The final chapter in our positional review of Oriole prospects focuses on Oriole prospects who play the outfield.

The good:

Glynn Davis: Apropos of nothing, 11 months after the Orioles acquired Glenn Davis and on the 50th anniversary of D Day, Glynn Davis was born. The just turned 20 year old was signed by the Orioles rather stealthily by 2011 Oriole scout of the year, Dean Albany as he felt that Davis likely would have been picked highly in the following draft. And in 2011, you caught a glimpse of why. In his age 19 season, across 3 levels mostly at Aberdeen, the speedy 6' 3" righthander put up the following line: 284/351/362/713. He stole 24 bases in 69 games against 10 CS. He walked 29 times in 317 plate appearances. At 6'3" 170 lbs, you figure he has room to grow and hopefully some power can follow. No word on his defense, though the web is alive with praise about his speed.

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MuchO GustO now turns to the starters!

The Good:

Dylan Bundy: well, given the amount of money he signed for, here's hoping he's really good. He didn't pitch professionally this year, and I think his FIP was below zero in Oklahoma.

Bobby Bundy: I was a little perplexed as to why there is not more buzz for him, but I think the primary reasons are in the peripherals. In Frederick, the 21 year old right hander had a 2.75 ERA in 121 innings. However, his FIP was 3.45 and his K/9 ratios weren't that impressive compared to the rest of the Carolina League (7.4 K/9, 2.3 BB/9 respectively). Even still, he came in as a top 10 prospect according to some (FanGraphs), and certainly didn't regress. MiLB interview with him, which was pretty interesting as he talks about his plan of pitching to contact in hopes of going deeper into games.

Oliver Drake: Another nice story for the Keys was Oliver Drake, a name that might ring a bell due to his recent addition to the 40-man roster. The 24 year old right hander got himself on the radar by putting up some strong numbers in the Carolina League, posting a 2.14 ERA (2.39 FIP) with the secret of his success being an impressive 1.7 BB/9 in 96.2 innings with 7.4 K/9. He struggled in Bowie a bit, as his walk rate doubled and his FIP ballooned to 4.89 in 64 innings. Our friends over at Oriole Nation indicate that he is a fastball/slider guy and his chances remaining as a starter hinge on his ability to develop an effective changeup.

Parker Bridwell: Bridwell is 6'4" 190 lb righty. As a 19 year old in Aberdeen, he posted a 3.17 FIP with 9.6 K/9 and a 3.7 BB/9 in 53.2 innings. His K/9 in the NY Penn League was solid, especially for a 19 year old. In that league, using a threshold of 50 innings (for a short season league), he was 4th in K/9 and is younger than the 3 in front of him. He struggled a bit in Delmarva. He started and finished the season in Salisbury and while his ERA was Matusz-esque (7.06), it's worth noting that his FIP was a not terribly discouraging 4.27. He should return to Delmarva in 2012, but I am pretty encouraged by the Texan. Here is an MiLB interview. "Trees and green stuff," I hope duck will appreciate this.

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The Colorado Rockies are in fact a baseball team that exists. There really are only a few ties between the Rockies and the Orioles...off the top of my head I can think of Garrett Atkins, Melvin Mora and Ty Wigginton as guys who played for both teams. I'm sure I'm forgetting more than one, but I wanted to end this cold war between the two clubs.

In reading the SB Nation Rockies blog, I learned a few things:

• No love for Keith Law
• 2B and 3B are up in the air
• They have a bunch of underwhelming starters.

I'm starting to think we should start an exchange program.

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Prospectus:

The Orioles in 2012 are not going anywhere. So the goal of 2012 is to accumulate as much talent as possible. A key question is to figure out when the competitive window is. This really is the core issue. If the team believes they can compete by 2014, then I think the Orioles should keep Adam Jones and Jeremy Guthrie. If the Orioles do not believe they can compete by then, they should follow suit and deal Jonesy and Guthrie and presumably build around Matt Wieters and well, Matt Wieters. One of the hardest pills to swallow of the 2011 Orioles was that regression of Brian Matusz and Chris Tillman. Short of serious arm injuries, I really cannot imagine a more disappointing campaign. So, putting on my GM hat, my goal is to continue to accumulate as much talent as possible. Perhaps I am delusional, but I believe that all hope is not lost with the young pitching calvary of Matusz, Tillman, Britton and Arrieta. However, the team needs to get more arms as the guys on the immediate horizon all have serious warts...Oliver Drake and Bobby Bundy are probably the best arms in AA and above, but those two are hardly building blocks. Beneath them there are number of interesting starter types, but really every team has interesting arms in A ball. But the list of guys who I am especially hopeful for are highlighted of course by the 2011 #1 Dylan Bundy with the following guys who have some interesting skills: Parker Bridwell, Eduardo Rodriguez, Kyle Simon, Jaime Esquivel, Miguel Chalas and a few others. But that's not relevant to the current discussion, unless you want to completely punt on the next few years and try to build around a late 20s Wieters, Manny Machado and Dylan Bundy.

Discussion:

So how can the Orioles get some talent to help in 2014? One asset that the Orioles actually have and is consistent with the rules set forth is the payroll. I am going to let Luke Scott go strictly because I would rather have the $7M payroll flexibility. Without him, my payroll is approximately $60M for 11 players (Markakis, Roberts, Reynolds, Hardy, Gregg, Guthrie, Jones, Johnson, Matusz, Hunter and SHJ). So, the next step is to go to the bad contract swap meet and find 2 players to take on...AJ Burnett and Chone Figgins. Burnett is due $16.5M in 2012 and 2013. I would think the Yankees would like to rid themselves of his contract so they sign CJ Wilson or someone else who I will grow to hate. I know the Yankees are made of money, but they too have a budget and they have dumped some bad contracts in the past. For the courtesy of swallowing this entire contract, the Yankees might be willing to fork over a decent prospect. I am going to drive a hard bargain and request Manny Banuellos or Dellin Betances. I know these are top 100 prospects, but giving the Yankees an ability to sign CJ Wilson is worth it from their perspective. Then, I am going to call up the Mariners and sell ice to an eskimo. There is some desire for the Mariners to sign Prince Fielder because he makes a lot of sense for them in some ways (left handed power bat suitable for Safeco, some really amazing pitching in Felix and Pineda and some pressure with Ichiro! soon to retire and their GM needing to drastically improve over the next 12 months). Figgins is close to worthless for them and is owed $9M in 2012 and $8M in 2013. They could eat the contract, or they could package the toxic asset with a top pitching prospect...Taijuan Walker. Prospect hounds will know that this is a steep price to pay for $17M from the Mariners perspective, but if Jack Zduriencik wants to keep his job beyond next year, he may feel compelled to sign Fielder, and getting $9M off the books might help. I would be happy to include a decent prospect to sweeten the deal, a guy like Dan Klein.

