Notes From the Minors 8/17

[weams]

Michael Almanzar is the Orioles Hangout MiLB player of the day with two timely hits.

Tides [AAA] Won 9 to 5

Junior Lake went three for five.

Dariel Alvarez went two for three with a double.

Michael Almanzar went two for four.

Shorebirds [A] Won 6 to 2

Riley Palmer homered.

Logan Uxa went two for three.

Dariel Delgado pitched six scoreless innings.

GCL Orioles [R] Won 7 to 3

Ryan Mountcastle went two for four.

Seamus Curran went two for four.

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Norfolk pounds out 12 hits and wins at Indianapolis 9-5! Alvarez goes 2-3 with four runs scored as Tides move 20 games over .500

Douglass Newton

SALISBURY, Md. -- The Delmarva Shorebirds got off to a great start on Monday evening, holding on for a 6-2 victory over the Lakewood BlueClaws. Delmarva (25-25, 58-60) scored six runs in the first two innings and cruised with strong pitching for a win in the series opener.

Delmarva ambushed BlueClaws? starter Ranfi Casimiro in the first two innings for six runs on nine hits. The scoring started with an RBI single by Logan Uxa in the first. Jomar Reyes blooped a single to center field, but Cam Kneeland was thrown out at home plate. Riley Palmer demolished a first-pitch fastball to the hedges beyond the center field fence, a three-run home run for a 4-0 lead.

The Shorebirds rattled off a two-out rally in the second inning for a 6-0 lead. T.J. Olesczuk belted an RBI triple to right field, and Kneeland drove home a run on an infield single. Kneeland leads the team with 90 hits after a multi-hit game on Monday night.

Dariel Delgado impressed in the win for Delmarva, tossing six scoreless innings while retiring the final eight batters he faced. Mike Burke spun a scoreless seventh, though he got into trouble with two runs on three singles in the eighth. Ivan Hernandez recorded the final five outs, including a routine ninth to lock down the 6-2 final.

Palmer?s home run was his fourth of the season, and his first since May 28th vs. West Virginia. The Shorebirds did not record a base hit after the second inning, but still scored six runs on nine hits. Ademar Rifaela joined Uxa and Kneeland with multi-hit games in the victory.

[sportsfan8703]

I'm predicting that Almanzar has a breakout year next year. He'll be 25 in AAA for his 2nd full season. He's not going to be a super prosepect or any lists or anything, no matter what he does in the minors. But, those doubles (25 so far) are going to turn into more HR's (3 so far) next year. He's cut his SO/BB ratio down to 3:1. If he could get that down to 2:1 and have some doubles turn into HR's, he could OPS around .800.

At age 21 he posted a .812 OPS in A+

At age 22 he posted a .790 OPS in AA

Age 23 was a wasted year with the rule 5 selection and being injured

Age 24, first full season in AAA. Big ball park. lots of doubles. .590 OPS