, so the three-game series between the two teams will play a major role in the final standings. The two teams also play three games in Delmarva to conclude the regular season.

Aberdeen IronBirds (A)

Opponent

Oneonta Tigers

Pitchers

Aberdeen: Nathan Moreau (1-1, 5.96 ERA)
Oneonta: TBA

Notes

* Moreau has 34 strikeouts in 22 2/3 innings for the IronBirds in 2008, but he’s allowed 17 runs (15 earned). He allowed six earned runs and four hits in 2 2/3 innings pitched against the Vermont Lake Monsters in his last appearance on Aug. 12.

* The IronBirds had 12 home runs from Aug. 1-17, including six by third baseman Tyler Kolodny, but the team hasn’t hit one in the four games since the All-Star break. The IronBirds are 15-11 when they hit at least one home run.

* Caleb Joseph and T.J. Baxter each have 14 multi-hit games for Aberdeen, which is the most on the team. Joseph tied a franchise-record with five hits against the Jamestown Jammers on July 16.

Posted by Dean Jones Jr. at 4:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Game previews
        

Frederick Keys starting pitcher Brandon Erbe has made 27 starts this season, which is tied for the most in the Carolina League. He has pitched 143 2/3 innings and is tied for the league lead with two complete games. Erbe, who graduated from the McDonogh School, also leads the league in strikeouts with 142.

Despite these impressive numbers, there’s still plenty of room for improvement. The 20-year-old right-hander also ranks first in the league in a not-so-desirable category – most home runs allowed. He has surrendered 21 home runs this year. This comes after he finished tied for fourth in the league last season with 14 home runs allowed in 119 1/3 innings pitched. Erbe is 9-12 with a 4.51 ERA at Frederick in 2008.

While he’s still young, Erbe needs to cut down on the home runs allowed if he hopes to have a successful career in the major leagues someday in the future.

Erbe recently answered the following survey for O’s on Deck. The survey was distributed and returned by Frederick’s media relations department. Keep in mind that this survey is designed to give you a glimpse at what Erbe is like outside of what you see on the baseball field.

Don’t forget to keep checking back for more ‘Surveying the minors’ features about your favorite minor league players. Tomorrow, I’ll offer a look at Aberdeen IronBirds starting pitcher Rick Zagone.

General information

Name: Brandon Erbe
Age: 20
Height: 6’4”
Weight: 190 lbs.
Hometown: Baltimore
Nicknames: Erb Sauce
Position: Right-handed pitcher
High school/college: McDonogh School
Time in professional baseball: 3 1/2 years

Favorites

All-time MLB player: Nolan Ryan
MLB team: Orioles
Sport (other than baseball): Football and basketball
Food: Pizza, McDonald’s Big Mac
Music: Everything
TV show: The Office, Dexter, Entourage
Movie: Boondock Saints
Hobbies: Hunting, playing the guitar

Other questions

1. What is one thing that you’d like the fans to know about you?

I was born on Christmas Day and they put all of the babies in stockings at the hospital. I was too fat, so they had to just put a Santa hat on me.

2. At this point in your career, what has been your favorite moment?

Winning the Carolina League championship (Mill’s Cup) in 2007 with the Keys.

3. Who is your role model?

My dad.

4. In the minor leagues, what do you do for fun on a road trip?

Listen to music, play cards and do crossword puzzles.

5. If you could play any other position, what would it be and why?

Outfield, so I can make throws and hit.

Posted by Dean Jones Jr. at 4:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (13)
Categories: Surveying the minors
        

For the second consecutive day, only one of the Orioles’ affiliates was victorious. The Bowie Baysox beat the Binghamton Mets, 4-2, while the other four teams all lost in close games.

The Norfolk Tides lost by one run in extra innings to the Charlotte Knights. The Aberdeen IronBirds and Frederick Keys both lost by a run and the Delmarva Shorebirds lost by two runs.

Norfolk Tides (AAA)

Score: Charlotte Knights 2, Norfolk Tides 1, 10 innings

Recap: The Tides left 14 runners on base and were 0-for-10 with runners in scoring position during the 2-1 loss to Charlotte in 10 innings. Norfolk starting pitcher Andy Mitchell allowed one run and six hits in nine innings pitched, but didn’t factor in the decision.

Reliever Jim Miller (3-5) suffered the loss after allowing an unearned run in the 10th inning. Knights right fielder Jason Bourgeois singled home Jason Tyner with two outs. Tyner had reached on an error by Tides third baseman Freddie Bynum.

Norfolk right fielder Chris Roberson had two of the team’s four hits, including a game-tying solo home run to lead off the seventh inning.

Bowie Baysox (AA)

Score: Bowie Baysox 4, Binghamton Mets 2

Recap: Catcher Matt Wieters was 2-for-3 with a double and a two-run home run to lead the Baysox to a 4-2 victory over Binghamton in the series finale between the two teams. First baseman Ryan Finan also had two hits for the Baysox.

Starting pitcher David Hernandez (9-4) pitched seven innings, allowing two runs and four hits to collect his fourth consecutive victory. He struck out five Binghamton hitters and walked three. Julio Manon pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings to collect his league-leading 31st save of the season.

The Akron Aeros lost to the New Britain Rock Cats, so Bowie now holds a five-game lead in the Southern Division. Each team has seven games remaining.

Frederick Keys (A)

Score: Salem Avalanche 2, Frederick Keys 1

Recap: Starting pitcher Kyle Schmidt didn’t give up any hits in seven innings pitched, but the Keys lost, 2-1, after Avalanche center fielder Cesar Quintero hit a two-run single with one out in the bottom of the ninth inning. Keys reliever Ryan Rodriguez suffered the loss after allowing two walks and a hit.

Like Norfolk, the Keys simply weren’t able to come up with a clutch hit when they needed it. On the night, they hit into four double plays and had ten runners left on base. Three Frederick players were also picked off in the game.

Keys center fielder Chris Amador was 3-for-4 in the game. Designated hitter Brandon Snyder was 2-for-3 and scored the team’s only run.

Delmarva Shorebirds (A)

Score: Hagerstown Suns 4, Delmarva Shorebirds 2

Recap: Hagerstown scored four runs in the bottom of the fifth inning and that’s all they needed in the team’s 4-2 victory over the Shorebirds. Starting pitcher Zach Britton retired the first 12 hitters he faced for Delmarva, but he ran into trouble in the fifth. After giving up a leadoff double to Suns catcher Sean Rooney, Britton walked the next two hitters to load the bases. Hagerstown’s next four hitters all produced RBI singles.

Britton (11-7) allowed four runs and seven hits in six innings pitched. The 20-year-old pitcher had eight strikeouts, but he couldn’t overcome the one rough inning. Reliever Chris Ray continued his injury rehab by pitching a scoreless inning in the game. He had two strikeouts. Greg Aquino also pitched a perfect inning.

Shorebirds center fielder Matt Angle was 1-for-2 with two walks and two runs scored. Jedidiah Stephen remained hitless at Delmarva, going 0-for-4 with two more strikeouts in today’s game.

Aberdeen IronBirds (A)

Score: Oneonta Tigers 6, Aberdeen IronBirds 5

Recap: The IronBirds seemed to forget the fundamentals in tonight’s 6-5 loss at Oneonta. Aberdeen commited five errors and the Tigers capitalized, scoring five unearned runs in the game. The five errors were the most in a single game by the IronBirds this season. Shortstop Jason Altenhof had two defensive miscues and pitcher Aaron Odom, third baseman Tyler Kolodny and catcher Caleb Joseph all had one each.

Designated hitter Kraig Binick was 1-for-3 with a double, two RBIs and a run scored. Greg Miclat had a pinch-hit single in the ninth inning, but he was thrown out trying to stretch it into a double.

Posted by Dean Jones Jr. at 10:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Game recaps
        

After a bunch of tough losses in the minor leagues last night, the Orioles' affiliates will try to reverse their misfortunes today. The Norfolk Tides, Bowie Baysox, Delmarva Shorebirds and Aberdeen IronBirds all hope to rebound and collect victories today. The Frederick Keys hope to keep winning in order to keep their slim playoff hopes alive.

Norfolk Tides (AAA)

Opponent

Charlotte Knights

Pitchers

Norfolk: Andy Mitchell (12-7, 4.37 ERA)
Charlotte: Lance Broadway (11-7, 4.66 ERA)

Notes

* Mitchell is attempting to collect his 13th win of the season tonight, which would move him into a tie for second in the International League. If he wins, Mitchell will move into a tie for sixth place on the Tides’ list of pitchers with the most wins in a single season.

* As I mentioned last night in the game recap, Tides infielder Oscar Salazar exited last night’s game in the third inning. I was told by the team’s media relations department that he left the game due to a cramp in his calf. It doesn’t sound too serious, so it wouldn’t be a surprise if he’s back in the lineup tonight.

* Tike Redman continues to hit very well for the Tides. After going 2-for-4 in last night’s game, Redman is now hitting .299 this season. The 31-year-old outfielder is 15-for-45 with a home run and four RBIs against Charlotte this season.

* The Tides are 31-18 since July 1, which is the third-best record in the International League over that span.

Bowie Baysox (AA)

Opponent

Binghamton Mets

Pitchers

Bowie: David Hernandez (8-4, 2.58 ERA)
Binghamton: Jose Sanchez (13-6, 3.77 ERA)

Notes

* Hernandez has won his past three decisions, but he lasted only four innings in his last start against Reading on Aug. 19. The right-handed pitcher only allowed one run and four hits, but walked four batters to earn the no-decision.

* Sanchez has pitched well for the Mets in 2008. He has also won his past three decisions. In his last start, Sanchez tossed eight shutout innings against the New Hampshire Fisher Cats on Aug. 19.