So the title of this entry is the loss leaders strictly because of the acquisitions of Burnett and Figgins. Together they add a hefty $25M for not much, but I am more concerned about 2014. I am now up to $85M, but I look at Guts and Jonesy and I believe in them. I decide to extend them, and given my desire to reserve a lot of payroll for SHJ and flexibility, I want to front load these contracts as much as possible. I want to give Guts a 3 year $30M with a team option, but I want to structure it so he gets paid in 2012, and the team isn't hamstrung down the line. So the $30M is structured $12M, $10M, $8M. This is only a real increase of $5M, since I had him booked at $7M already. So the payroll is up to $90M. Next up is Jonesy, pegged for $5M in his arb2 season. Same idea with him: 4/$40M with a team option broken out 10M per for the next 4 years with a team option. This is a big bump in 2012, but hopefully this pays off on the back end. My payroll is now at $95M for 13 guys. The rest of the money is used for the remaining guys paid at the major league minimum.

So, to the actual 25 man roster!

Lineup:

Nolan Reimold, LF, R

Markakis, RF, L

Hardy, SS, R

Wieters, C, S

Reynolds, 1B/DH, R

Chris Davis, DH/1B, L

Adam Jones, CF, R

Chone Figgins, 3B, S (platoons with Andino, Figgins plays against righties, Dino against lefties)

Ryan Adams, 2B, R

Bench: Robert Andino (playing against lefties, giving Figgins and Adams some rest, and playing SS to give Hardy a break), Teagarden (hate the trade, do like the pop he provides, so he's not completely without value), Matt Angle (can play all spots), Matt Antonelli (also plays all over)

Position player discussion: I like the OF a lot for 2012 and over the next few seasons. I'm a fan of Moldy and I think provides some nice pop and OBP. Jones and Markakis are what they are, Markakis should rebound as hopefully April and May of 2011 were an aberration. But he's being paid $15M and is no longer a good value. The infield is something of a mess, really. I like Reynolds' power obviously and we will see if in 2012 he is a liability at first and if he can provide enough offense for a firstbaseman. Figgins is a bandaid to I'm not really sure (Esposito?). He needs to get out of Seattle, bat leadoff and be relatively anonymous. He isn't a long term solution at third. But getting him allows me not to watch Chris Davis butcher 3rd base and more importantly, provides the system a very good prospect. I like Ryan Adams more than most, and I think he gets an entire season to see if his glove is liveable. I'd love to see Brian here, but I'm not counting on anything, and at 10% of the payroll, that really hurts. I know Brian wants to contribute, and I'm sure it sucks to be him. Sure $10M is a lot, but it's not even about that. Hardy is the perfect bridge for Machado. I would like to get more at bats for Antonelli, and perhaps benching Figgins would do that, but Chone is a little punchy to say the least.

Pitching...ok, this should be fun!

Rotation: Guthrie, Burnett, Britton, Arrieta, Hunter

Bullpen: Gregg, Johnson, Patton, Strop, Simon, O'Day, Sokolovich

Pitching discussion:The starting staff isn't total garbage. Guts should provide innings and mild effectiveness. Burnett and Hunter should provide innings. Britton and Arrieta could provide almost anything. Matusz and Tillman are in AAA. But so is Banuellos. You have to hope that some of those guys are ready to step up in 2012. My original plan included 2 rule 5 picks, the Meyers kid from the Nationals and Nick Barnese from the Rays. Not sure if the Orioles can manage to engineer trades for a Rule 5 given that the Orioles had to keep some crap on the 40 man for reasons unknown to me. Still though, having Matusz, Tillman, Banuellos, Bobby Bundy, Oliver Drake and Taijuan Walker in AA or above and a number of interesting kids in Fredneck and Salisbury is consistent with what Duquette is aiming for. But this pitching staff still sucks and a top 5 pick in 2013 is likely inevitable, $100M payroll be damned. The bullpen also looks a little scary to me as it is very conceivable that Johnson is the only decent reliever of the bunch. I like Cole McCurry and Bergesen, Berken, Eyre, Phillips, Rapada, Reyes and VandenHurk provide some depth, though 2 of those guys will have to be dfa'd to provide roster spots for Burnett and Figgins, assuming Scott is off the roster and Sokolovich is on the roster.

Final thoughts:Special thanks to Stacey for creating a rosterbation idea. And to Jameson on the rocks. I'm bummed to non tender Luke Scott because I think he can provide decent power next year, but I chose to use his payroll space to acquire prospects and to finally let the team see what Reimold can do. I elected to take on the bad contracts of Burnett and Figgins because they provide some value (innings, defense at third), were encumbering enough to warrant some decent return, and only hamstrung the Orioles during the non-competitive seasons of 2012 and 2013. So come 2014, the Orioles have a ton of payroll flexibility, and hopefully a decent amount of young talent. But I thought that after 2009 and that's worked out well.

MuchO GustO now shifts to the middle infield! The Orioles are set for 3 years with JJ Hardy at short, but questions remain at second. Robert Andino provides depth at second in 2012. Giving Matt Antonelli a spot on the 40 man says a lot about Brian Roberts' recovery, but let's turn our attention to the kids on the farm. Who else can help?

The good:

Manny Machado: Machado is our wunderkind. Coming into 2011, Machado was the 14th best prospect after being picked 3rd overall in the 2010 draft. Machado was a world beater in the SALLY, right up there with Jurickson Profar as far as one of the best SS prospects in the game. He obliterated Salisbury with an 859 OPS before being promoted to Frederick where he performed as much as you could expect an 18 year old could do, posting an 692 OPS. While that certainly isn't Harper-esque, it is worth noting that he was doing this against competition 3 or 4 years older than him. Defensively reports were that he has the instincts of a middle infielder, though there is some question if he will get moved to third base. He will likely see Bowie in 2012, but it is an open question as to when that will be. It is pretty clear that Machado is Hardy's heir apparent, and hopefully Hardy's deal with diminish any pressure to fast track Machado.

Jonathan Schoop: Machado was promoted along with Jonathan Schoop who will likely appear on BA's top 100 this spring. The Curacao native broke out in Salisbury this year with an OPS of 890 before being moved to Frederick as well, where he OPSed 704 as a 19 year old. He doesn't receive the glowing defensive reviews that Machado receives, and it looks like he will be given the second base job in Frederick to being 2012 along side Machado. It will be interesting to see where his power is in the Carolina next year, but you have to feel good about his 2011 season. What I don't understand about Schoop is the position issue. He was given most of his starts at second this year in Frederick. If the organization thinks he can play third, does it make more sense to play him at third, or keep him at second until he proves he can't play there?

