Triple-A: Durham Bulls 4, Norfolk Tides 2 (F/10)
The Tides allowed two runs in the top of the 10th and couldn’t answer, dropping the series opener vs. Durham in extras.
After pitching a 1-2-3 9th inning, Gerald Ogando went back out for the 10th, looking to strand the Bulls’ Manfred Man. Instead, the 25-year-old right-hander allowed a one-out double to allow Durham to take a 3-2 lead. The Bulls then doubled their advantage with a two-out single, sending the Tides to the bottom of the 10th down 4-2.
While the Durham bats stepped up to the challenge
of extra innings, the Norfolk offense fell silent. Ryan Noda struck out to lead off the inning before Tommy Pham grounded out to put Norfolk’s backs against the wall. Representing their final hope, outfielder Willy Vasquez grounded out on the first pitch to seal the loss.
The Tides had taken an early 2-0 lead in the game thanks to a 1st inning rally. Pham and Heston Kjerstad led off the with back-to-back singles. Pham then scored on an RBI groundout from Johnathan Rodríguez, and Kjerstad came home on a Creed Willems sac fly. That lead held until the 7th, when Durham tied the game on two bases-loaded walks.
Double-A: Erie SeaWolves 6, Chesapeake Baysox 0
Orioles’ No. 14 prospect Juaron Watts-Brown allowed five runs in the 4th inning and the Baysox bats couldn’t keep up as Chesapeake was shut out against the SeaWolves.
Watts-Brown looked like he was on his way to a strong outing through the first three innings. He breezed through the first two frames with back-to-back 1-2-3 innings. The 24-year-old right-hander then took things to another level in the 3rd, striking out the side on 18 pitches.
That impressive start then fell apart in the 4th. The SeaWolves drew a one-out walk followed by an RBI triple for the first run of the game. Then, after his seventh strikeout of the evening, Watts-Brown allowed an RBI single, RBI double and two-run homer as the SeaWolves’ lead ballooned to 5-0. The Baysox starter would finish the inning, but it’d be his last frame of the game, closing his line at 4.0 IP, 4 H, 5 ER, 1 BB and 7 K. The SeaWolves added their sixth run of the game with a solo homer to lead off the 6th.
Offensively, the Baysox were completely stifled as they only managed two hits against four Erie pitchers. Both of those hits came from No. 9 hitter Maikol Hernández, who collected singles in the 6th and 8th innings. Top prospects Aron Estrada and Thomas Sosa combined to go 0-for-8 with five strikeouts.
High-A: Frederick Keys 10, Jersey Shore BlueClaws 2
All nine Frederick hitters collected a hit and Victor Figueroa continued his strong start to the season in a dominant win over the BlueClaws.
The Keys really broke the game open with two big innings in the 5th and 6th. Already up 1-0 after a run-scoring balk in the 4th, Braylin Tavera started the 5th inning rally with a leadoff single. Vance Honeycutt walked and Colin Tuft was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Yasmil Bucce forced across a run after another HBP, before Luis Vázquez drove home two on a double to center. RJ Austin then pushed across the fourth run of the inning on a sac fly to left as Frederick took a 5-0 lead.
After Jersey Shore got two runs back in the bottom of the 5th, the Keys would start another rally in the 6th. Figueroa led off the inning with a solo home run, his 11th of the year, to take sole possession of the home run lead among Orioles’ minor leaguers. With two outs, Vance Honeycutt reached on a single, stole second and scored after two throwing errors on the stolen base attempt. Tuft then singled and came around to score on another single from Bucce, growing the Keys’ lead to 8-2.
Top prospects Ike Irish and Wehiwa Aloy would get in on the action late in the game, with Irish knocking a two-out RBI single to right in the 7th. Aloy then repeated that feat in the 8th, slashing a two-out single to left for Frederick’s 10th run of the game.
While the offense stole the show, starter JT Quinn also delivered a strong outing. The 22-year-old pitched 4.1 innings, allowing 2 hits, 2 runs and 3 walks while striking out five. The 69th overall pick in the 2025 draft has a 3.11 ERA in 37.2 IP this season with 49 strikeouts.
Low-A: Delmarva Shorebirds 5, Fredericksburg Nationals 2
The Shorebirds scored two runs each in the 2nd and 3rd innings, and held onto that lead to secure a series-opening win over the Nationals.
After Fredericksburg took a 1-0 lead on a 1st inning home run, Delmarva took the lead back in the 2nd. DJ Layton led off the inning with a triple, but was thrown out at home on a Joshua Liranzo grounder to first. Braylon Whitaker then walked and Liranzo and Whitaker executed a double steal to move into scoring position. Andrés Nolaya brought both home on a triple down the left field line to give the Shorebirds a 2-1 lead.
That lead would grow even more in the 3rd, thanks to a big fly from Layton. Enrique Bradfield Jr. led off the inning with a walk and proceeded to steal second. The speedster then got to jog home when Layton hit an opposite field home run over the right field fence to bring the Delmarva lead to 4-1.
Fredericksburg would cut that lead to one with a two-run homer in the 7th, only for EBJ to provide some insurance in the bottom of the inning. The former 1st-round pick led off with a walk and moved to second on a Layton walk. The outfielder then stole third and scored on a wild pitch to restore a two-run advantage for Delmarva.
The Shorebirds’ pitching staff had a dominant strikeout day against the Nationals, racking up 20 Ks against Fredericksburg. Starter Christian Rodriguez led the way with 9 strikeouts in 4 IP, while reliever Brendan Parks struck out six in 2.1 innings and Zac Lampton punched out four of the seven batters he faced to finish the game.
Wednesday’s scheduled games
Norfolk Tides vs. Durham Bulls, 6:35pm ET (TBD vs. Jonathan Heasley)
Chesapeake Baysox at Erie SeaWolves, 11:05am ET (Evan Yates vs. Max Alba)
Frederick Keys at Jersey Shore BlueClaws, 11:05am ET (Boston Bateman vs. Reese Dutton)
Delmarva Shorebirds vs. Fredericksburg Nationals, 6:05pm ET (Denton Biller vs. TBD)
