Notes from the Minors 5/22

In Game 2 of the Tides doubleheader, Dariel Alvarez went 2-for-3 with a home run. He's the Hangout Milb Player of the Night.

Tides [AAA] Lost 11 to 4

Bud Norris had a disastrous outing (2.2 IP, 12 H, 9 ER, 0 BB, K).

Nolan Reimold went 4-for-4 with two doubles.

Tides [AAA] Won 3 to 0

Michael Bowden was on his game (5.1 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, BB, 6 K).

Henry Urrutia doubled.

Baysox [AA] Lost 5 to 4

Tim Berry continues to struggle (4.2 IP, 9 H, 5 ER, 2 BB, 2 K).

Glynn Davis went 3-for-5.

Keys [A+] Won 14 to 4

Mitch Horacek had his strikeout stuff working (6.2 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, BB, 10 K).

Brenden Webb doubled twice and drove in four.

Jeff Kemp hit a three-run homer.

Shorebirds [A] Lost 4 to 1

Bennett Parry made the start (5 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 5 K).

Elier Leyva hit a solo home run.

Nolan goes 5-7 and loses player of the night to someone who goes 2-6?

I'm outraged!

Nolan goes 5-7 and loses player of the night to someone who goes 2-6?

I'm outraged!

Take it up with Chris. I know that prospects get preference.

Take it up with Chris. I know that prospects get preference.

What does that have to do with Alvarez?

Mitch Horacek has been pretty impressive so far. 3.63 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, 10.9 K/9, 3.94 K/BB. He missed bats last year, too. Maybe this guy has been a little overlooked?

He led the league last year in Ks if I recall. Either his command is great and he knows how to pitch or he is feasting on minor league hitters who swing at more pitches out of the zone. Because I do not know if his "stuff" is good enough to translate at higher levels....atleast not to the tune of a 10.9 K/9

Douglass Newton

May 22, 2015

Power Rally In 6th To Even Series

Shorebirds stonewalled in 4-1 loss

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- The Delmarva Shorebirds could not muster much offense on Saturday night off the West Virginia trio of Austin Coley, Jake Burnette and Junior Lopez. Limited to just a solo home run, Delmarva (22-19) dropped the game when the Power rallied for a four-run sixth inning.

The game began as a pitchers’ duel between Shorebirds’ starter Bennett Parry and West Virginia’s Austin Coley. Delmarva squandered opportunities with runners in scoring positions in each of the first three innings.

The dueling shutouts continued until the fourth inning. Elier Leyva lifted a solo home run, his second of the season, both coming in the last three days. The Shorebirds’ right fielder has been much improved after a slow start to the year. Leyva now has seven doubles and two home runs in 21 games in the month of May.

Bennett Parry allowed just two hits through five scoreless innings to start his outing. West Virginia turned the tables in the sixth, beginning with a leadoff double by Tyler Filliben. Cole Tucker laid down a well-placed bunt, and his speed turn a would-be sacrifice into a single. Pablo Reyes skied a two-run triple into the left-center gap that just skirted off the edge of Jay Gonzalez’s glove.

Delmarva went to the bullpen for Garrett Cortright, but West Virginia kept the rally going. Two more singles by Jordan Luplow and Taylor Gushue kept the ball rolling. The five batters knocked hits in the sixth, scoring four runs for a 4-1 Power lead.

West Virginia’s bullpen shut the door on any Delmarva comeback. Jake Burnette and Junior Lopez allowed just one hit and one walk in the final three innings. The Shorebirds managed just five hits on the night, after winning on Thursday night with only three hits.

Austin Coley picked up the win, his sixth of the year, matching the league lead. Lopez earned his third save with a perfect ninth inning. Bennett Parry allowed three runs in five innings pitched, levelling his record to 3-3.

Doug Rafterty

May 22, 2015

KEYS TORCH HILLCATS WITH SEASON-HIGH 14 RUNS

WEBB DRIVES IN SEASON-HIGH FOUR IN 14-4 WIN

Lynchburg, Va. – The Keys plated a season-high 14 runs on a season-high-tying 14 hits, and Mitch Horacek tossed 6.2 innings of three-run baseball to hand the Keys a 14-4 win in game one in Lynchburg on Friday Night. Brenden Webb drove home four teammates, a season-high, and Trey Mancini recorded his second straight three-hit game.

For the fourth straight game, the Keys scored first against their opponent. Jeff Kemp singled with one out against Mitch Brown (1-4) and was followed by a Drew Dosch walk and Mancini single to load the bases. Webb bounced one to first that got past Nellie Rodriguez for a two-run single, and Adrian Marin grounded out to score Mancini for a 3-0 Keys lead.

Horacek (3-4) wouldn’t need much more than that, as he tossed a five-pitch 1-2-3 first inning. It was the fourth quality start of the season for Horacek, and the first time this year the Keys have had back-to-back quality starts with Jhonathan Ramos’s last night. Horacek allowed four hits in 6.2 innings, three runs, walked one, and struck out 10, one shy of his season-high.