Ryan Adams: The 24 y/o can hit the ball. He built on his 2010 OPS at Bowie of 829 with an arguably more impressive OPS of 794 in Norfolk. Harbor Park is more of a pitcher's park, so the downturn in OPS should not be overblown. The real question with Adams is whether he can play the position effectively defensively. I think he provides enough bat to warrant a chance as a solid contributor in 2012, but there is no use in him riding the pine. He seems like a Todd Walker type to me, so hopefully his bat can hold up in the majors enough to overcome potential shortcomings with the glove.

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MuchO GustO now shifts to a potentially irregular look at groups of positions.  First up is the corner infielders.  On the major league level, there seems to be opportunities.  Should the incumbents be looking over their shoulders?

The good: ....

The bad:

Brandon Snyder: The 24 year old had nothing short of a disaster in 2011: 261/312/406/718 with 91 strikeouts in 448 at bats walking 32 times.

24 year old Josh Bell brought some power to AAA in 2011, but posted the following slash line: 253/320/438/758.  He struck out a whopping 118 times in 395 at bats, walking 40 times.  His BABIP was 311 and his OPS+ dropped from last year's mark of 116 to 107.  Between the strikeouts and his unsuccessful major league trials, I'm not sure he would get claimed if taken off the 40 man.

The meh is below the jump, with some fine young gentlemen!

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The Dominican Summer League Orioles were front runners most of the season, finishing the regular season 46-24, and losing in the LCS equivalent.  Looking at the numbers in the DSL is a fools errand, as these kids are on average 18 years old, but I guess we will do it anyway.  I took the approach of looking at age versus competition and comparing those numbers to league average figures.  The average OPS in the DSL is 661 (so too was the Orioles average OPS), and the average ERA was 3.59 (the Orioles fielded a 3.38).  The average team committed 125 errors in 70 games (Orioles committed 117 in 70 games).

The good:

Alexander Mercedes: The 19 year old right handed 6'0" 160 lb second baseman OPSed 827 in his second DSL season (repeating the DSL is fairly common from what I can tell).  His slash line was: 317/405/422 in 236 plate appearances, drawing 26 walks versus 18 strikeouts.  He definitely seems ready for the GCL, though he did commit 18 errors.

Oswill Lartiguez: The 18 y/o Venezuelan right handed OF is 6'1" 179.  He posted the following slash line in his second DSL campaign: 261/377/327/704, drawing 30 walks with 40 strikeouts in 241 plate appearances. 

Hector Veloz: the 17 y/o bonus baby did ok in his first season of professional ball, posting a 225/344/322/666 slash line, with 37 walks and 62 strikeouts in 275 plate appearances.  Obviously the strikeouts are a concern, as are the 21 errors, but he was younger than his competition and one imagines there was quite a bit of pressure on him given his lofty signing bonus.

Janser Severino: the 19 y/o Dominican RH pitcher posted a 77/28 K/BB in 77.1 innings this year with a 1.047 WHIP.  He is listed at 6' 2" 140, so one would presume he has room to grow.

Jhondaniel Medina: the 18 y/o RH Venezuelan opened some eyes (at least mine) by striking out 60 and walking 34 in 65.2 innings.  He is listed at 5' 11" 158 lbs.  He posted a strong 2010 campaign as well, so I'm assuming he is headed to the GCL next year.   

The bad and the meh:   I am electing to pass on these categories as I don't know enough about these kids!  And I'm a pretty negative person, so I'm kind of disappointed in myself for passing on this opportunity.

Baseball-Reference DSL Orioles page

MuchO GustO turns to the short season A ball Aberdeen Ironbirds.  The iBirds had a really tough season, going 24-51, finishing 22 games behind the Staten Island Yankees.  The strange thing is that, despite being so awful, there seem to a bunch of interesting guys.

The good:

Parker Bridwell: 2011 was the right handed pitcher's age 19 season, being a 9th rounder of out a Texas High School in the 2010 draft (Machado).  In 12 games in Aberdeen, Bridwell threw 53.2 innings, striking out 57, walking 22 posting a 4.53 ERA (3.17 FIP).  Using a cutoff of 50 innings, the following pitchers had more K/9: Dayan Diaz (age 22), Nicholas Tropeano (age 20) and Eduardo Aldama (age 21).  Bridwell was the 10th ranked prospect in the NY Penn League according to Baseball America.  His GB/FB of 1.09 needs to improve.  He made 5 starts in Delmarva, posting a FIP of 4.27 in 21.2 innings, with a 13/13 K/BB ratio.  He is one worth watching in Delmarva next year.

Glynn Davis: 2011 was the 19 year old Baltimore native's first season for the Orioles. He went undrafted in 2010, but was thought to be a decent prospect in the 2011 draft, so the Orioles paid him $300K to sign last August.  The CF posted the following line in 286 plate appearances: 271/337/337/674.  He walked 25 times, and stole 23 out of 32 bases.  Ranked as the 15th best NY Penn League prospect, Davis reportedly has impressive speed and walked a fair amount of time given his age.  Will the power come?  He had a BABIP of 338 in Aberdeen.  He is obviously worth watching in Delmarva, and will be pared up with Johnny Reutigger in Salisbury.

Trent Howard was the 7th rounder in 2011, and had a nice debut in Aberdeen.  The 21 year old lefthander posted the following line in Aberdeen: 3.48 ERA in 41.1 innings (2.64 FIP), 45/14 K/BB, 1.33 GB/FB ratio.  He posted a really nice K/9, didn't walk too many guys and an nice FIP.  He definitely should be another interesting guy in the Shorebirds rotation.

Mike Wright: a 21 year old 3rd round pick from East Carolina, he posted an impressive 29/6 K/BB in 30 innings in Aberdeen, with a GB/FB of 2.33 (!).  He got lit up in Delmarva, but we'll see how he does in their rotation next year.

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On the final Friday of the 2011 season, the Detroit Tigers beat the Baltimore Orioles 4-3 in 11 innings in front of many people in Detroit.  The Orioles wasted a strong performance from the inconsistent Alfredo Simon, as he pitched 8 innings, giving up 3 earned runs on six hits and 1 walk, while striking out 5.