* Today will be the final meeting between Bowie and Binghamton this season. The Mets have won five games, while the Baysox have only won three.

Frederick Keys (A)

Opponent

Salem Avalanche

Pitchers

Frederick: Kyle Schmidt (4-4, 3.80 ERA)
Salem: Douglas Arguello (10-5, 3.37 ERA)

Notes

* Schmidt is 2-1 with a 2.33 ERA in five starts since re-joining Frederick’s rotation. He has hit 15 batters so far this season, which is the most in the Carolina League.

* In the first two games of the series, there have been 26 runs and 44 hits. However, neither team has hit a home run.

* Frederick is 9-10 against Salem in 2008. The Keys trail the Wilmington Blue Rocks by five games. Each team has eight games remaining on their schedule.

Delmarva Shorebirds (A)

Opponent

Hagerstown Suns

Pitchers

Delmarva: Zach Britton (11-6, 3.06 ERA)
Hagerstown: Cole Kimball (5-8, 5.42 ERA)

Notes

* Britton makes his 26th start of the season today for the Shorebirds. The 20-year-old left-hander is 2-1 with a 2.33 ERA against Hagerstown in 2008. He pitched six innings in his last start against the Savannah Sand Gnats on Aug. 18, allowing two runs and one hit. He had seven strikeouts and five walks in the game.

* Orioles relief pitcher Chris Ray is expected to continue his rehab from a shoulder injury by pitching one inning for the Shorebirds today.

* Today’s game is the 22nd and final meeting between the two teams this season. The Shorebirds are 13-9 against Hagerstown so far in 2008. Each team has won two games in the current series.

Aberdeen IronBirds (A)

Opponent

Oneonta Tigers

Pitchers

Aberdeen: Aaron Odom (2-4, 4.45 ERA)
Oneonta: TBA

Notes

* Odom pitched well against the Lowell Spinners in his last start on Aug. 16. The 23-year-old left-hander allowed one run and six hits in five innings pitched. He had five strikeouts in the game.

* Shortstop Greg Miclat is 5-for-11 with two doubles and two runs scored in his first three games for Aberdeen.

* The IronBirds are 2-1 against Oneonta in 2008. They lost to the Tigers on July 29, but won the final two games of the series at Ripken Stadium.

Posted by Dean Jones Jr. at 1:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Game previews
        

Minor league outfielder Robbie Widlansky just finished one of the most eventful weeks in his young professional career.

On Tuesday, Widlansky participated in the New York-Penn League All-Star Game. He entered the game in the fifth inning as a defensive replacement and finished 0-for-2 with a strikeout in the game. Widlansky earned his spot in the game by hitting .279 with four home runs, 29 RBIs and 23 runs scored for the Aberdeen IronBirds before the All-Star break.

Less than 24 hours later, Widlansky was on his way to join the Delmarva Shorebirds. After playing well for the IronBirds, the 23-year-old outfielder is going to get a chance to show what he can do at the next level. He made his debut on Thursday night and was 1-for-5 in the game.

Widlansky recently answered the following survey for O’s on Deck. The survey was distributed and returned by the Aberdeen IronBirds’ media relations department before the outfielder was promoted to Delmarva. Keep in mind that this survey is designed to give you a glimpse at what Widlansky is like outside of what you see on the baseball field.

Don’t forget to keep checking back for more ‘Surveying the minors’ features about your favorite minor league players. Tomorrow, I’ll offer a look at Frederick Keys starting pitcher Brandon Erbe.

General information

Name: Robbie Widlansky
Age: 23
Height: 6’2”
Weight: 205 lbs.
Hometown: Coral Springs, Fla.
Nicknames: Woody
Position: Outfield
High school/college: Florida Atlantic University
Time in professional baseball: Two years

Favorites

Current MLB player: Derek Jeter
All-time MLB player: Mickey Mantle
MLB team: Florida Marlins
Sport (other than baseball): Football
Food: Sushi
Music: Rap and hip-hop
TV show: Baseball Tonight
Movie: Cool Runnings
Hobbies: Video games

Other questions

1. What is one thing that you’d like the fans to know about you?

I used to switch hit, but now I just hit lefty.

2. At this point in your career, what has been your favorite moment?

Playing in front of all the big crowds.

3. Who is your role model?

My dad and brothers are my role models.

4. In the minor leagues, what do you do for fun on a road trip?

Play video games, play cards and make fun of teammates.

Posted by Dean Jones Jr. at 9:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Surveying the minors
        

It’s a good thing that the Frederick Keys were able to win their game tonight because the other four Orioles affiliates lost. The Keys scored seven runs in the seventh inning to defeat the Salem Avalanche.

The Norfolk Tides scored four runs in the top of the first inning, but they weren’t able to hold off the Charlotte Knights. Bowie’s 11-game winning streak in road games was snapped, Delmarva’s late comeback was halted and the IronBirds couldn’t win with an All-Star pitcher on the mound.

As I stated in my game previews earlier today, I attended the game at Ripken Stadium between the Aberdeen IronBirds and the Tri-City ValleyCats. Although the IronBirds started New York-Penn League All-Star Cole McCurry, they were unable to complete the sweep against the ValleyCats, losing 7-3. There are some more detailed observations at the bottom of this entry, including thoughts on new IronBirds shortstop Greg Miclat.

Norfolk Tides (AAA)

Score: Charlotte Knights 9, Norfolk Tides 5

Recap: Tides starting pitcher Brian Burres was scratched from tonight’s start, which seems to indicate that he’ll be returning to the Orioles in the near future. The Tides split up the game between six different pitchers, but the strategy didn’t work very well as they lost to the Knights, 9-5.

Bob McCrory started the game and allowed two runs in two innings. Cory Doyne gave up three runs and five hits in three innings. Gary Knotts (2-6) suffered the loss after giving up a run in his second appearance since joining the Tides from the Phillies. Ryan Bukvich was the only Tides pitcher not to allow any runs. He pitched a scoreless inning with two strikeouts and a walk.

Mike Costanzo and Eider Torres both had three hits for the Tides. Left fielder Tike Redman remained hot with two more hits tonight. First baseman Oscar Salazar had a single in his first at-bat, but Brandon Fahey pinch-hit for him in the third inning. I’m not sure why he left the game early, but I’ve asked for an explanation and will pass along any information that I receive.

Bowie Baysox (AA)

Score: Binghamton Mets 6, Bowie Baysox 2

Recap: Baysox starting pitcher Brad Bergesen lost for the second consecutive start after allowing three runs and five hits in four innings pitched. The 22-year-old starting pitcher had three strikeouts and he walked two in the 6-2 loss at Binghamton. It was Bowie’s first road loss in their past 12 games away from Prince George’s Stadium.

Right fielder Nolan Reimold hit a solo home run to lead off the ninth inning for the Baysox. It was Reimold’s 20th home run of the season and he finished 3-for-4 in the game. Third baseman Jeff Nettles also had three hits for the Baysox.

The Akron Aeros lost also lost tonight, so the Baysox maintain their four-game lead in the Southern Division of the Eastern League.

Frederick Keys (A)

Score: Frederick Keys 9, Salem Avalanche 2

Recap: It was a big offensive night for several Frederick players in a 9-2 rout over Salem. The Keys scored seven runs in the top of the seventh inning to break open a 2-2 tie. Right fielder Paul Winterling was 3-for-5 with four RBIs and he was a home run short of hitting for the cycle. Left fielder Todd Davison was 3-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored. Brandon Snyder, Chris Amador and Billy Rowell all had two hits for Frederick.

Keys starting pitcher Timothy Bascom (6-5) allowed two runs and seven hits in six innings pitched to earn the victory. He had four strikeouts and didn’t walk anyone. Relievers Jeff Moore and Mick Mattaliano combined for three shutout innings to wrap up the win.

Delmarva Shorebirds (A)

Score: Hagerstown Suns 4, Delmarva Shorebirds 3

Recap: The Shorebirds scored three runs in the top of the eighth inning to close within one run, but they were unable to complete their comeback in a 4-3 loss to Hagerstown. Designated hitter Paco Figueroa had two hits for Delmarva, including an RBI double in the three-run eighth.

Left fielder Robbie Widlansky and second baseman Ryan Adams were both 2-for-4 in the game. Third baseman Jedidiah Stephen was 0-for-4 with four strikeouts. He is now 0-for-9 with eight strikeouts in two games at Delmarva.

Aberdeen IronBirds (A)

Score: Tri-City ValleyCats 7, Aberdeen IronBirds 3

Recap: I can provide a detailed analysis of the IronBirds’ 7-3 loss tonight since I was in attendance for the game against Tri-City. The IronBirds used two hits and a walk to score a run in the first inning against ValleyCats starting pitcher Ashton Mowdy. However, they stranded two runners in the inning. The IronBirds left the bases loaded in the second and it was pretty obvious that a losing tone was set for the evening.

For the first three innings, McCurry (7-2) looked much like he did when he won seven straight games in July. He retired the first nine Tri-City hitters that he faced, but ran into trouble in the fourth inning. After he threw a slow curveball for a strike to ValleyCats center fielder Jack Shuck, he tried to throw the same pitch again and Shuck crushed it into the Ironbirds’ bullpen in right field. McCurry gave up back-to-back singles, hit a batter and then walked in a run before retiring the final three batters to escape with the bases loaded.

After allowing a lead-off single to Tri-City’s Reinaldo Pestana in the next inning, McCurry surrendered another home run to Shuck. Amazingly, it was on the exact same pitch that he threw in the previous at-bat. The IronBirds must have been under the impression that Shuck couldn’t hit curveballs. Shuck only had two home runs coming into the game, but he doubled that total tonight.

