Jud Fabian powered Norfolk to a 9-2 win over Memphis on Thursday night, launching a solo homer in the first inning and a two-run shot in the sixth to headline the Orioles’ minor league action.
Fabian finished 3-for-4 with three runs scored and three RBIs, and even his double play in the third inning helped bring home a run. Creed Willems also chipped in with two hits and two runs scored while handling DH duties, while Payton Eeles went 2-for-4 with a single and a double. José Barrero added a double, and Enrique Bradfield Jr. reached with a single and a walk before scoring from the leadoff spot.
Dietrich Enns gave Norfolk three innings of one-run ball to start the night, and the bullpen kept Memphis quiet the rest of the way. Félix Bautista added another scoreless inning in his extended rehab assignment, lowering his rehab ERA to 1.59 with one earned run allowed over 5.2 innings and seven strikeouts. His fastball reached 97.9 MPH.
At Double-A, Chesapeake knocked off Richmond 8-2 behind a strong start from Anthony Eyanson. The right-hander allowed one solo homer across four innings, giving up five hits while striking out six and walking one.
He did not return after a rain delay in the fifth inning, but still finished his season with a strong final outing. Frederick Bencosme also stood out, going 2-for-3 with two walks and three runs scored.
At High-A, Greensboro topped Frederick 5-3, though the Keys made things interesting late. Frederick scored three runs in the bottom of the ninth, but the comeback came up short. The two clubs will meet again this evening to decide the South Atlantic League North Division Championship series.
Greensboro starter Levi Sterling, the 37th overall pick in the 2024 draft, limited the Keys to one hit over five innings. Frederick finally broke through in the ninth when Randal Diaz ripped a three-run double, but Leandro Arias lined out and Braylin Tavera grounded out to end it.
Stephen Still started for Frederick and allowed three runs in 2.2 innings, and the bullpen gave up two more. The Keys managed just three hits overall and will try to get the bats going again in tonight’s decisive Game 3.
In Other News...
Orioles Suddenly Have A Kyle Bradish Problem They Can't Ignore
Kyle Bradishs season ended the way the Orioles could least afford it, with another trip to the injured list and another reminder of how unstable their rotation has been. Baltimore placed the right-hander on the 15-day IL because of lower abdominal discomfort, a move that effectively shuts him down after a difficult finish to the year. He went 7-14 with a 4.12 ERA and 142 strikeouts across 29 starts, and his recent outings never really gave the club much reason to expect a late lift.
Yaramil Hiraldo was recalled from Triple-A Norfolk to take the roster spot, but the larger issue is what Bradishs absence means for a team that has been trying to hold its pitching together. For an Orioles staff that already needed reliability, losing one of its key starters at this stage leaves another thin layer peeled away, and it comes at a time when Baltimore can least afford more uncertainty on the mound. [Read more 🡒]
Orioles Wild Card Hopes Keep Fading After Another Brutal Loss
The Orioles had an early opening at Rogers Centre, loading the bases in the first inning, but the big chance came and went without a run. Baltimore kept chasing from there, and Toronto finally took control in the fifth before rolling to an 8-1 win that left the Orioles at 72-78 and drifting farther behind the Guardians in the Wild Card race.
For a club trying to stay relevant in September, the frustration was less about one bad night than the pattern underneath it. Baltimore could not cash in when it mattered, and the Blue Jays made them pay by turning a tense game into a comfortable one in the middle innings, another reminder that the margin for error keeps shrinking with every loss. [Read more 🡒]
Orioles Wild Card Push Is Running Out Of Time
The Orioles needed a steadier night on the mound to keep pace in the Wild Card race, but instead they got another uneven outing in a 7-3 loss to the Blue Jays at Rogers Centre. Kyle Bradish was tagged for five runs in three innings, and Baltimore spent much of the night chasing the game while trying to stay in touch with the teams ahead of it in the standings.
With 13 games left, the margin for error has all but disappeared. Baltimore sits three games behind Cleveland for the final American League Wild Card spot, which leaves little room for losses like this one as the club tries to hang on in a crowded finish. [Read more 🡒]