The Orioles started the scoring of Rick Porcello, as JJ Hardy scored on a two out double by Vlad Guerrero.  Over this week I've become convinced that Vlad has some bizarre clause where his salary doubles if he records 2 triples.  He means well, he was thrown out at 3rd on a 9-4-2-5.  Other than a contract incentive, why else would he be the third out at third base again?  I suppose nobody is who they used to be.  Anyway, staked to a one nil lead, the lead wouldn't last, as Miguel Cabrera dropped a 2 run bomb in the bottom of the first.  The Birds would battle back in the top of the 3rd, scoring two runs.  Robert Andino and Hardy would hit consecutive infield singles.  The runners moved up a base on a sacrifice fly, and Nick Markakis would drive in Andino on a sacrifice fly.  Following an unproductive Guerrero groundout, Matt Wieters would notch a two out RBI single bringing in Hardy.  In the bottom of the fifth, the Tigers would tie the game up after leadoff double from Jhonny Perarlta and a run scoring single from someone named Ramon Santiago.  

The game would move quickly along with few scoring opportunities until the eleventh inning.  In the visitor's half, Nick Markakis would smoke a ball into the right field corner for a double.  Guerrero was walked intentionally as if there were any other way, and the Orioles were in some business.  But Wieters would hit into a double play and Adam Jones would ground out to short, leaving it to the home half of the eleventh for some drama.  With Willie Eyre on the mound, Brandon Inge would draw a walk.  Delmon Young popped out to Wieters, but Miguel Cabrera would single on an 0-2 count, moving pinch runner Danny Worth to second.  Zach Phillips would relieve Eyre, but didn't fare much better as VIctor Martinez would line a shot that Brooks Robinson could have snared but Chris Davis did not, and Worth easily scored from second.  Orioles lose, 4-3. 

MuchO GustO now shifts to a review of the 2011 Frederick Keys.  It really was a banner year for the Keys, who finished 80-59 and won the Carolina League Championship in 4 games, claiming the Mills Cup.  Though they were the oldest squad in the 8 team Carolina League, there were a number of really interesting prospects.  They were lead by their pitchers, as they allowed 0.4 fewer runs per game than their closest opponent.  Prospect wise, what happened out in Fredneck?

The Good:

Manny Machado: I hate to be an iconoclast, but 2011 didn't go as swimmingly as it could have for Manny Machado.  While I have little doubt that he is a top 20 prospect in baseball, it is worth noting that it wasn't all sunshine and lollipops.  The key though for me is to remember that he turned 19 in July, so by prospect standards 2011 was his age 18 season.  While he OPS plussed 136 in Delmarva, in the Carolina League it was 97.  His BABIP in the Carolina League was 288, compared to 298 in the SALLY.  He struck out more and walked less as he moved up the ladder.  But again, he's 19.  I'd like to see him stay down in Carolina next year, maybe for the whole season.  For the year split across Delmarva and Frederick, he posted the following line: 257/335/421/756.  It's worth noting his defense has received nothing but positive reviews that I've read at least and that's obviously very important.

Jonathan Schoop: Like his more ballyhooed teammate, 19 year old Jonathan Schoop also opened some eyes in Delmarva.  At two stops in 2011, Schoop posted the following line: 290/349/432/781.  What really piqued my interest about him coming into the season were his plus walk rates, impressive for a kid in the GCL.  That seemed to wane a little at both levels, but more than held his own in the Carolina League at 19.  Like Machado, I think he would benefit from another full season in the Carolina League.

Bobby Bundy was straight up shellacked in Bowie, but that shouldn't take away from what the 21 year old RHP Oklahoman accomplished in the Carolina League.  He posted a FIP of 3.45 (ERA: 2.75), posting a strong K/BB of 100/31 in 121 innings.  I really like that he lowered his BB/9 and increased his K/9 while advancing a level.  These are good signs and you have to think he will warrant top 100 consideration.      

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Your Frederick Keys won the 2011 Mills Cup, winning Game 4 11-3!  It was a great season by the Keys and this title has been well deserved.  After giving up single runs in the first and second inning, Frederick scored all 11 runs in the top of the 3rd.  Jonathan Schoop went 2-5 with a CS.  Manny Machado went 1-4 with a 3 run homer and a walk.  Aaron Baker went 1-4 with a double.  Glynn Davis went 1-3 with a walk and a SB and threw out a runner out at home.  Ashur Tolliver capped a fine season, going 3 innings, striking out 4, walking 1 and not allowing a hit or a run and posting a GB/FB of 2/1.  Jason Gurka also finished a successful season, going a scoreless 9th.

Some of the top prospects are now in the instructionals with the Orioles, and some head to the AFL soon.

And so it goes for Around the Minors in 2011.  This was definitely a fun task, and I was happy to receive a lot of great feedback (special thanks to BaltoBen and jq!) and also very happy to do my little part for a fantastic website.

Down 2-0 after 4, Frederick stormed back and topped Kinston in the pivotal Game 3 of the Mills Cup Final, 7-3.  Jonathan Schoop went 3-5 with a SB and an error.  Manny Machado went 1-4 with a double and a walk.  Aaron Baker went 1-5 with a K.  Glynn Davis went 0-3 with 2 strikeouts.  Ryan Berry went two and a third, striking out 2 yielding 1 hit and 1 walk but not allowing a run to score posting a GB/FB of 3/2.  After struggling in Delmarva, Scott Copeland continues to turn the page in Frederick, and picked up the win tonight going 5 innings, giving up 2 earned on 3 hits (1 homer) and 3 hits while striking out 2.  Sean Gleason picked up his 3rd save in the post season, giving up 1 earned run on 3 hits in 1.2 innings, striking out 3.  Hopefully the Keys can finish 'em off in Game 4 which is Friday night in Kinston!

Melewski recaps the game here.

Frederick beat Kinston 3-2 to tie the Series at a game apiece.  Frederick took an early 1-0 lead courtesy Manny Machado and Aaron Baker.  Kinston battled back to tie it in the 4th and went ahead in the 7th, but a little sound fundamental baseball in the bottom of the 8th and 2 out clutchiness resulted in 2 runs for the Keys, and then Sean Gleason shut the door.  Machado went 2-3 with a walk.  Baker went 2-4 with a double and a K.  Glynn Davis went 0-3 with 2 Ks.  Brian Ward, an org catcher type, continued his fine work driving in the game winner tonight.  The series shifts to Kinston for games 3-5 if necessary.

Frederick lost Game 1 of the Mills Cup finals to Kinston tonight, 3-1.  Jonathan Schoop went 0-3 with a walk and a SB.  Manny Machado went 1-4 with a double.  Aaron Baker went 0-3 with a walk and 2 Ks.

Game 2 is Wednesday night in Frederick.  It will be the last game of the season in Frederick, so if you can, represent!