In the sixth inning, the ValleyCats scored two runs against reliever Oliver Drake, who was making his first appearance for Aberdeen. A throwing error by IronBirds second baseman Tom Edwards – by the way, I thought the error should have been charged to first baseman Paul Chmiel because he simply missed the throw from Edwards – allowed another run to score in the eighth inning.

I was able to get my first look at Miclat in tonight’s game and I was very impressed. At first glance, the switch-hitting shortstop reminds me of Orioles second baseman Brian Roberts. Miclat is approximately the same size and build as Roberts and looks like he has the ability to spread the ball around the entire field when hitting. He had two opposite-field singles and a double in the game. In the ninth inning, Miclat reached on an error. It was a slow grounder to the shortstop and I think it could have been ruled a hit. Overall, Miclat was 3-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored.

Posted by Dean Jones Jr. at 11:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Game recaps
        

Bluefield Orioles outfielder Ronnie Welty was one of 14 players named to the Appalachian League's postseason All-Star team.

St. Louis Cardinals hitting prospect Curt Smith was selected as the league's Player of the Year and Minnesota Twins pitching prospect Dan Osterbrock was honored as the Pitcher of the Year.

I'd like to offer special thanks to reader/poster Mike for pointing out this article on the league's Web site that announces the members of the postseason list.

Through Friday night, Welty is hitting .310 with two home runs and 32 RBIs in 53 games. He has 13 doubles and 25 runs scored. The 20-year-old outfielder was selected by the Orioles in the 20th round of this year's MLB draft.

Speaking of Bluefield, switch-hitting first baseman Elvin Polanco is leading the team with a .321 batting average, 10 home runs and 41 RBIs. The 21-year-old native of the Dominican Republic is 10th in the league in batting average, tied for fifth in home runs and tied for fifth in RBIs.

Bluefield is currently 27-35 and in third place in the East Division, 9 1/2 games behind the Pulaski Mariners. Including today's game, the Orioles have four games remaining in the 2008 season.

Posted by Dean Jones Jr. at 6:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

After dropping three out of four games to the Toledo Mud Hens, the Norfolk Tides will now hit the road for four games against the Charlotte Knights. The Tides swept a four-game series against the Knights at Harbor Park from Aug. 15-18.

The Bowie Baysox hope to continue playing well on the road and the Aberdeen IronBirds are looking for the sweep in the final game of their series against the Tri-City ValleyCats. The Frederick Keys and Delmarva Shorebirds need to win in order to keep alive their slim playoff aspirations.

I’ll be at the game in Aberdeen, so look for some detailed observations about the game later tonight on O’s on Deck.

Norfolk Tides (AAA)

Opponent

Charlotte Knights

Pitchers

Norfolk: Brian Burres (1-0, 0.82 ERA)
Charlotte: Wes Whisler (11-9, 3.55 ERA)

Notes

* Burres has pitched well since being demoted to Norfolk by the Orioles earlier this month. The 27-year-old left-handed pitcher tossed five scoreless innings as a reliever before starting for the Tides on Aug. 17 against Charlotte at Harbor Park. He allowed one run and three hits in six innings during that start.

* Today is the 18th game between the Tides and Knights in 2008. Charlotte currently leads the season series, 10-7, but Norfolk has won the past four games in the series. The Knights won eight straight games against the Tides earlier this season.

* Jon Leicester has allowed only one earned run in 15 innings pitched in August. He has 19 strikeouts in eight outings this month.

* Outfielder Jeff Fiorentino is hitting .358 with nine RBIs in August. Closer Jim Miller is tied for the lead in the International League with seven saves this month.

Bowie Baysox (AA)

Opponent

Binghamton Mets

Pitchers

Bowie: Brad Bergesen (15-4, 3.00 ERA)
Binghamton: Dillon Gee (1-0, 1.38 ERA)

Notes

* Bergesen is 0-1 with a 3.00 ERA in one start against Binghamton so far this season. He pitched well against the Mets in his last start on Aug. 17, allowing two runs and four hits in six innings, but suffered his fourth loss of the season.

* After clinching a playoff berth with last night’s victory, the Baysox will turn their attention to earning home-field advantage for the first round of the Eastern League playoffs. They currently lead the Akron Aeros by four games in the Southern Division.

* The Baysox have won four straight and 12 out of their past 15 games. They have also won 11 consecutive games away from Prince George’s Stadium.

Frederick Keys (A)

Opponent

Salem Avalanche

Pitchers

Frederick: Tim Bascom (5-5, 6.15 ERA)
Salem: Sergio Severino (1-5, 7.56 ERA)

Notes

* Bascom is coming off his best start of the 2008 season. The 2007 fourth-round draft pick struck out a season-high eight hitters in six innings pitched on Aug. 17 against the Kinston Indians. He allowed one run and three hits in the game.

* Relief pitcher Brian Parker and catcher Brian Valichka have both been promoted from Delmarva to the Keys. In a related note, center fielder Danny Figueroa was placed on the disabled list with strained ligaments in his hand. Parker was 7-5 with a 3.65 ERA and 70 strikeouts in 66 2/3 innings pitched for the Shorebirds. Valichka hit .278 with one home run and 12 RBIs in 29 games.

* Frederick’s hopes of playing in the postseason have almost completely faded. After last night’s loss to Salem, the Keys trail the Wilmington Blue Rocks by five games for the final playoff spot. The Keys only have nine games remaining in the regular season.

Delmarva Shorebirds (A)

Opponent

Hagerstown Suns

Pitchers

Delmarva: Chris Salberg (1-3, 3.63 ERA)
Hagerstown: Osvaldo Rodriguez (0-1, 1.50 ERA)

Notes

* Salberg was 3-1 with a 2.17 ERA and 35 strikeouts in 29 innings for Aberdeen before being promoted to Delmarva. He is 1-3 with a 3.63 ERA in eight starts at Delmarva. The 24-year-old left-hander has 37 strikeouts in 44 2/3 innings pitched for the Shorebirds.

* Although they beat Hagerstown last night, 6-1, the Shorebirds remained five games behind the first-place West Virginia Power with 11 games left in the season. The Shorebirds are 12-7 in August.

Aberdeen IronBirds (A)

Opponent

Tri-City ValleyCats

Pitchers

Aberdeen: Cole McCurry (7-1, 2.47 ERA)
Tri-City: Shane Wolf (1-2, 3.96 ERA)

Notes

* McCurry won six consecutive starts in July, but he is 0-1 in his past three games. He’s allowed eight runs (seven earned) and 15 hits in 16 innings pitched during that span.

* First baseman Paul Chmiel is currently riding a five-game hitting streak. He was 2-for-3 in last night’s game. During the stretch, Chmiel is 7-for-16 with three doubles and three RBIs.

* Third baseman Tyler Kolodny and center fielder Calvin Lester both tripled in last night’s game. It was the third time this season that the IronBirds recorded more than one triple in a game.

Posted by Dean Jones Jr. at 4:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Game previews
        

As I mentioned in last night’s game recaps, Jedidiah Stephen was recently promoted from Aberdeen to Delmarva. He didn’t have a successful debut with the Shorebirds last night. The 24-year-old infielder was 0-for-5 with four strikeouts in his first game in the South Atlantic League this season.

However, Stephen was playing well for the IronBirds before his promotion. While he was only hitting .243 in 46 games, Stephen was second on the team in home runs (eight) and RBIs (29). He also had nine doubles and 24 runs scored.

Stephen recently answered the following survey for O’s on Deck. The survey was distributed and returned by the Aberdeen IronBirds’ media relations department before the infielder was promoted to Delmarva. Keep in mind that this survey is designed to give you a glimpse at what Stephen is like outside of what you see on the baseball field.

Don’t forget to keep checking back for more ‘Surveying the minors’ features about your favorite minor league players. Tomorrow, I’ll offer a look at outfielder Robbie Widlansky, who was also recently promoted to Delmarva from Aberdeen.

General information

Name: Jedidiah Stephen
Age: 24
Height: 6’2”
Weight: 205 lbs.
Hometown: Caldwell, Ohio
Nicknames: Turok
Position: Shortstop
High school/college: Shenandoah High School / Ohio State University
Time in professional baseball: Three years

Favorites

Current MLB player: Derek Jeter
All-time MLB player: Derek Jeter
MLB team: Cincinnati Reds
Sport (other than baseball): Basketball and football
Food: Italian
Music: Country
TV show: Primos Hunting Calls: TRUTH About Hunting
Movie: The Count of Monte Cristo
Hobbies: Hunting and fishing

Other questions

1. What is one thing that you’d like the fans to know about you?

I’m a top three hunter and fisherman in the entire world!

2. At this point in your career, what has been your favorite moment?

Hitting walk-off home runs.

3. Who is your role model?

My parents, especially my mother.

4. In the minor leagues, what do you do for fun on a road trip?

Play with my PSP, watch DVDs and go hunting.

Posted by Dean Jones Jr. at 9:14 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Surveying the minors
        

I just got home from watching the New York Yankees pound the Orioles’ bullpen for a 9-4 victory at Camden Yards. Remember when Jamie Walker was a left-handed specialist that came in and quietly did his job, retiring lefties like he was getting paid to do it? It’s unfortunate that he just seems to struggle in those situations all the time now. How much longer can manager Dave Trembley keep going to him?

Anyway, that’s enough depressing news for the evening. There’s good news in the minor leagues for Orioles fans. The Bowie Baysox clinched a playoff berth tonight with a 7-1 victory over the Binghamton Mets. The Akron Aeros lost, so Bowie’s lead in the Eastern League Southern Division increased to four games. The Delmarva Shorebirds and Aberdeen IronBirds also won their games, but the Norfolk Tides and Frederick Keys lost.

