The Orioles’ farm system had one game that never got off the ground, one that turned into a grind, and one that ended with a walk-off in extra innings. Tuesday’s minor league slate delivered a little of everything.
At Triple-A, Norfolk’s matchup with Syracuse was washed out by rain and will be made up later today as part of a doubleheader.
The most dramatic finish came at Single-A, where Frederick erased a four-run deficit in the ninth and then finished off Jersey Shore in the 11th for an 8-7 win in the series opener. The Keys were staring at a 7-3 hole when the bottom of the ninth began, but the inning quickly turned chaotic.
Vance Honeycutt struck out to open it, then Leandro Arias and Colin Tuft reached on a walk and a hit by pitch. Randal Diaz followed with a single to left that brought Arias home, and Edwin Amparo added another single to load the bases for RJ Austin.
Austin’s grounder to third looked like it could become a double play, but the relay throw from second sailed away, letting both Tuft and Diaz score. Austin then kept the rally moving with his legs, stealing second and third before coming home on a throwing error on the attempt to get him at third.
Jersey Shore had a chance to stop the bleeding in the 10th, putting runners on second and third, but Todd Kniebe struck out Nick Biddison to strand both. Frederick’s own chance in the bottom half went unfinished when Honeycutt and Arias both struck out after the Keys had their Manfred Man on third.
The 11th finally settled it. After the BlueClaws lined into an inning-ending double play in the top half, Frederick got another opening in the bottom half. With Arias on second, a wild pitch moved him to third, and Tuft ended it with a sacrifice fly to left.
Double-A Chesapeake also had to come from behind, and the Baysox did it the hard way in a 2-1, 10-inning win over Akron. The RubberDucks grabbed the lead with a solo homer in the second and held it until the eighth, when Chesapeake finally broke through.
Tavian Josenberger started the rally with a single to right, Douglas Hodo III followed with another single, and after an out at first, Brandon Butterworth lifted a fly ball to center that should have ended the inning. Instead, an error kept the play alive and let Josenberger score from second.
Akron threatened to retake control in the ninth, getting the winning run to second with two outs, but Ben Vespi struck out Bennett Thompson to send the game to extras. In the top of the 10th, Anderson De Los Santos bunted Manfred Man Fernando Peguero to third, and Peguero scored the go-ahead run on a wild pitch. Jeisson Cabrera then closed the door in the bottom half, getting two fly outs and strikeouts to leave Akron’s Manfred Man stranded.
Joseph Dzierwa gave Chesapeake a strong start before the late-inning scramble took over. The 2025 second-round pick worked five innings, allowing three hits and one earned run with no walks and three strikeouts. His ERA with the Baysox dropped to 2.38, and he’s now allowed one or fewer runs in five of his last seven starts.
Low-A Delmarva couldn’t keep pace in a 6-2 loss to Kannapolis in the series opener. The Shorebirds managed just four hits and spent most of the night chasing the game after the Cannon Ballers jumped ahead in the second with some small ball and a little help from the defense. A walk and a hit by pitch set the table, and back-to-back singles around a fielding error pushed Kannapolis out to a 3-0 lead.
Delmarva answered in the third with a two-run push of its own, aided by shaky defense from the Cannon Ballers. Miguel Rodríguez singled to lead off the inning, Andrés Nolaya walked, and Braylon Whitaker dropped a bunt down the third-base line for an infield hit. An errant throw from the Kannapolis third baseman allowed both Rodríguez and Nolaya to score.
The Shorebirds had a shot to flip the game in the fourth, loading the bases with two outs, but Whitaker popped out to the catcher to end the threat. Their only other real chance came in the eighth, when Jaiden Lo Re tripled into the right-field corner with two outs, only to be stranded after an Elvin Garcia strikeout.
In Other News...
Contender Now Linked To One Orioles Bat Fans Feared Losing
The trade deadline is starting to draw some familiar names into the rumor mill, and for Orioles fans, one of the more uncomfortable ones is a bat they have grown attached to. CBS Sports Mike Axisa recently pegged Taylor Ward as a possible fit for a Phillies club that has improved under Don Mattingly and looks like a buyer, with the appeal tied to his on-base ability and right-handed swing even as his home run total has dipped.
For Baltimore, the intrigue is less about Philadelphias needs than what Ward represents if the market keeps warming up. He is viewed as the kind of rental a contender can chase before he reaches free agency after the season, which is exactly the sort of profile that tends to stir deadline noise around a player who has become part of the Orioles everyday picture. The question now is how aggressive that pursuit gets, and whether Baltimore is forced to weigh short-term value against the kind of return that could make moving him easier to stomach. [Read more 🡒]
Orioles Suddenly Have A Taylor Ward Problem At The Worst Time
Taylor Ward gave the Orioles exactly the kind of early boost they were hoping for, working his way on base at a strong clip and producing enough in April to look like a real middle-of-the-order fit. Since then, though, the bat has cooled, and the difference has shown up in both his power and his ability to get on base, which has made his once-promising start feel more fragile as the calendar moves toward the trade deadline.
That slide has already been noticed outside Baltimore, too. ESPNs latest trade-chip rankings have Ward slipping from 12th in the first edition to 24th now, a reminder that his market is changing along with his production. The Orioles would love to see him straighten things out over the next stretch, not just because they need the offense, but because a stronger finish would give them a much better position when the deadline conversations really start to heat up. [Read more 🡒]
Orioles Bullpen Concerns Just Grew As Another Lineup Shuffle Looms
The Orioles bullpen picture took another hit with Keegan Akin now seeking a second opinion on his left elbow, while Colin Selby remains on the 60-day injured list and Ryan Helsley is still working through treatment on his right elbow. For a club already trying to patch together innings, the latest medical updates only add to the pressure on a relief group that has been asked to absorb a lot this season.
At the same time, Baltimore is trying to manage the rest of the roster with an eye on a Cubs matchup that brings a left-handed starter into the mix. The lineup card reflects that balancing act, with the Orioles turning to several younger bats and moving pieces around as they look for the right combination, even as the bullpen uncertainty keeps hanging over the day. [Read more 🡒]