Frederick wins Game 5 against Potomac and advances to the finals!  They won tonight 3-2 and now will face Kinston for the Mills Cup!  Jonathan Schoop went 1-4 with a solo homer.  Manny Machado went 1-4 with 2 Ks.  Aaron Baker went 1-1 with a 2 run homer and 2 walks.  Those were the only hits the Keys recorded and they were all in the first inning.  Jacob Pettit, Ryan Berry and Sean Gleason made it hold up though.  Berry went 2 scoreless, giving up 1 walk without giving up a hit or recording a K. 

The finals begin Tuesday night, with the Keys hosting the Indians Tuesday and Wednesday before heading to Kinston Thursday through Saturday.

Man it feels weird just typing the date.

Frederick lost Game 4 against Potomac today, 6-1.  The Keys were up 1-0 in the 8th, and Potomac rallied for six in the bottom of the 8th.  So close!  Jonathan Schoop went 1-4.  Manny Machado went 1-3 with a SB.  Aaron Baker went 0-4 with 2 Ks.  Glynn Davis went 0-2.  Ashur Tolliver who really has been terrific this season, gave up 2 earned runs in 1 inning on 2 hits and a walk (walk was intentional), striking out 2.   

Melewski on the game.

Frederick beat Potomac in Game 3 of the semifinals, 5-1.  Jonathan Schoop went 3-4 with 2 doubles and a walk.  Manny Machado went 2-4 with a double and a walk.  Aaron Baker went 1-3 with a double, a walk and a sac fly.  Ryan Berry retired all six men he faced, 2 via strikeout.   23 year old Scott Copeland who struggled while in Delmarva, pitched seven brilliant innings, giving up 3 hits (1 solo shot), striking out 5.  The Keys can win the series with a win on Sunday.

If you lost anyone close to you ten years ago, my thoughts are with you.

Frederick lost to Potomac in Game 2 of the semi-finals, 8-0.  Jonathan Schoop went 0-3 with a walk and 2 Ks and was removed for a PH.  Manny Machado and Aaron Baker each went 1-4 with 2 Ks.  Glynn Davis went 1-1.  Jason Gurka threw a scoreless inning, walking 1, striking out 2.

Melewski on the Instructional League Orioles  (prospect talk).

As the 2011 minor league season ends, MuchO GustO is going to shift from individual prospect profiles to team reviews over the next 2 months.

The Norfolk Tides had the second worst record in the International League in 2011, topping only the Rochester Red Wings, in a sad piece of irony.  The average OPS in the IL was 729, the Tides posted the worst at 695.  Though they play in a pitcher's park, that is still troublesome for an organization that has been so bad for so long.  Their pitching wasn't much better, coming into second to last in runs allowed per game, second only to the Red Wings.

Prospect wise, it was a pretty lean crop.  24 year old Ryan Adams is probably the only real prospect, posting an OPS of 794 which was good for 59th in the IL.  He posted the following slash line: 284/341/454/794.  You have to like his ISO for a second baseman, though it is an open question if he has the defensive abilities to actually play second.  Given the uncertainty surrounding Brian Roberts' future, it does seem like he will get an opportunity at the big league level.  Thankfully it seems like it is deserved.  But Adams does have some things to work on, as he walked 30 times and struck out 103 times in 377 at bats.  In 2010 in Bowie, he posted the following line: 298/365/464/829.  Accounting for ball park differences, it seems like he posted very similar numbers, which is encouraging.  The prospect status of Josh Bell continues to be in the eye of the beholder.  His final line: 253/320/438/758, striking out 118 times and walking 40 times in 395 at bats.  While I like him walking at a decent clip, he hasn't done much while  in the major leagues, other than being a thorn in the side of Cliff Lee.  I know he hasn't gotten a lot of playing time, but 71 strikeouts versus 6 walks in 217 plate appearances is pretty unbelievable, almost to the point where you wonder what he is being taught in the majors or if he is just doing better off minor league pitchers.  Kyle Hudson is another interesting case study.  The 2008 4th rounder posted the following line in 268 AAA at bats this year: 297/382/333/715 and was 26 for 34 in stolen base attempts.  He clearly understands the strike zone, but I have grave concerns about the major league prospects of a corner outfielder who has a career minor league ISO is .040 in 423 at bats.  It just seems like major league pitchers won't give him the chance to get to Ball 4.  This leads to Matt Angle, who posted the following line in 2011 as a Tide: 271/347/344/692 with 27 steals and was thrice caught stealing.  Like Hudson, Angle showed strong plate discipline, with 47 walks and 88 strikeouts in 424 at bats.  Angle but up better power numbers than Hudson, but he still had an ISO of .073.  Former first round pick Brandon Snyder struggled in AAA in 2011.  The 24 year old first baseman batted 261 this year and put up the following slash line: 312/406/718.  I'm not sure if he wil play in the majors again.  I also wanted to mention Blake Davis's line, since he played for the Orioles this summer: 280/323/384/706, with 15 walks and 46 Ks in 232 at bats.  The final hitter I wanted to bring up for discourse is Tyler Henson, given that he was a 2010 Eastern League all star.  He posted the following line: 247/313/321/634.  As a LF, he simply cannot post a lower SLG than Kyle Hudson.

How did the Tides do on the mound?  Let's review below the jump!

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Frederick beat Potomac in Game 1 of their best of 5 series 6-1.  Miguel Abreu and Brian Ward hit back to back homers, Abreu's being a 3 run shot to pace the offense.  Prospect wise, Jonathan Schoop went 0-3 with a K.  Manny Machado went 1-2 with a double and a walk.  Ringer Aaron Baker went 1-3.  24 year old Jacob Pettit continued his winning ways in Frederick, going six innings giving up 1 earned run on 3 hits (a solo homer) and 2 walks, striking out 4 posting a GB/FB of 5/6.    

Melewski reported on the game here.

Another Melewski piece on the Keys.

Game 2 is Thursday night in Frederick.  After that the series shifts to Potomac for the final 3 games.

Norfolk finished their season on an up note, beating Durham 8-5.  Josh Bell went 2-4 with a double and a K.  Brandon Snyder went 1-3 with 2 Ks.  Cole McCurry gave up 1 earned run in 3 innings, giving up 6 hits and striking out 2.  Wynn Pelzer gave up 1 earned run in 1 inning giving up 2 hits and 1 walk, striking out none.

Though it didn't matter as Richmond won to clinch the final playoff spot, Bowie beat Erie 3-2 in a game called in the 9th.  Xavier Avery went 0-1 with 3 walks and a K and a CS.  LJ Hoes went 0-4 with a K, starting off in LF and finished the game at 3B.  Joe Mahoney went 1-4.  Caleb Joseph went 1-3.  Ronnie Welty went 1-3.  Though not really a prospect, it should be noted that Tim Bascom really had a strong year, as the 26 year old threw 130 innings with an ERA of 3.11.  It'll be interesting to see if he gets an invite to spring training.  Jose Diaz faced 3 hitters in the 9th, giving up a hit, 2 walks and an unearned run.  The game was delayed by rain and called after that even though runners were on first and second with nobody out.  Kind of a strange way to end a season.