Norfolk Tides (AAA)

Score: Toledo Mud Hens 6, Norfolk Tides 5

Recap: With the Tides trailing by two runs in the final inning, right fielder Luis Terrero and shortstop Luis Hernandez walked to put runners on first and second base with no outs. Designated hitter Tike Redman hit an RBI single to pull the Tides within one run. Eider Torres moved the runners up to second and third with a sacrifice bunt, but the rally ended there. Jeff Fiorentino and Freddie Bynum both struck out to end the game, giving Toledo the 6-5 victory.

Tides outfielder Chris Roberson left the game with an injury to his foot in the bottom of the second inning. Terrero replaced Roberson in right field and finished 2-for-3 with a home run and two runs scored. Garrett Olson (1-2) suffered the loss after allowing five runs (four earned) and nine hits in five innings. He struck out five and walked three.

Bowie Baysox (AA)

Score: Bowie Baysox 7, Binghamton Mets 1

Recap: For the first time this century – yes, it’s been since 1997 – the Baysox are heading to the postseason. With a 7-1 victory in Binghamton tonight, Bowie can begin preparations for the playoffs. Starting pitcher Jason Berken (12-3) pitched seven scoreless innings for the Baysox, allowing only three hits and striking out eight batters. Berken has now won eight consecutive decisions. It’s going to be tough for other teams to beat the Baysox in September with so many quality starting pitchers on their roster.

The Baysox scored six runs in the top of the second inning to gain control of the game early. Third baseman Jeff Nettles hit his 23rd home run of the season in the eighth inning. He was 2-for-4 with two runs scored. Shortstop Blake Davis remained hot with another two hits tonight. First baseman Ryan Finan and right fielder Sebastien Boucher also had two hits.

Frederick Keys (A)

Score: Salem Avalanche 10, Frederick Keys 5

Recap: It wasn’t a good night on the road for the Keys. Starting pitcher Pedro Beato (4-9) allowed six runs and seven hits in six innings pitched during the 10-5 loss to Salem. All six runs were scored in the first two innings before Beato settled in. After the Keys cut Salem’s lead to 6-5, relief pitcher Ryan Ouellette surrendered four runs and four hits in 2/3 of an inning to put the game out of reach again.

Center fielder Chris Amador and left fielder Paul Winterling both had two hits for the Keys. The best news of the night for Frederick was that Brandon Snyder was back in the starting lineup as the designated hitter. He was 1-for-4 with a strikeout.

Delmarva Shorebirds (A)

Score: Delmarva Shorebirds 6, Hagerstown Suns 1

Recap: Starting pitcher Nathan Nery (5-3) pitched seven shutout innings to earn the victory, 6-1, over the Suns at Municipal Stadium in Hagerstown. Nery allowed only two singles, both in the third inning, and struck out six hitters. He retired 15 of the final 16 hitters that he faced.

Shorebirds first baseman Anthony Martinez was 2-for-5 with a two-run single and a double. Center fielder Matt Angle, left fielder Wally Crancer and catcher Brendan Monaghan all had two hits.

One quick note: I didn’t receive official word, but it looks like former IronBirds infielder Jedidiah Stephen has been promoted to Delmarva. He started tonight at third base for the Shorebirds and was 0-for-5 with four strikeouts in the game.

Aberdeen IronBirds (A)

Score: Aberdeen IronBirds 8, Tri-City ValleyCats 2

Recap: Aberdeen cruised to an 8-2 victory over Tri-City at Ripken Stadium. Shortstop Tom Edwards, center fielder Calvin Lester, catcher Caleb Joseph and first baseman Paul Chmiel each contributed two hits. Third baseman Tyler Kolodny and right fielder Jacob Julius each scored two runs.

IronBirds starting pitcher Pat Egan (4-5) allowed two runs and seven hits in six innings pitched to earn the victory. Chris Ray allowed two hits in one inning of work, but he also struck out two ValleyCats hitters. Relief pitcher Greg Aquino had two strikeouts in one inning pitched.

Posted by Dean Jones Jr. at 11:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Game recaps
        

All five of the Orioles’ affiliates will be playing tonight. The Norfolk Tides and Aberdeen IronBirds have home games, while the Bowie Baysox, Frederick Keys and Delmarva Shorebirds are all on the road.

The Tides wrap up their four-game series against the Toledo Mud Hens. Needing only one more victory to clinch a playoff berth, the Baysox begin a three-game series against the Binghamton Mets. Frederick will play the Salem Avalanche. The Shorebirds continue their five-game series against the Hagerstown Suns and the IronBirds continue their series against the Tri-City Valley-Cats.

In case you missed it, the Orioles officially announced that Tides starting pitcher Radhames Liz was promoted to the major leagues. He’ll make tonight’s start against the New York Yankees at Camden Yards.

Norfolk Tides (AAA)

Opponent

Toledo Mud Hens

Pitchers

Norfolk: Garrett Olson (1-1, 1.85 ERA)
Toledo: Virgil Vasquez (9-12, 4.82 ERA)

Notes

* Olson makes his first start for the Tides since being demoted by the Orioles on Wednesday. He was 1-1 with a 1.85 ERA and 25 strikeouts in five starts (24 1/3 innings) for Norfolk earlier this season.

* Through the first seven games of the homestand, Tides starting pitchers are 3-1 with a 2.04 ERA.

* The Tides need to win tonight in order to split the four-game series with Toledo. They lost the first two games of the series before winning last night, 7-1. The Tides have earned at least a split in each of their past 13 series. They have won six series and split seven.

Bowie Baysox (AA)

Opponent

Binghamton Mets

Pitchers

Bowie: Jason Berken (11-3, 3.54 ERA)
Binghamton: Tobi Stoner (4-5, 3.96 ERA)

Notes

* With a win tonight or a loss by the Harrisburg Senators, the Baysox will clinch a playoff berth in the Eastern League. The Baysox are currently three games ahead of the Akron Aeros in the Southern Division. Harrisburg is 10 games behind and all three teams have 10 games remaining.

* Berken is 1-0 with a 3.75 ERA in two starts against Binghamton this season. He only allowed one hit in seven scoreless innings against the Mets in his last start on Aug. 16.

* Shortstop Blake Davis is hitting .324 since the end of June. After struggling at the beginning of the season, Davis now leads the team with a .283 batting average. He has 21 doubles, seven triples, 47 RBIs and 55 runs scored this season.

Frederick Keys (A)

Opponent

Salem Avalanche

Pitchers

Frederick: Pedro Beato (4-8, 5.55 ERA)
Salem: TBA

Notes

* Beato is making his 18th start of the season for the Keys. He is 4-8 with a 5.55 ERA in 84 1/3 innings pitched. Beato allowed four runs and five hits in his last start against the Kinston Indians on Aug. 16. He struck out six and walked three, but didn’t factor in the decision.

* Reliever Mick Mattaliano hasn’t been too successful in his first two appearances with the Keys. The 23-year-old pitcher was 2-2 with a 1.24 ERA and 27 saves in 41 appearances for the Shorebirds before receiving a promotion to Frederick. He has allowed six runs (five earned) and seven hits in three innings pitched with the Keys.

Delmarva Shorebirds (A)

Opponent

Hagerstown Suns

Pitchers

Delmarva: Nathan Nery (4-3, 4.60 ERA)
Hagerstown: Ricardo Pecina (0-0, 9.00 ERA)

Notes

* Shorebirds right fielder Joseph Nowicki is currently fifth in the South Atlantic League with 227 total bases and third in the league with 33 doubles. Nowicki also has 18 home runs and 69 RBIs.

* Nery makes his 14th start for the Shorebirds this season. The left-handed starter has only allowed five earned runs total in his past four starts.

* The Shorebirds’ six-game winning streak was snapped last night after Hagerstown scored 12 runs in the bottom of the fifth inning and hung on for a 13-9 victory. It was the most runs surrendered by Delmarva in a single inning this season. The Suns sent 17 hitters to the plate and had seven singles, six walks and a three-run home run in the inning.

Aberdeen IronBirds (A)

Opponent

Tri-City ValleyCats

Pitchers

Aberdeen: Pat Egan (3-5, 3.77 ERA)
Tri-City: Antonio Noguera (2-5, 6.90 ERA)

Notes

* Egan currently ranks fifth in the New York-Penn League with 60 strikeouts. In his last start, Egan pitched seven scoreless innings against the Vermont Lake Monsters on Aug. 14, allowing only three hits. He struck out seven hitters in the game and walked one.

* Catcher Caleb Joseph hit his league-leading 18th double last night. He was 1-for-3 with two RBIs and a run scored in Aberdeen’s 3-0 victory over Tri-City.

* The IronBirds didn’t commit an error last night in the first game after the All-Star break. Aberdeen had committed an error in the final six games before the break.

* Relief pitchers Chris Ray and Greg Aquino are scheduled to continue their rehab assignments with the IronBirds tonight.

Posted by Dean Jones Jr. at 5:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Game previews
        

For the most part, it was a successful night for the Orioles’ affiliates. Four of the five teams won. The Delmarva Shorebirds allowed 12 runs in the bottom of the fifth inning and lost to the Hagerstown Suns, so it wasn’t a clean sweep.

The Bowie Baysox moved within one game of clinching a playoff spot and the Norfolk Tides easily defeated the Toledo Mud Hens. A walk-off home run by one of the Orioles’ top prospects led the Frederick Keys to an extra-inning victory and the Aberdeen IronBirds used strong pitching to win their first game after the New York-Penn League All-Star break.

Norfolk Tides (AAA)

Score: Norfolk Tides 7, Toledo Mud Hens 1

Recap: Designated hitter Tike Redman hit a three-run home run in the bottom of the third inning to power the Tides to a 7-1 victory over the Mud Hens. Second baseman Eider Torres was 2-for-4 with a double and a triple. Oscar Salazar and Chris Roberson had two hits each. Seven different Norfolk players scored runs in the game.