Lynchburg cut the deficit to 3-1 in the bottom of the fourth when Bradley Zimmer climbed a ball over the right field 16-foot wall. It was Zimmer’s eighth home run of the season. That’s all the Hillcats would get off Horacek until the seventh.

The Keys used their biggest run output in a single inning this year in the fifth against Brown and reliever Antonio Romero. 10 batters came to the plate and six scored, highlighted by a Kemp three-run shot over the left field fence to score T.J. Olesczuk and Gregory Lorenzno. The next five would reach after the home run, as Webb, Marin, and Austin Wynns all brought home runners to take a 9-1 lead.

The Keys would finish off the scoring with another huge inning, this time in the seventh against Clayton Cook. After Dosch singled, four consecutive doubles were whacked by Mancini, Webb, Marin, and Wynns to bring home four runs. The Keys added a fifth on a Lorenzo groundout to score Wynns.

Horacek allowed two of his hits in the seventh inning, including a two-run double by Joe Sever that knocked him out of the contest. However, Nik Nowottnick stranded Sever in scoring position to keep the quality start in play. Lynchburg scored a run in the ninth against Dennis Torres for the 14-4 final.

Matt Wilson

May,22, 2015

Richmond, VA - Baysox C David Freitas was 3-for-4 with a home run and three driven in but it was not enough as Richmond took the series opener 5-4 Friday night.

The ballgame was a back and forth affair. Bowie grabbed the lead early when Freitas singled home two runs with two down in the first inning. The Baysox led again in the third inning when a mishandled groundball to third base off the bat of RF Quincy Latimore made it 3-2 Baysox.

But the fifth inning would turn the tide off the game. The Baysox loaded the bases with one man out but DH Chris O'Brien grounded into a double play to end the inning. Richmond turned four double plays in the game.

Richmond then went to work as four of the first five Flying Squirrels batters registered hits in a three-run rally. An RBI-double by 1B Ricky Oropesa gave Richmond the lead. It was 5-3 to the sixth inning.

That is where Freitas gave Bowie a spark again. His solo home run to left field near the line made it 5-4. The home run was his second of the season in nine games with the club.

Bowie could bot score though against the Richmond pen over four innings to close the game. CF Glynn Davis had a big night going 3-for-5 with a run scored. Relievers Kenn Kasparek and Ben Rowan each worked scoreless outings to keep Bowie within 5-4. Richmond has now won six of the last eight games against Bowie.

The Baysox will have RHP Terry Doyle on the hill Saturday, May 23rd at 6:05 p.m. for the second game of the four game series. Coverage will begin 20-minutes prior to first pitch on 1430wnav.com and via the Tune-In Radio App by searching Bowie Baysox.

Ian Locke

May 22, 2015

Michael Bowden lowered his season ERA to 1.97 with 5.1 shutout innings Friday.

Norfolk used a strong outing from Michael Bowden and a two-run homer from Dariel Alvarez to blank the Rochester Red Wings 3-0 in game two of a doubleheader Friday night at Harbor Park. The Red Wings knocked off the Tides 11-4 in game one.

Bowden (3-1) turned in his second straight scoreless start, as he allowed just three hits and one walk over 5.1 innings of work. The 28-year-old struck out a season-high six while throwing 57 of his 82 pitches for strikes as he helped Norfolk register its league-leading seventh shutout of the season.

Since being forced into a starting role due to the promotion of Tyler Wilson to Baltimore, Bowden has gone 2-0 with nine strikeouts in 10.1 shutout innings.

Norfolk got all the runs they would need in the first frame, as Alvarez hit his team-leading fourth home run into the Tides bullpen in right field - a two-run shot off of Tayler Rogers (3-3). Alvarez, who also singled later in the contest, has hit four of Norfolk's six home runs at Harbor Park this season.

Cesar Cabral recorded two outs in the contest before giving way to Jorge Rondon, who worked a scoreless seventh inning to record his first save of the season.

In game one, Rochester jumped out to an early lead on the strength of two home runs from Kennys Vargas and cruised to an 11-4 win.

Making his first rehab appearance with the Tides after being placed on Baltimore's disabled list with bronchitis, Bud Norris (0-1) took the loss after yielding nine runs on twelve hits in 2.2 innings of work. Norris surrendered two runs in the first and five more in the second before departing after allowing two more runs in the third. Eight of the nine runs the Red Wings scored came with two outs off of Norris, who threw 47 of his 72 pitches for strikes.

Vargas powered the Wings offense with two home runs off of Norris, as he connected on a solo shot in the first frame before belting a three-run drive in the second. The Wings, who entered play leading the IL in both runs (181) and batting average (.272), collected 17 hits in the contest - including six for extra bases.

The 11 runs and 17 hits allowed by the Tides were both season-highs.

Nolan Reimold singled twice and doubled twice as he registered four of Norfolk's eight hits in the contest. Julio Borbon added an RBI triple and two runs scored.

Top 10 list is really looking thin right now. Berry struggling. Harvey,Kline and Cisco all hurt. These next two drafts have to be big.