Frederick lost their regular season finale 3-0 to Wilmington...hopefully things can be turned around for the playoffs.  Glynn Davis made his Frederick debut and went 1-4 with a K.  Jonathan Schoop went 1-4.  Manny Machado went 0-4 with 3 Ks.  Randy Hendy went 1.2 innings, giving up 1 hit and striking out 1.  Jason Gurka pitched a scoreless inning, striking out 1.

Delmarva lost to West Virginia 5-4.  Johnny Ruettiger went 1-5.  Ty Kelly went 0-4 with a walk and committed his 10th error on the season.  Michael Ohlman went 1-5 with a strikeout.  Matt Bywater had a really nice start, striking out 10 in six innings, yielding one run on 5 hits (a solo homer) and 1 walk, posting a GB/FB of 5/2.  He finishes the season with an ERA of 3.77 with a K/BB of 51/32 in 45.1 innings.  Not to make a small sample even smaller, but in his last 31.2 innings, the K/BB ratio is 41/19.

Around the minors will continue this week as the Keys are going to the playoffs.  Frederick hosts the first 2 game of the series against the Potomac Nationals Wednesday and Thursday, and then plays in Potomac Friday through Sunday.  Tickets can be purchased through their website.  This might be Manny Machado's last few meaningful games until he signs with another team after leaving the Orioles as a free agent.  Of course, maybe for him he'll be traded after 4 years of service.  There's always hope.

Norfolk lost to Durham 3-2.  Josh Bell went 0-4 with a K.  Brandon Snyder went 0-4 with 2 Ks.  Felix Pie DNP.  Steve Johnson gave up 3 earned in 6.1 innings on 9 hits and 1 walk while striking out 4 and posting a GB/FB of 3/8 (kind of odd considering his last start).  He finishes the year with an ERA of 5.56 in AAA.

Bowie beat Erie 10-2.  Xavier Avery went 2-5 with a SB.  LJ Hoes went 3-5 with a double.  Joe Mahoney went 2-3 with a double and two sacrifice flies.  Caleb Joseph went 1-4 with a walk.  Aaron Baker went 0-5.  Ronnie Welty went 2-4 with a double, a homer and a K.  Richmond lost 1-0 to Altoona, keeping the Baysox playoff hopes alive.

Frederick lost to Wilmington 4-1.  Jonathan Schoop went 1-3 with a walk and a K.  Manny Machado went 1-4 with 2 Ks and a CS.  Kipp Schutz went 0-3 with a K.  Ashur Tolliver gave up a solo homer in 1 inning, striking out 1.

Delmarva lost 6-2 to West Virginia.  Jake Cowan had a tough start, giving up 5 earned on 6 hits and 3 walks in 5 innings, striking out 3, with a GB/FB of 8/4.  Johnny Ruettiger went 0-3 with a walk and a K.  Ty Kelly went 0-4 with his 9th error on the season.  Michael Ohlman went 1-4 with 2 Ks.

Aberdeen's season mercifully came to an end, as the iBirds lost to Hudson Valley 3-2.  Glynn Davis went 0-4 with a K.  Mychal Givens went 1-4.  Joe Velleggia went 1-3 with a walk. Wynston Sawyer went 0-1 with a walk and was removed for a pinch hitter.  Connor Narron went 1-2 with 2 walks.  Dudley Leonora went 1-3 with a SB and a CS.

Enjoy your labor day!

Norfolk beat Durham 7-6 in 10, in rather dramatic fashion.  Down 6-1 in the 9th, the Tides rally for 5 forcing extras, where they would net the game winner in the bottom of the 10th.  Josh Bell went 0-2 with 2 walks.  Brandon Snyder went 2-4 with a double and 3 run homer.

Bowie lost 4-1 to Erie and Richmond won in 14, so it looks like no playoffs for Bowie barring some dramatics over the last 2 days of the season.  Xavier Avery went 0-4 with a walk and 3 strikeouts.  LJ Hoes went 0-3 with a walk and a K and continues to play the OF.    Irish Joe Mahoney went 1-4 with a K.  Caleb Joseph went 0-2 with 2 walks and was picked off first tonight.  Ronnie Welty went 0-2 with a K.  Aaron Baker DNP.

Frederick lost 3-2.  Jonathan Schoop went 1-4 with a SB.  Manny Machado went 0-4 with 3 strikeouts.  Kipp Schutz went 0-3 with a walk and a K.

Delmarva lost to West Virginia 5-3 in 10.  Ryan Berry went 5 shutout innings, giving up 1 hit and 2 walks, striking out 5 and posting a GB/FB of 3/4.  3rd rounder Mike Wright went 4 innings giving up 3 earned runs on 6 hits and 1 walk, striking out none and posting a GB/FB of 7/4.  4th rounder Kyle Simon gave up 2 earned in one inning one a HBP and a 1 hit (a homer), striking out 1, walking none.  Johnny Ruettiger went 2-6 including a double off Jameson Taillon, a SB and a K.  Ty Kelly went 0-3 with 2 walks and a K and a CS.

Aberdeen shutout Hudson Valley 1-0.  Tyler Wilson went six innings, giving up 3 hits and six strikeouts and posting a GB/FB of 4/5.  Glynn Davis went 2-4 with a double and a CS.  Mychal Givens went 0-4 with 2 strikeouts.  Joe Velleggia went 1-2 with a double, a walk, a strikeout and a sacrifice bunt.  Wynston Sawyer went 0-4.  Connor Narron went 1-3 with a walk.  Dudley Leonora went 1-3.

Norfolk lost to Durham 4-1.  Felix Pie went 0-2.  Josh Bell went 1-4 with 3 Ks.  Brandon Snyder went 1-3 with a double and a walk.  Chris Tillman gave up 4 earned runs in 5 innings on 5 hits (1 homer, 1 double) and 4 walks, striking out 4 with a GB/FB of 6/3.  Wynn Pelzer went 3 innings, giving up a single and a walk, striking out 2 posting a GB/FB of 3/1.

The Baysox lost 9-2.  Xavier Avery went 1-4 with a K.  LJ Hoes went 1-2 with a double, a walk and a K, but was pinch hit for.  Ronnie Welty would be that pinch hitter going 0-1.  Joe Mahoney went 0-3 with a K and was also removed for a pinch hitter, Aaron Baker was that pinch hitter and went 0-1.  Caleb Joseph went 1-4.  Bobby Bundy pitched out of the bullpen, going 1 inning giving up 2 earned runs on 3 hits with 2 strikeouts.  His ERA since the promotion is 9.20 (SSS).