Tides pitcher Craig Anderson (6-8) pitched two scoreless innings in relief of Felix Romero to earn the victory. Romero started in place of Radhames Liz, who was scratched before tonight’s game and is rumored to be a candidate to start this weekend for the Orioles.

Bowie Baysox (AA)

Score: Bowie Baysox 8, Reading Phillies 1

Recap: After falling behind 1-0 in the fourth inning, the Baysox scored eight unanswered runs to cruise to the win, 8-1, over the Phillies. Catcher Matt Wieters was 3-for-4 with a double and two runs scored. Shortstop Blake Davis also had three hits for Bowie. Starting pitcher Zach Clark (3-1) allowed one run and five hits in seven innings to earn the victory.

The Harrisburg Senators lost again tonight to the Trenton Thunder, which means Bowie’s magic number for a playoff berth is down to one. The Baysox will clinch a spot in the postseason if they win one more game or Harrisburg loses one.

Frederick Keys (A)

Score: Frederick Keys 2, Lynchburg Hillcats 1, 10 innings

Recap: Third baseman Billy Rowell hit a walk-off home run to center field with one out in the bottom of the 10th inning to give Frederick a 2-1 victory. He was 2-for-4 in the game. Right fielder Brandon Tripp had an RBI single for the Keys, who had lost the past two games to Lynchburg.

Starting pitcher Brandon Erbe tossed six scoreless innings, but earned a no-decision after the Hillcats tied the game with an unearned run in the eighth inning. Erbe had six strikeouts and two walks in the game.

Delmarva Shorebirds (A)

Score: Hagerstown Suns 13, Delmarva Shorebirds 9

Recap: Hagerstown scored 12 runs in the fifth inning and then withstood the Shorebirds’ rally to claim the 13-9 victory tonight at Municipal Stadium. The Shorebirds answered with three runs in the sixth inning and added two in the ninth, but their seven-game winning streak was snapped when their rally fell short.

Still, there were plenty of offensive stars for the Shorebirds. Second baseman Ryan Adams was 3-for-5 with a home run, three RBIs and two runs scored. Designated hitter Wally Crancer also had three hits for Delmarva. Center fielder Matt Angle, first baseman Anthony Martinez and shortstop Pedro Florimon Jr. all had two hits. Left fielder Robbie Widlansky was 1-for-5 in his debut with the Shorebirds.

Aberdeen IronBirds (A)

Score: Aberdeen IronBirds 3, Tri-City ValleyCats 0

Recap: In the first game following their three-day break for the New York-Penn League All-Star Game, the IronBirds allowed only one hit in a 3-0 victory over the ValleyCats. Shortstop Ronald Ramirez, who has a .187 batting average in 36 games this season, smacked a one-out single to center field in the sixth inning for the ValleyCats’ only hit.

IronBirds starting pitcher Rick Zagone (6-1) was impressive once again. He pitched six scoreless innings, striking out five and walking three. Shortstop Greg Miclat, who was promoted to Aberdeen before today’s game, was 2-for-4 with a double and a run scored in his debut.

Posted by Dean Jones Jr. at 11:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)
Categories: Game recaps
        

The Double-A Eastern League announced today that three members of the Bowie Baysox have been selected as postseason All-Stars. Starting pitcher Brad Bergesen and outfielders Lou Montanez and Nolan Reimold have been chosen to represent the Baysox on this year's list.

Bergesen began the season with Single-A Frederick where he posted a 2.08 ERA in 17.1 innings before receiving a promotion to Bowie on April 21. The 22-year-old starting pitcher won his first five decisions with the Baysox. He is 15-4 with a 3.00 ERA and 69 strikeouts this season. His 15 victories are the most in the Eastern League so far in 2008. Bergesen was the starting pitcher for the Southern Division at this year's Eastern League All-Star Game and retired all three batters he faced.

Despite being promoted to the Orioles on Aug. 5, Montanez continues to lead the Eastern League in several offensive categories. If the season ended today, he would become the first player since 1976 to win the Eastern League Triple Crown. He had a .335 batting average with 26 home runs and 97 RBIs for the Baysox this season.

Reimold has played in a league-high 130 games, including tonight. Through last night's game, he was hitting .279 with 28 doubles, 19 home runs and 74 RBIs. Reimold is currently ranked second in the league in runs scored (78) and total bases (222). He is also tied for second in extra-base hits (50).

Posted by Dean Jones Jr. at 7:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

It’s a busy night in the minor leagues for the Orioles’ affiliates.

The Norfolk Tides look to rebound from two consecutive losses to the Toledo Mud Hens. The Aberdeen IronBirds return to action at Ripken Stadium.

The Bowie Baysox and Delmarva Shorebirds hope to continue their winning streaks and the Frederick Keys are hoping to keep their fading playoff hopes alive.

Norfolk Tides (AAA)

Opponent

Toledo Mud Hens

Pitchers

Norfolk: Felix Romero (0-0, 3.38 ERA)
Toledo: Yorman Bazardo (4-10, 6.61 ERA)

Notes

* Romero was promoted to Norfolk today from Bowie and he’ll be making his first start of the season in tonight’s game. He made four relief appearances earlier this year for the Tides. In 38 games at Bowie, Romero was 8-3 with one save and a 2.84 ERA.

* Oscar Salazar reached base safely in all five plate appearances last night. The infielder leads the International League in extra-base hits (58) and doubles (42). He is also tied for third in the league with 82 RBIs.

* The Tides are looking to avoid their first three-game losing streak since July 12-17. They currently trail the Durham Bulls by 6 1/2 games in the South Division.

Bowie Baysox (AA)

Opponent

Reading Phillies

Pitchers

Bowie: Zach Clark (2-1, 2.93 ERA)
Reading: Antonio Bastardo (2-4, 3.57 ERA)

Notes

* Clark pitched 7 2/3 shutout innings in his previous start against the Binghamton Mets, allowing only four hits and a walk. He has jumped around the Orioles’ farm system this season, making stops at Delmarva, Norfolk and Frederick before settling in at Bowie. Clark has allowed 14 earned runs in 43 innings pitched (seven starts) for the Baysox.

* Steve Torrealba hit two home runs in last night’s game against Reading. He hasn’t been receiving regular playing time since prospect Matt Wieters was promoted to the Baysox, but Torrealba is doing well when he’s in the lineup. He also had two home runs against Binghamton on Aug. 6. He is hitting .308 (16-for-52) with three doubles, six home runs and 14 RBIs in his past 14 games.

* Tonight’s game against Reading is the final meeting between the two teams this season. The Baysox are 11-4 against the Phillies so far in 2008. After the game, Bowie heads to Binghamton for a three-game series beginning tomorrow night. The Baysox currently lead the Akron Aeros by three games in the Southern Division of the Eastern League.

Frederick Keys (A)

Opponent

Lynchburg Hillcats

Pitchers

Frederick: Brandon Erbe (9-12, 4.71 ERA)
Lynchburg: Brad Lincoln (1-4, 5.52 ERA)

Notes

* Erbe has allowed 21 home runs this season, which is the most in the Carolina League. He also has the most strikeouts (136) and innings pitched (137 2/3) in the league.

* After dropping the first two games of the series against Lynchburg, Frederick’s postseason hopes are fading. The Keys trail the Wilmington Blue Rocks by four games for the final playoff berth in the Carolina League.

* Frederick starting pitchers had lasted at least six innings in four of the previous five starts before last night’s 11-5 loss to Lynchburg. Keys starter Jake Renshaw only lasted 4 1/3 innings in the game.

Delmarva Shorebirds (A)

Opponent

Hagerstown Suns

Pitchers

Delmarva: Luis Noel (10-7, 3.90 ERA)
Hagerstown: Bradley Meyers (8-6, 4.27 ERA)

Notes

* The Shorebirds are looking for their seventh consecutive victory, which would be a season high. They are 8-1 in Hagerstown so far in 2008.

* Noel is 1-2 with a 5.56 ERA in six starts against Hagerstown this season. He pitched six shutout innings in his last start against the Savannah Sand Gnats.

Aberdeen IronBirds (A)

Opponent

Tri-City ValleyCats

Pitchers

Aberdeen: Rick Zagone (5-1, 3.70 ERA)
Tri-City: David Duncan (3-4, 4.78 ERA)

Notes

* In his last outing, Zagone established a career high with 11 strikeouts. He allowed one run and two hits in six innings pitched to earn his fifth victory of the season.

* Aberdeen is currently in last place in the McNamara Division of the New York-Penn League, nine games behind the first-place Staten Island Yankees.

* The IronBirds have committed at least one error in six consecutive games and nine of their past ten.

* Third baseman Tyler Kolodny has five home runs in his past 12 games. He recently tied the franchise’s single-season record with his ninth home run in 2008.

Posted by Dean Jones Jr. at 4:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Game previews
        

The Aberdeen IronBirds announced today that outfielder Robbie Widlansky has been promoted to Delmarva. Widlansky recently played in the New York-Penn League All-Star Game and was 0-for-2 with a strikeout. He’s hitting .279 with four home runs and 29 RBIs this season for Aberdeen.

Right-handed pitcher Hank Williamson was also transferred to the Shorebirds from Aberdeen. He was 0-1 with one save and a 4.76 ERA in 17 appearances this season.

Orioles fifth-round draft pick Greg Miclat and 43rd-round draft pick Oliver Drake both joined the IronBirds today. Miclat is a shortstop from the University of Virginia and Drake is a pitcher from the Naval Academy.

Posted by Dean Jones Jr. at 3:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

The Bowie Baysox are looking to make the playoffs for the first time since 1997. The team has never won a championship. Both of these streaks are the longest in the Eastern League.

