Minor League Game Summaries 4/20

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Norfolk Tides lose 6-3

Kevin Gausman struck out nine in a rehab start, but Charlotte rallied to knock off Norfolk 6-3 Wednesday night at BB&T Ballpark.

Making his third rehab start of the season due to right shoulder tendinitis, Gausman (0-1) yielded three earned runs on four hits over 5.2 innings of work. His nine strikeouts were a Tides season-high, and he threw 63 of his 91 pitches for strikes. He surrendered single runs in the third and fourth innings and departed with the score tied and two out in the sixth, but an inherited runner came around to score to put the 25-year-old right-hander on the hook for the loss.

Michael Almanzar homered for the second straight night to help pace Norfolk's 13-hit attack, while Paul Janish added three singles to up his average to .359. Xavier Avery and Dariel Alvarez added RBI doubles for Norfolk, which won two of three games at Charlotte to wrap up a seven-game road trip.

Richard Rodriguez worked a perfect inning of relief in the contest, as opposing batters are now 0-for-20 against him this season.

Bowie Baysox lose 7-1

A pair of Baysox errors led to four unearned runs for Erie in a 7-1 loss to the SeaWolves Wednesday afternoon. The loss snaps a four-game winning streak for the Baysox as the team fell short of a series sweep against Erie. Despite 12 hits, the Baysox managed just one run and stranded a season-high 12 runners on base.

The SeaWolves jumped out to a quick start against Baysox starter Joe Gunkel, scoring in each of the first three innings. Erie scored twice in the first inning after a botched double play attempt led to a fielding error by Garabez Rosa and extended the inning for the SeaWolves.

Errors were again a factor in the second inning as the SeaWolves scored four unearned runs to take a commanding 6-0 lead. Drew Longley reached on a fielding error by Drew Dosch at third base and Erie then began its two-out rally two batters later. Harold Castro brought one run home with an RBI single up the middle and Jason Krizan tripled through the hole at second with the bases loaded to bring three more runs home.

Dominic Ficociello led off the bottom of the third inning with a solo home run to left field to extend the Erie lead to 7-0.

The Baysox got one run back in the top of the fourth inning against Erie starter Tommy Collier. Trey Mancini, Garabez Rosa and Corban Joseph singled to load the bases but only one run came home on an Adrian Marin single to left-center field that made the score 7-1.

Gunkel threw 3.1 innings and allowed seven runs (three earned) on seven hits while striking out two and walking one in his third loss. Relievers Jon Keller, Bobby Bundy and Garrett Cortright threw 4.2 hitless innings behind Gunkel, walking just one batter.

Collier picked up the win for Erie, throwing five innings and allowing one run on seven hits while striking out four and walking one.

Frederick Keys lose 13-4

The Wilmington Blue Rocks turned in season-highs in runs and hits to defeat the Frederick Keys 13-4 on Wednesday afternoon at Nymeo Field. In the contest, the visitors had seven of their nine starters record two hits or more, while five finished with multiple RBIs. In the process, the Keys finished their first homestand with a 1-6 record.

Wilmington delivered three different innings of three or more runs. That included a five-run second in which 10 different hitters came to bat. Wander Franco began the inning with a double, before singles by Robert Pehl and Luis Villegas scored the inning's first run. Humberto Arteaga grounded into a bounce out to score the second run, while Ryan O'Hearn struck out, but the Blue Rocks still managed three more runs with two outs. With men at second and third Elier Hernandez singled home Villegas, before an Alfredo Escalera two-run base hit concluded the scoring.

Making his first professional start, Max Schuh lasted only two innings and suffered the loss. He gave up six runs on seven hits to go with three walks and three strikeouts. Schuh (0-1) threw 54 pitches, 33 for strikes.

Back-to-back doubles by Jonah Heim and Erick Salcedo trimmed the Keys deficit to four, but Wilmington responded with four runs over their next two innings. Two singles and an RBI groundout by Arteaga made it a 7-2 contest, before five more hits in the next inning stretched the Blue Rocks edge to eight. In the inning, the first five reached, while hits by Franco (double), Pehl (single) and Villegas (single) scored runs.

Matt Tenuta pitched into the sixth inning for the Blue Rocks, giving up two runs on five hits. He walked three and struck out three, while throwing 87 pitches. It was the second victory for Tenuta (2-0) in as many outings.

In the ninth, the Blue Rocks completed their scoring with a rare three-run inside the park home run by O'Hearn. The Keys also added single markers in the final two innings, with Austin Wynns hitting a solo homer to left in the Keys last at-bats.

Shorebirds win 3-1

Steve Uhlmann

Despite having just one hit for the entire game, the Delmarva Shorebirds held an impressive rally of their own on the Eastern Shore Wednesday night, trumping the Greensboro Grasshoppers 3-1 at Arthur W. Perdue Stadium.

While Delmarva?s offense sputtered early, Francisco Jimenez kept the Shorebirds in the game with a brilliant outing. He twirled six shutout innings while allowing just three hits and one walk while striking out four.

Greensboro starter Kevin Guzman pitched five perfect innings before Nestor Bautista took over to begin the bottom half of the sixth. Ademar Rifaela got the inning started with a leadoff walk. Drew Turbin was then hit a pitch, and both runners then moved up on a Cedric Mullins groundout. With Ricardo Andujar batting, Bautista unleashed a wild pitch that scored Delmarva?s first run of the game.

Alex Murphy then came through with the Shorebirds? first and only hit of the night, a two-run single that stretched the lead to 3-0. The hit brought his team-leading RBI count to 13, and his average for the season now sits at .352.

Patrick Baker came out of the bullpen for the last three innings of the game and slammed the door shut after allowing an unearned run in the seventh. He racked up five strikeouts over the course of his outing and was rewarded with his first save of the season.