Frederick beat Kinston 10-0.  Jonathan Schoop went 1-5 with walk and 2 Ks.  Manny Machado went 2-5 with a double and his 12th error.  Kipp Schutz went 2-5 with a double and 2 Ks.

Delmarva lost to West Virginia 6-2.  Johnny Ruettiger went 1-4.  Ty Kelly went 0-3 with a walk and 2 Ks.  Michael Ohlman went 0-4.  Parker Bridwell gave up 4 earned runs in 4.2 innings on 6 hits and 5 walks, striking out 1 and posting a GB/FB of 6/3.  The 20 year old  struggled in Salisbury, but his solid numbers in Aberdeen shouldn't be forgotten heading into next year.

Aberdeen got swept in a doubleheader against Hudson Valley.  In the Game 1 3-0 defeat, Glynn Davis went 1-1 with 2 walks and a CS.  Mychal Givens went 0-2 with a walk and a K.  Joe Velleggia went 0-3.  Wynston Sawyer went 0-3 with 2 Ks.  Connor Narron went 0-2 with a K and was hit by a pitch.  Like Eduardo Rodriguez, Jaime Esquivel debuted in Aberdeen after a strong GCL season, giving up 1 earned run in 5 innings on 2 hits and 4 walks, striking out 8 posting a GB/FB of 3/2 and recording a balk.  In the Game 2 5-4 loss, Davis went 2-4 with a double and a K.  Givens went 1-4.  After catching the first game, Sawyer played first and went 0-4 with a K.  Narron went 1-3 with a K.  Like Rodriguez and Esquivel, Miguel Chalas got his feet wet in the NY Penn League, and gave up 3 earned in 4 innings on 7 hits, striking out 6 without walking anyone, posting a GB/FB of 4/1.  Like Rodriguez, he will be one to watch next year.      

The GCL and DSL Orioles are done for the season.

Norfolk beat Gwinnett 9-4.  Felix Pie went 2-4 with a double, a walk and a K.  Josh Bell went 1-3 with 2 walks and 2 strikeouts.  Brandon Snyder went 3-5 with a homer and a K.

Bowie beat Richmond 3-1.  Oliver Drake went 5.2 scoreless innings, giving up 5 hits, 2 walks, 6 strikeouts and posting a GB/FB of 8/2.  Jose Diaz went 1 scoreless strking out 1.  Xavier Avery went 0-5 with a K.  LJ Hoes went 1-4 with a K and played LF again.  Joe Mahoney went 3-4 with a double and a homer.  Caleb Joseph went 2-4 with a K.  Ronnie Welty went 1-4 with 2 Ks and a SB.

Frederick lost to Kinston 3-2 in 10.  Jonathan Schoop went 1-5.  Manny Machado went 1-4 with a walk and a K and 2 SBs.  Kipp Schutz went 0-3 with  walk, 2 strikeouts and an error.

Delmarva lost to West Virginia 2-0.  Jarret Martin finished 2011 on the right foot, giving up 2 earned in six innings allowing 6 hits and 2 walks, striking out 4 and posting a GB/FB of 7/4.  Johnny Ruettiger went 0-4 with 2 Ks, snapping a six game hit streak.  Ty Kelly went 0-2 with 2 walks.  Michael Ohlman went 0-4 with 3 Ks.

Aberdeen beat Tri-City 5-3.  Eduardo Rodriguez made his iBird debut, going 4 innings, giving up 3 earned runs on 6 hits (1 homer) and 1 walk, striking out 4 posting a GB/FB of 4/2.  I'd imagine the NY Penn League is quite a jump from the GCL, and there is a part of me that wishes the Orioles still had an affiliate in the Appalachian League.  I suppose the organization didn't really think they'd have any prospects, so why bother?  Anywho, Rodriguez didn't get shelled and he definitely will be an interesting guy to track next year.  9th rounder Devin Jones went 2 scoreless innings, striking out 3, walking 1.  Glynn Davis went 3-5 with a K.  Mychal Givens went 3-4 with a CS.  Joe Velleggia went 1-4.  Wynston Sawyer went 1-2 with a double and 2 walks.  Neither Connor Narron nor Dudley Leonora played tonight.

The GCL and DSL Orioles are done for the season.

Norfolk split a double header in Gwinnett today as they finished a previous game, losing 11-2.  Kyle Hudson went 0-4 with a walk.  Felix Pie went 0-1 with a walk and 2 stolen bases.  Josh Bell went 0-1 with a walk.  Cole McCurry gave it up today, going 2.2 innings, giving up 6 earned on 8 hits (1 homer) and 1 walk, striking out 1.  In Game 2 Norfolk beat Gwinnett 2-1.  Bell DNP.  Hudson went 1-2 with a walk with 2 stolen bases.  Pie went 0-3 with a K.

Bowie lost 2-0 to Altoona.  Xavier Avery went 0-4 with 2 Ks.  LJ Hoes went 1-4 with a double and again played the OF.  Joe Mahoney went 0-4 with a K.  Caleb Joseph went 1-3.  Aaron Baker went 1-3 with 2 Ks.  Ronnie Welty DNP.  The Baysox season is really slipping away, as they are a half game out of the playoffs.  Their regular season ends on Labor Day.

Frederick lost to Kinston 1-0.  Jonathan Schoop went 0-4.  Manny Macado went 1-4 with a double with a K.  Ryan Berry's long comeback continues, as he went 4 scoreless, striking out 4, giving up 3 hits, walking none and posting a GB/FB of 6/2.  Randy Henry gave up 1 earned on 2 hits and 1 walk, striking out 1 in his 1 inning of work.

The Shorebirds were off today.

Aberdeen lost to 16-1.  Yup.  Glynn Davis went 0-3 with 2 walks and a K.  Mychal Givens went 3-4.  Joe Velleggia went 0-3 with a walk and a K.  Wynston Sawyer went 1-2 with a K.  Connor Narron went 0-3.  Dudley Leonora went 0-4 with a K.  Fifth rounder Matt Taylor's struggles continue, as he gave up 3 earned in 2 innings on 4 hits, striking out 1 walking none.

Apparently the DSL Orioles season continued today...which is odd because they already lost 2 games to the DSL Angels.  Well, today they lost a third time, 5-1, though they gave 3 in the bottom of the 8th.  Byron Capellan's tough post season continues, as he goes 0-2, was hit by a pitch and committed his 5th post season error.  Hector Veloz went 1-4 with a K.  Janser Severino went 7 innings giving up 5 earned runs on 6 hits and 3 walks, striking out 6 and posting a GB/FB of 10/5.