With their 8-2 victory over the Reading Phillies last night, the Baysox inched closer to a playoff berth. The Harrisburg Senators lost to the Trenton Thunder, 6-1, so Bowie’s magic number for a spot in the postseason is three.

Several players have powered the Baysox into first place in the Southern Division of the Eastern League.

Starting pitcher Brad Bergesen is 15-4 with a 3.00 ERA in 138 innings pitched after being recalled from Single-A Frederick early in the season. Pitchers David Hernandez (156) and Chris Tillman (139) are first and second, respectively, in the Eastern League in strikeouts. Jason Berken is 11-3 with a 3.54 ERA and Baysox closer Julio Manon leads the league with 30 saves.

Despite being recalled by the Orioles earlier this month, outfielder Lou Montanez still leads the Eastern League in batting average (.335), home runs (26), RBIs (97), runs scored (90), hits (151) and total bases (271). Outfielder Nolan Reimold is hitting .279 with 19 home runs and 74 RBIs. Third baseman Jeff Nettles is tied for second in the league with 22 home runs. Catcher Matt Wieters is hitting .349 with 10 home runs, 45 RBIs and 32 runs scored in 50 games for the Baysox.

Is it a coincidence that the Orioles also haven’t made it to the playoffs since the Baysox last played there in 1997? Probably, but the Orioles could also be returning to the playoffs soon if the current crop of stars in Bowie continues to rise through the system.

Posted by Dean Jones Jr. at 9:02 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)
        

It was a night of mixed results for the Orioles’ affiliates. The Bowie Baysox and Delmarva Shorebirds remained hot with impressive victories, but the Norfolk Tides and Frederick Keys both suffered losses.

Bowie used three home runs to post an 8-2 victory over the Reading Phillies and the Shorebirds relied on strong pitching to beat the Hagerstown Suns for their sixth consecutive victory, 1-0.

Norfolk Tides (AAA)

Score: Toledo Mud Hens 8, Norfolk Tides 5

Recap: The Norfolk Tides were able to score five runs (three earned) in five innings against Toledo Mud Hens starting pitcher Dontrelle Willis, but it wasn’t enough for the victory. Toledo’s bullpen held the Tides to only two hits over the final four innings and helped the Mud Hens collect their second straight victory over Norfolk, 8-5. First baseman Oscar Salazar reached base safely in all five appearances at the plate – with three singles and two walks – and scored two runs for the Tides.

Starting pitcher Ryan Bukvich (8-3) suffered the loss after allowing six runs (five earned) and six hits in 3 2/3 innings pitched. He walked six hitters and struck out two. He’s walked at least six hitters in his past three starts.

Bowie Baysox (AA)

Score: Bowie Baysox 8, Reading Phillies 2

Recap: Designated hitter Steve Torrealba hit two home runs and catcher Matt Wieters added a solo shot to lead the Baysox to the 8-2 win over the Phillies. Baysox starting pitcher Chris Tillman (9-4) allowed no runs and three hits in six innings. He had eight strikeouts and walked two hitters. Shortstop Blake Davis was 3-for-4 with two doubles for the Baysox. Adam Eaton (0-3) allowed six earned runs in six innings pitched for Reading.

With the victory and the Harrisburg Senators’ 6-1 loss to the Trenton Thunder, Bowie’s magic number for a playoff berth is now three.

Frederick Keys (A)

Score: Lynchburg Hillcats 11, Frederick Keys 5

Recap: Hillcats second baseman Matt Cavagnaro had four of the team’s 14 hits in the 11-5 rout over the Keys. Lynchburg sent nine hitters to the plate in the fifth inning and scored five runs, chasing Keys starter Jake Renshaw (9-11) from the game. Renshaw allowed seven runs total in 4 1/3 innings pitched.

Former Orioles closer Chris Ray, pitching for the Keys on a rehab assignment, didn’t fare much better than Renshaw. He allowed two runs and three hits, including a solo home run by Hillcats designated hitter Brian Friday, in one inning of work. Reliever Greg Aquino allowed one hit and struck out two hitters in one inning pitched for the Keys.

Delmarva Shorebirds (A)

Score: Delmarva Shorebirds 1, Hagerstown Suns 0

Recap: Shorebirds starting pitcher Sean Gleason (11-1) struck out a season-high nine Hagerstown hitters in seven shutout innings. He allowed four hits and walked two batters in the 1-0 victory. Delmarva left fielder Wally Crancer scored the game’s only run in the seventh inning when designated hitter Ryan Adams was walked with the bases loaded. Second baseman Paco Figueroa was 2-for-3 for the Shorebirds.

Posted by Dean Jones Jr. at 11:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Game recaps
        

In the recap of last night's game between the Frederick Keys and Lynchburg Hillcats, I mentioned that Keys first baseman Brandon Snyder left the game with an apparent injury to his left arm.

I wasn't at the game, but I contacted the Keys' public relations department for an update on Snyder's condition.

I'm told that it was a very violent collision in the top of the third inning and Snyder is currently listed as day-to-day. Keys starting pitcher Kyle Schmidt threw the ball wide to the foul side of first base and Snyder crossed into the runner's path to catch it. The force of the collision between Snyder and the runner knocked the glove off his hand and it landed near the outfield grass.

With all that said, I was told that it could have been a lot worse. Don't be surprised to see Snyder getting a couple days off, but it doesn't sound to be serious at this time.

Posted by Dean Jones Jr. at 12:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

The Norfolk Tides continue their series against the Toledo Mud Hens tonight at 7:15 p.m. at Harbor Park. The Bowie Baysox will look to inch closer to a playoff berth when they face the Reading Phillies at 7:05 p.m. tonight at FirstEnergy Stadium in Reading, Pa.

Frederick will face Lynchburg at 7:00 p.m. and Delmarva begins a five-game series against the Hagerstown Suns tonight at 7:05 p.m. The Aberdeen IronBirds are idle and will return to action tomorrow night with a game at 7:05 p.m. against the Tri-City ValleyCats at Ripken Stadium.

Norfolk Tides (AAA)

Opponent

Toledo Mud Hens

Pitchers

Norfolk: Ryan Bukvich (8-2, 3.87 ERA)
Toledo: Dontrelle Willis (2-1, 4.03 ERA)

Notes

* Bukvich is seeking his fifth consecutive win in tonight’s game. In his last outing, Bukvich allowed no runs and one hit in six innings pitched against the Charlotte Knights.

* Willis makes his fourth start for Toledo this season. The 2003 National League Rookie of the Year is 2-1 and has a 4.03 ERA with the Mud Hens.

Bowie Baysox (AA)

Opponent

Reading Phillies

Pitchers

Bowie: Chris Tillman (8-4, 3.49 ERA)
Reading: Adam Eaton (0-2, 7.20 ERA)

Notes

* Tillman is 1-1 with a 4.76 ERA in four starts against Reading this season. In his past three starts, Tillman has 28 strikeouts in 18 innings pitched.

* The Baysox are 10-4 against the Phillies this season. They currently lead the Akron Aeros by three games in the Eastern League Southern Division. The magic number for a playoff berth is five.

* Eaton is attempting to work his way back to the major leagues after struggling with the Philadelphia Phillies earlier this season. He was 4-8 with a 5.80 ERA before being demoted in July. He hasn’t been too successful so far in Reading, but he did pitch well on Aug. 10. In the game against the Erie SeaWolves, Eaton allowed two runs and seven hits in 6 2/3 innings. He didn’t factor in the decision, however.

Frederick Keys (A)

Opponent

Lynchburg Hillcats

Pitchers

Frederick: Jake Renshaw (9-10, 4.80 ERA)
Lynchburg: Michael Crotta (8-9, 4.91 ERA)

Notes

* The Orioles acquired Renshaw in 2007 when they traded starting pitcher Steve Trachsel to the Chicago Cubs. He will be making his 25th start for the Keys this season, which is second on the team behind Brandon Erbe (26).

* Outfielder Brandon Tripp, who had a pinch-hit RBI double in the ninth inning of last night’s game, is hitting .233 this season. However, he is second on the team with 14 home runs. Chris Vinyard leads the team with 16.

Delmarva Shorebirds (A)

Opponent

Hagerstown Suns

Pitchers

Delmarva: Sean Gleason (10-1, 2.80 ERA)
Hagerstown: Tom Milone (0-2, 2.57 ERA)

Notes

* The Shorebirds have won five consecutive games heading into tonight’s game at Municipal Stadium in Hagerstown, where they are 7-1 this season.

* With 14 games remaining, the Shorebirds are in third place in the South Atlantic League Northern Division. They trail the first-place West Virginia Power by six games.

* Gleason is currently ranked sixth in the South Atlantic League in ERA. He is 7-0 since the All-Star break and has beaten Hagerstown twice this season.

Posted by Dean Jones Jr. at 12:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Game previews
        

With Orioles closer George Sherrill going on the 15-day disabled list, the team is going to make a corresponding roster move today. One of the rumored candidates for the position is Norfolk Tides relief pitcher Bob McCrory.

McCrory saw limited action with the Orioles in the beginning of this season. He was called up in late April and struggled with his control. He walked four hitters and allowed four runs in two appearances. He pitched 1/3 of an inning each time.

However, McCrory has been impressive for Norfolk so far this season. The 26-year-old relief pitcher is 2-3 with a 3.43 ERA in 30 appearances. He has five saves and has surrendered only one home run in 39 1/3 innings pitched.

McCrory recently answered the following survey for O’s on Deck. The survey was distributed and returned by the Norfolk Tides’ media relations department. Keep in mind that this survey is designed to give you a glimpse at what McCrory is like outside of what you see on the baseball field.

