Triple-A: Gwinnett Stripers 5, Norfolk Tides 3
The Stripers scored two runs in the 7th and the 8th as the Tides dropped the series opener with a come-from-behind loss in Norfolk.
The Tides fell behind early thanks to a Gwinnett homer in the top of the 3rd. Norfolk starter Nestor German left a fastball over the plate to Ben Gamel, who smashed it deep to right for a solo homer. It was the only real mistake from German all evening, who pitched 5.1 strong innings, allowing only three hits and one run while racking up 10 Ks. It was the 24-year-old’s
deepest outing of the season, and his second time this year he’s put up double-digit strikeouts.
For a while, it looked like the Tides would be the ones to score the come-from-behind win, as they tied the game in the 4th and took the lead in the 6th. Payton Eles led off the 4th inning with a double to center to put the tying run in scoring position. Then, with two outs, José Barrero dropped a single into center to drive home Eles and tie the game at 1-1.
Eles started the rally again in the 6th, reaching on one-out single through the right side. He didn’t have to wait long to score this time, however, as two pitches later, Christian Encarnacion-Strand blasted a two-run home run to left to put the Tides up 3-1.
The lead would be short-lived, however, as Gamel struck again with a two-run single in the 7th to tie the game at 3-3. In the Gwinnett 8th, Ha-Seong Kim led off the inning with a single to put the winning run on base. After working the count full against Jose Espada, Nacho Alvarez Jr. golfed a a front-door slider over the left field fence to give Gwinnett a 5-3 lead. The Tides got the tying run on with two outs in the 9th, only for Jud Fabian to strikeout to end the game.
Double-A: Altoona Curve 4, Chesapeake Baysox 3
Top pitching prospect Luis De León had an up-and-down outing and the Curve came from behind to defeat the Baysox in Bowie.
The hard-throwing lefty got off to a strong start in the first inning, working around a leadoff walk to post a scoreless frame. However, De León ran into trouble in the 2nd inning thanks to a pair of home runs. To start the inning, the Baysox starter left a pitch over the plate to Titus Dumitru, who blasted it the other way to give Altoona a 1-0 lead. After striking out Duce Gourson looking, De León left another ball over the plate to Shawn Ross, who deposited it over the center field fence to give the Curve a 2-0 advantage.
The southpaw would finish off the 2nd with back-to-back strikeouts, and would pick up two more strikeouts before exiting with two outs in the 4th inning. De León finished with a final line of 3.2 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 3 BB and 6 K. It’s been an inconsistent start to the 2026 season for the Orioles’ top pitching prospect, who has 28 Ks in 23 IP, but is also sporting a 6.26 ERA and 1.70 WHIP.
The Baysox would get a run back in the 3rd when Ethan Anderson connected on a solo home run for his second long ball of the season. Chesapeake would then take the lead thanks to another home run in the 5th. Tavian Josenberger led off the inning with a single before stealing both second and third. Coming home was a lot easier, though, as Josenberger jogged home after Brandon Butterworth blasted a two-run homer over the center field fence. Anderson and Butterworth combined to go 5-for-7 with three RBIs.
That lead would last until the 7th. After two walks to start the inning, Altoona’s Derek Berg tripled into the right field corner to score both runners and give the Curve a 4-3 advantage. The Baysox would get the tying run into scoring position in both the 8th and 9th, but couldn’t capitalize.
Back-to-back strikeouts stranded Anderson in the 8th after he reached on a one-out walk and stole second. In the 9th, Aron Estrada led off the inning with a single, move to second on a sac bunt and moved to third on a single from Frederick Bencosme. However, with the tying run 90 feet from home, Josenberger struck out and Adam Retzbach grounded out to end the game.
High-A: Frederick Keys 9, Jersey Shore BlueClaws 2
Joseph Dzierwa delivered five no-hit innings to propel the Keys to a series-opening wins over the BlueClaws.
Dzierwa, the Orioles’ second-round pick from the 2025 draft, came into Tuesday’s start with a 2.33 ERA and .160 average against. He started the outing with a 1-2-3 inning in the 1st, thanks to a flyout, popout and groundout. The lanky lefty struck out the first two hitters he faced in the 2nd, and then repeated the feat to begin the 3rd.
The southpaw didn’t allow his first base runner until the 4th, when he issued a leadoff walk to start the inning. However, after a pair of line outs and fly outs, the runner was left stranded as Dzierwa contiuned to blank the BlueClaws. After kicking of the 5th with a groundout, Dzierwa finished his outing with a flourish, striking out the last two batters of the inning to cap off his night. He finished with a final line of 5 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 1 BB and 6 K. The dominant start dropped his ERA to 1.97 and .138 average against.
Offensively, the Keys were also locked in from the 1st inning. Reed Trimble led off the bottom of the 1st with a solo HR. Later in the inning, Braylin Tavera collected a two-out RBI double to bring home Wehiwa Aloy and give Frederick a 2-0 lead. The Keys then started the 2nd by walking the bases loaded, but only managed one run on an RBI lineout from Reed Trimble.
Frederick would blow the game open in the late innings with a five-run 7th. Aloy started the rally with a one-out single and then came around to score on Victor Figueroa’s two-run homer. Three batters later, with runners on first and third, Colin Yeaman doubled down the left field line to grow the Keys’ lead to 6-0. After another run scored on a wild pitch and an additional run via RBI groundout, Frederick closed the 7th up 8-0 and firmly in control.
The Keys would add another run in the 8th via a Colin Tuft sac fly before sending a nine-run lead to the top of the 9th. Reliever Ryan Cabarcas would allow two runs in the 9th, but didn’t let things get any further out of hand in closing out the victory.
Low-A: Salem RidgeYaks 12, Delmarva Shorebirds 4
A calamitous 5th inning saw the RidgeYaks take a lead that the Shorebirds could not overcome as they lost their series opener in Salem.
Delmarva and Salem came into the bottom of the 5th tied at three all. With 21-year-old Adrian Heredia on the mound, the RidgeYaks immediately broke that deadlock when Enddy Azocar launched a solo home run to start the inning. Luke Heyman would make it back-to-back solo shots, sending a 1-2 pitch over the left-center fence to give Salem a 5-3 lead.
At that point, Heredia completely lost his command, walking the bases loaded and seeing the RidgeYak’s sixth run score on a wild pitch. With no outs and the bases loaded, Brendan Parks replaced Heredia and instantly surrendered another run with a wild pitch of his own. Parks would then roll a double play ball, but it allowed the RidgeYaks to score another run and take an 8-3 lead.
The Shorebirds’ only offensive outburst came in the 4th, thanks t0 some timely hitting with the bases loaded. Stiven Martinez got the rally going with a one-out single, and then moved to second after a two-out single from Raylin Ramos. Braylon Whitaker then walked to load the bases for Edwin Amparo. After working the count full, Amparo turned on an inside pitch and lined it to center for a bases-clearing double, briefly giving Delmarva a 3-1 lead.
Amapro would also drive home the Shorebirds’ fourth run of the game in the top of the 9th inning. Whitaker led off the final frame with a single and then moved to second on a wild pitch. Amparo then singled up the middle to drive home Whitaker. However, the run came with the Shorebirds down 12-3, and it was the final consolation for Delmarva as they ended the inning with a strikeout, popout and lineout.