General information

Name: Bob McCrory
Age: 26
Height: 6’1”
Weight: 206 lbs.
Hometown: Hattiesburg, Miss.
Nicknames: Mac
Position: Right-handed pitcher
High school/college: University of Southern Mississippi
Time in professional baseball: Six years

Favorites

Current MLB player: Jesse Crain
All-time MLB player: Will Clark
MLB team: San Francisco Giants
Sport (other than baseball): Golf
Food: Sushi
Music: Rock and country
TV show: Family Guy or CSI
Movie: Facing the Giants
Hobbies: Golf, hunting, fishing

Other questions

1. At this point in your career, what has been your favorite moment?

My first call-up to the big leagues has been my favorite moment so far.

2. Who is your role model?

My entire family.

3. In the minor leagues, what do you do for fun on a road trip?

Play cards.

4. If you could play any other position, what would it be and why?

For me, it would be catcher because I played that position before I started pitching.

Posted by Dean Jones Jr. at 10:51 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Surveying the minors
        

All three games involving the Orioles’ affiliates went into extra innings tonight. The Norfolk Tides, Bowie Baysox and Frederick Keys all needed to play additional baseball in order to determine winners. The Baysox were the only team to pick up a victory.

In the New York-Penn League All-Star Game, the National League All-Stars scored three runs in the bottom of the ninth inning to earn the come-from-behind victory, 4-3.

Aberdeen IronBirds pitcher Cole McCurry started the game for the American League All-Stars and pitched one scoreless inning. He allowed one hit and had one strikeout. IronBirds left fielder Robbie Widlansky and catcher Caleb Joseph both entered the game as defensive replacements in the fifth inning. Joseph was 1-for-2 with a run scored and Widlansky was 0-for-2 with a strikeout.

Norfolk Tides (AAA)

Score: Toledo Mud Hens 2, Norfolk Tides 1, 11 innings

Recap: An error by first baseman Mike Costanzo in the top of the 11th inning allowed the go-ahead run to score. The line drive hit off Costanzo’s glove and into shallow right field and Toledo center fielder Clete Thomas scored from second base. Tides third baseman Freddie Bynum doubled to lead off the bottom of the 11th inning, but he was stranded there as the next three hitters were retired. After falling behind 1-0, the Tides scored their only run on a sacrifice fly by Bynum. Left fielder Tike Redman, who had singled earlier in the inning, scored on the play. Starting pitcher Andy Mitchell allowed one run and three hits in seven innings pitched.

Bowie Baysox (AA)

Score: Bowie Baysox 3, Reading Phillies 2, 10 innings

Recap: Second baseman Carlos Rojas hit a solo home run in the top of the 10th inning to help the Baysox beat the Phillies. Catcher Steve Torrealba had three hits for the Baysox. Starting pitcher David Hernandez allowed one run and four hits in four innings pitched. He struck out six hitters and walked four. Julio Manon pitched a scoreless bottom of the 10th inning to collect his 30th save of the season. Does anyone think he’ll be called up to the Orioles in September?

The Akron Aeros and Harrisburg Senators both lost tonight, so Bowie’s magic number to clinch a playoff spot is down to five. The Baysox lead the Aeros by three games in the Southern Division of the Eastern League. The Senators are eight games behind Bowie. The top two teams from the division will make the playoffs.

Frederick Keys (A)

Score: Lynchburg Hillcats 5, Frederick Keys 4, 10 innings

Recap: Trailing by two runs in the bottom of the ninth inning, the Keys scored twice to send the game into extra innings. Brandon Tripp and Justin Johnson both had pinch-hit RBI doubles to tie the game for the Keys. Jason White hit a fly ball with one out and a runner on third base, but Todd Davison was thrown out at the plate by Hillcats right fielder Miles Durham to end the inning. Hillcats first baseman Kent Sakamoto hit a solo home run in the top of the 10th inning against Keys reliever Ryan Rodriguez to propel Lynchburg past Frederick.

Keys first baseman Brandon Snyder was forced to leave the game in the top of the third inning after he injured his arm in a collision at first base. The severity of the arm injury is not known at this time.

Posted by Dean Jones Jr. at 11:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Game recaps
        

The Orioles announced today that relievers Chris Ray and Greg Aquino will pitch for the Frederick Keys on Wednesday night against the Lynchburg Hillcats at Harry Grove Stadium.

Ray is recovering from Tommy John surgery and hasn't pitched in the major leagues since July 20, 2007. He became the Orioles' closer in 2006 and collected 33 saves that season. He had a 2.73 ERA in 61 appearances. Ray struggled in 2007 before being placed on the disabled list and undergoing surgery. He had 16 saves, but his ERA climbed to 4.43.

Aquino is rehabbing a left hamstring strain and he's been on the disabled list since the middle of July. The Orioles claimed the relief pitcher from the Milwaukee Brewers before the 2008 season. He has a 12.54 ERA in nine appearances for the Orioles this season.

Posted by Dean Jones Jr. at 4:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

The Bowie Baysox have announced that tickets are on sale for the Eastern League playoffs at Prince George's Stadium.

The team is selling ticket strips for $50 each. The strip guarantees you a lower reserved seat for each of Bowie's five potential home games in the playoffs. If the Baysox don't play five playoff games, the unused portion of the strip will either be refunded or applied toward 2009 season tickets.

The Baysox haven't made the playoffs since 1997, but the team currently holds a two-game lead over the Akron Aeros in the Southern Division. The Harrisburg Senators are seven games back. Each team has 13 games remaining.

Posted by Dean Jones Jr. at 2:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

The Bowie Baysox and Frederick Keys return to action today. The Aberdeen IronBirds are still idle because the New York-Penn League All-Star Game is tonight. The Norfolk Tides continue their homestand and the Delmarva Shorebirds don’t play tonight.

Tonight is “NFL Night” at Harry Grove Stadium in Frederick. You’ll receive $2 off any general admission, reserved or field seating ticket if you wear your favorite team’s jersey. There’s also an all-you-can-eat tailgate buffet, including burgers, hot dogs, wings and more. Check out the Keys’ Web site for more details.

Norfolk Tides (AAA)

Opponent

Toledo Mud Hens

Pitchers

Norfolk: Andy Mitchell (12-7, 4.55 ERA)
Toledo: Chris Lambert (12-8, 3.60 ERA)

Notes

* The Tides have earned at least a split in each of their past 13 series. They have won six series and split seven. Norfolk completed a four-game sweep over the Charlotte Knights yesterday.

* After gaining five games in the South Division over the past 10 days, the Tides are currently in second place. They are 5 1/2 games behind the Durham Bulls with 14 games to play.

* Outfielder Tike Redman has hit safely in 45 of his past 56 games, reaching base safely in 53 of them. He’s now hitting .298 this season. It might not get him a September ticket to the major leagues, but Redman is certainly trying to show that he’s not done at age 31.

* With a win tonight, Mitchell would become the fifth Tides pitcher since Harbor Park opened in 1993 to earn 13 victories in a single season.

Bowie Baysox (AA)

Opponent

Reading Phillies

Pitchers

Bowie: David Hernandez (8-4, 2.59 ERA)
Reading: Edgar Garcia (0-6, 9.50 ERA)

Notes

* Hernandez is 0-1 with a 3.52 ERA in two starts against Reading in 2008. He allowed two runs and seven hits in six innings on July 19, but suffered the loss. Hernandez leads the Eastern League with 150 strikeouts in 125 innings pitched.

* Outfielder Jonathan Tucker is hitting .500 (23-for-46) with six doubles, seven RBIs and nine runs scored since Lou Montanez was promoted to the Orioles.

* The Baysox are 9-4 against the Phillies so far this season. Bowie is currently 75-54 and sitting in first place of the Southern Division, two games ahead of the Akron Aeros.

Frederick Keys (A)

Opponent

Lynchburg Hillcats

Pitchers

Frederick: Kyle Schmidt (4-4, 3.97 ERA)
Lynchburg: Brian Holliday (5-10, 5.45 ERA)

Notes

* Brandon Snyder is hitting .309 with 12 home runs and 75 RBIs for the Keys this season. He leads the team with 30 doubles and is currently tied for eighth in the Carolina League with 193 total bases. He’s hitting .400 in August (26-for-65).

* Schmidt was the Orioles’ 14th-round selection in the 2004 draft. He has split time between the Keys and the Baysox this season. He was 0-2 with a 6.55 ERA in five starts at Bowie. Schmidt was 6-8 with a 3.37 ERA and 145 strikeouts in 23 starts at Delmarva last season.

Posted by Dean Jones Jr. at 2:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Game previews
        

The New York-Penn League All-Star Game will take place at 7:15 p.m. tonight in Troy N.Y. at Joseph L. Bruno Stadium, home of the Tri-City Valley Cats. The Valley Cats are the short-season Single-A affiliate of the Houston Astros.

Three players will represent the IronBirds at tonight’s game. Left-handed pitcher Cole McCurry, catcher Caleb Joseph and left fielder Robbie Widlansky will play on the American League All-Star team against the National League All-Stars. The format of the NYPL’s game is somewhat unique. The league is split into three divisions – McNamara, Stedler and Pinckney – so the best logical way to separate the players is by their parent team’s league.

McCurry, who was drafted by the Orioles in the 43rd round of the 2007 draft, is 7-1 with a 2.47 ERA in 12 starts this season at Aberdeen. He has two complete games, including one shutout. Joseph is currently hitting .278 with five home runs and 23 RBIs. The Orioles’ seventh-round draft pick in this year’s draft also leads the NYPL with 17 doubles. Widlansky is hitting .279 with four home runs and 29 RBIs. He was the Orioles’ 11th-round selection in 2007.

Autograph sessions begin tonight at 5 p.m. and the Home Run Derby will start around 6 p.m. Fireworks will conclude the evening after the game is completed.

Posted by Dean Jones Jr. at 2:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

With the Bowie Baysox, Frederick Keys and Aberdeen IronBirds all idle and the Norfolk Tides winning earlier in the day, the only score to report from tonight is the Delmarva Shorebirds.

The Shorebirds followed in the footsteps of the Tides by completing a four-game sweep on Monday night. Earlier in the day, the Tides beat the Charlotte Knights, 8-7, for their fourth consecutive victory. The Shorebirds hit three home runs in their win over the Savannah Sand Gnats.

Delmarva Shorebirds (A)

Score: Delmarva Shorebirds 8, Savannah Sand Gnats 2

Recap: Shorebirds third baseman Tyler Henson hit a grand slam in the bottom of the fifth inning to break a 1-1 tie. Shorebirds left fielder Kieron Pope and first baseman Anthony Martinez also homered during the inning, as Delmarva scored seven runs in the frame and cruised to an 8-2 victory. They have won five straight games and finished the recent homestand with a 6-2 record. Starting pitcher Zach Britton allowed two runs and one hit in six innings pitched. He walked five and struck out seven hitters while picking up his 11th victory of the season.

Posted by Dean Jones Jr. at 11:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Game recaps
        

Frederick Keys starting pitcher Jake Arrieta has received plenty of recognition during his first season in the Orioles' organization.

The team’s fifth-round draft pick in the 2007 draft was selected to pitch for the U.S. team in the Futures Game at Yankee Stadium on July 13 as part of the All-Star festivities. He tossed a scoreless inning in the game, allowing one hit while striking out one hitter.

Arrieta, 22, was named to the U.S. Olympic baseball team on July 16. He’s the only Single-A player on the team, but that doesn’t mean he lacks the experience to represent his country in front of the entire world. Arrieta was 4-0 with a 0.27 ERA in 35 innings for the 2006 U.S. national team.

He pitched six scoreless innings for the U.S. in a 9-1 victory over China Monday night in Beijing. Arrieta had seven strikeouts and allowed only two hits in the game. Here is a detailed recap of the game from USABaseball.com.

The 6-foot-4, 225-pound right-hander was chosen as the Pitcher of the Week in the Carolina League on two separate occasions in May. In 20 starts for the Keys this season, Arrieta has compiled a 6-5 record. Through Tuesday, he led the league with 120 strikeouts and ranked second in ERA (2.87) and fourth in innings pitched (113).

Arrieta recently left the Keys to begin preparing for the Olympics, but he was able to answer a few questions via e-mail for baltimoresun.com before his departure.

Knowing it is the final year that baseball will be played at the historic Yankee Stadium, what was it like pitching there during the MLB Futures Game?

Arrieta: Having the opportunity to pitch in a stadium with so much history before it’s torn down was a dream come true.

You were recently named to the U.S. Olympic team. Describe your feelings when you first learned of your selection to the team.

Arrieta: When I first heard the news I was relieved. I had constantly thought about making the team during the time leading up to the selection day, and to finally get the news, it was a weight off of my shoulders.

What are the main differences between pitching in college and pitching at the professional level?

Arrieta: The discipline of the hitters and you can’t make as many mistakes over the plate.

What is your best pitch? Tell fans why it’s better than the others.

Arrieta: It really depends on the day. Any of my pitches can be the best on a given day.

Who are your best friends on the Keys? When you’re not playing a game, what do you guys do for fun?

Arrieta: [Starting pitcher Brandon] Erbe and [infielder Brandon] Snyder. We relax and download tons of music most of the time.

Photo credit/caption: AP photo -- United States starting pitcher Jake Arrieta pitched six scoreless innings during the team's 9-1 victory over China on Monday night in Beijing.

Posted by Dean Jones Jr. at 11:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: Q&As
        

Each day on O’s on Deck, I’ll preview the day’s games for the Orioles’ affiliates. Tonight, the Bowie Baysox, Frederick Keys and Aberdeen IronBirds are all idle.

The Norfolk Tides defeated the Charlotte Knights, 8-7, today at Harbor Park in Norfolk, Va. The victory enabled the Tides to complete a four-game sweep of the Knights. Mike Costanzo hit a three-run double in the third inning to power the Tides. They scored six runs in the inning. Starting pitcher Craig Anderson (5-8) earned his third consecutive victory. He allowed two runs and six hits in six innings.

Also, Norfolk Tides starting pitcher Radhames Liz – that name should sound familiar to Orioles fans – was named International League Pitcher of the Week. Liz was 1-1 with a 0.64 ERA in two starts this week. He had 16 strikeouts and only allowed one earned run in 14 innings pitched.

The Delmarva Shorebirds are hosting the “Largest Diamond Dig” tonight at Arthur W. Perdue Stadium. According to the news release, there is $7,000 worth of jewelry up for grabs. For more information, check out the Shorebirds' Web site.

Typically, I’ll be posting game recaps following the night’s action. Since the Tides played earlier today, I gave you a brief summary above. Look for results from the Shorebirds game later on O’s on Deck.

Delmarva Shorebirds (A)

Opponent

Savannah Sand Gnats

Pitchers

Delmarva: Zach Britton (10-6, 3.06 ERA)
Savannah: Mark Cohoon (1-1, 4.50 ERA)

Notes

* The Shorebirds improved to a season-best 14 games above .500 with their 9-3 victory over the Sand Gnats last night. Like the Tides, Delmarva is also seeking a four-game sweep this evening.

* Second baseman Ryan Adams leads the team with 49 errors this season. He is now one error shy of tying the South Atlantic League record for a second baseman, set by current Orioles third-base coach Juan Samuel in 1981. After committing three more errors last night, the Shorebirds lead the league with 182.

Posted by Dean Jones Jr. at 4:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Game previews
        

My name is Dean Jones Jr. and I’m a sports producer at baltimoresun.com. Some of you may have read my posts on Those Fantasy Guys, but I've shifted my blogging efforts to the world of minor league baseball. Don’t forget to check out the new minor league baseball section of our Web site.

While blogging on the topic may be new to me, I’ve actually been following the minor leagues since I attended a Frederick Keys game in the early 1990s. My father took me to the game -- I don’t remember the exact year -- and Harry Grove Stadium was near capacity, so they opened up the "overflow seating" section for fans. To our surprise, this section was located on the warning track in right-center field. Naturally, we quickly made our way to this innovative seating (it was actually standing) area.

I was in elementary school at the time and thought our section was the coolest thing. I’ll never forget when the center fielder crashed into the crowd directly in front of me while trying to make a diving catch. Who knew baseball could be more physical than football?

I don’t remember the outfielder’s name and I don’t remember who won the game. However, I know that minor league baseball was forever etched in my heart beginning with that night because I realized that the love of the game is what motivates players at that level of professional baseball. I don’t think any major leaguers would dive through fans on the warning track in order to catch a fly ball -- frankly, would they ever have to? -- but that minor leaguer didn’t mind sacrificing his body.

While my childhood dream to play professional baseball never made it beyond high school, there are hundreds of minor leaguers each year that attempt to make it the majors. They put on their uniforms, take long bus trips to the middle of nowhere and get paid very little as they try to make it to the highest level.

In this blog, I hope to help people realize what it’s like to be in the minor leagues. There will be several features that I hope you’ll enjoy. I’m going to have different players answer survey questions about their experiences in the minors. In-depth Q&As with players will also be included periodically.

I'll post daily game previews for all of the Orioles’ minor league affiliates and a nightly recap of each team’s results, along with information on how players are performing at each level.

I’ll update you on the fortunes of Maryland residents playing in the minors. I’ll track their progress and occasionally blog about them. If you know about any Marylanders in the minor leagues that I don’t include in an entry, please feel free to e-mail me and I’ll write about them in the future. It’s difficult to compile a list of all the local players that are participating in minor league baseball, but I’d like to include as many as possible.

The best part about O’s on Deck is that you’ll be able to participate in the discussion. If you'd like to share your favorite minor league stories, e-mail me at djones@baltimoresun.com and I’ll pass them along to the rest of the readers. You can also post your thoughts as comments to any of the entries. I think one of the best things about minor league baseball is the friendly atmosphere and the blog will be a similar place if you’re able to share your stories with others.

Don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any questions, comments or thoughts about the blog. I hope you enjoy everything that you read.

I’ll start things off with a survey answered by Norfolk Tides outfielder Tike Redman. He has spent parts of six seasons in the major leagues, including 40 games with the Orioles in 2007. Redman is currently hitting close to .300 for the Tides, while splitting time between left and center field.

Look for several other surveys answered by Orioles minor leaguers in the future. The surveys were distributed and returned by the teams' media relations representatives.

General information

Name: Tike Redman
Age: 31
Height: 5’11”
Weight: 170 lbs.
Hometown: Duncanville, Ga.
Nicknames: Tike
Position: Outfield
High school/college: Tuscaloosa Academy (Ala.) High School
Time in professional baseball: Since 1996

Favorites

Current MLB player: Ken Griffey Jr.
All-time MLB player: Ken Griffey Jr.
Sport (other than baseball): Football
Food: Beans and Bread
Music: R&B
TV show: Friends
Movie: The Dark Knight
Hobbies: Drawing

Other questions

1. What is one thing that you’d like the fans to know about you?

I’m a nice, good looking guy.

2. At this point in your career, what has been your favorite moment?

A game against Colorado with Pittsburgh in 2003. I had two triples (one that tied the game in the ninth inning) and I scored the game-winning run in the ninth.

3. Who is your role model?

Jesus Christ

4. In the minor leagues, what do you do for fun on a road trip?

Listen to music

5. If you could play any other position, what would it be and why?

I’d be a running back in football.

Posted by Dean Jones Jr. at 11:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (9)