The DSL Orioles lost to the DSL Angels 4-3 and lost the series 2-0.  From reading the game log, it looked a really intense game.  Jhondaniel Medina went 8 innings, giving up 1 earned (and 1 unearned) on 5 hits and 3 walks striking out 5 and posting a GB/FB of 15-2 (!).  Hector Veloz went 0-4 with a K.  Byron Capellan went 1-4 with a K.  The Angels scored 1 in the first and 1 in the 8th.  The Orioles responded with 2 in the 8th.  The Angels scored 2 in the top of the 10th.  The Orioles rallied and the last out was recorded on a hit.  With runners on first and second and two out, Oswill Lartiguez singled, scoring Dioni Dominguez, but Rockny Martinez was out at 3rd (the third out at third base!).  Regardless, there was some dominant pitching throughout the season and it was fun to see the kids there and in the GCL do so well. 

Norfolk lost to Charlotte 8-6.  Josh Bell went 2-2 with a homer but was removed for a pinch hitter.  Brandon Synder went 2-4 with a double, a walk and 2 Ks.  Felix Pie went 2-5 with a double and a K. Steve Johnson gave up 3 earned runs in 6.1 innings on 7 hits (1 homer) and 2 walks and 3 strikeouts with a GB/FB of 7/2 (?).  Wynn Pelzer gave up 2 earned in 1 inning on 3 hits and 3 walks. 

Bowie lost to Altoona 4-2.  Xavier Avery 2-4 with a double (31) with a K.  LJ Hoes weny 0-4 with 3 K and played LF again.  Joe Mahoney went 1-4 with a K. Caleb Joseph went 0-3.  Ronnie Welty went 0-3 with a K. 

Frederick lost to Kinston 2-1.  Jonathan Schoop went 0-3 with a sacrifice bunt.  Manny Machado went 0-3 with a walk.  Kipp Schutz went 0-3 with 2 Ks.  Ashur Tolliver gave up 1 earned in 1 inning on 2 hits.  

Delmarva lost to Greensboro 10-7.  Johnny Ruettiger went 1-5. Ty Kelly went 0-4 with walk and 2 Ks.  Michael Ohlman went 1-4 with 2 Ks.  David Baker went 5 innings giving up 1 earned run on six hits and 2 walks and 5 strikeouts posting a GB/FB of 1/6.  Kyle Simon bounced back today, striking out the side in 1 inning while giving up 1 hit.

Aberdeen lost to Tri-City 4-1.  Glynn Davis went 1-4 with a walk.  Mychal Givens went 0-3 with a walk and a K.  Joe Velleggia went 0-3 with a walk.  Wynston Sawyer went 0-4.  Connor Narron went 0-3 with 1 walk and 3 strikeouts.  Dudley Leonora went 1-4.  

The GCL Orioles have completed their season.

Norfolk lost to Charlotte 4-3. Josh Bell went 1-4 with a walk and a K.  Kyle Hudson went 2-5 with 2 Ks.  Brandon Snyder went 2-5 with a K.  Felix Pie went 1-4 with a walk.

Bowie lost to Altoona 5-1.  Xavier Avery went 0-4 with a walk and a K.  LJ Hoes went 1-4 with a walk and a SB.  More discouragingly, Hoes was play the OF despite Greg Miclat being on the DL.  So that's pretty telling.  Joe Mahoney went 2-4 with a double.  Ronnie Welty went 1-3 with 2 Ks.  Aaron Baker and Caleb Joseph each went 0-1 with a K as a pinch hitter.

Frederick was off today.

Delmarva lost to Greenwood 8-0.  Johnny Ruettiger collected 3 of the 4 Shorebird hits, going 3-4 with a double and a CS.  Ty Kelly went 0-4.  Matt Bywater gave up 3 earned in 5.2 innings on 3 hits (1 homer) and 4 walks and 8 strikeouts with a GB/FB of 6/2.

Aberdeen lost a doubleheader to Staten Island.  In the Game 1 4-3 loss, Glynn Davis went 1-3 with 2 strikeouts.  Mychal Givens went 0-2 with 2 walks, a K and a SB.  Joe Velleggia went 0-4 with a K.  Wynston Sawyer went 2-3.  Connor Narron went 0-2 with a walk.  Dudley Leonora went 0-3.  Tyler Wilson went 5 innings giving up 2 earned on 3 hits (1 homer) and 2 walks while striking out 5 and posting a GB/FB of 8/3.  Leo Gomez was ejected from the game.  In Game 2, the iBirds lost 5-0.  Davis went 1-3 with a K and a CS.  Mychal Givens went 1-3 with a SB.  Velleggia went 0-3 with a K.  Wynston Sawyer went 1-3.  Narron went 0-2.

The GCL Orioles season ended.

The DSL Orioles lost Game 1 of their best of 3 World Series to the DSL Angels 2-0.  Byron Capellan went 0-4 with a K.  Hector Veloz went 0-3 with 2 Ks with 2 errors, though neither were really costly.  The DSL Orioles committed a total of 4 errors 2 in the bottom of the 8th when they allowed 2 earned runs.  Janser Severino went 7.2 innings, giving up 2 hits, 2 unearned runs, walking 2, striking out 7 with a GB/FB of 12/4.

Norfolk lost to Gwinnett 14-8.  Chris Tillman gave up 3 homers, 3 singles, 4 walks and hit a man on his way to allowing 9 runs (all earned) in 4.1 innings.  He struck out 3 and allowed a GB/FB of 4/2.  Cole McCurry followed him up by allowing a solo homer in 1.2 innings, walking 1 and giving up 2 hits while striking out 1.  Felix Pie brought adorable to wherever Gwinnett is, going 1-5 with a triple with a K.  Josh Bell went 1-5 with a homer and a K.  Kyle Hudson went 0-5 with a walk, 3 strikeouts and a SB.  Brandon Snyder went 2-4 with a double, a homer and a K.

Bowie beat Erie 4-1, tying the ballgame in the top of the 8th and scoring 3 in the ninth.  Xavier Avery went 1-3 with a double (his 30th),  a walk and a K.  LJ Hoes went 2-4 with a CS.  Joe Mahoney went 0-4 with 2 Ks.  Aaron Baker went 0-3 with 2 Ks.  Ronnie Welty went 0-3 with 2 Ks.  Jose Diaz pitched a scoreless 9th, without giving up hit or recording a strikeout or a walk.

Frederick split a doubleheader with Potomac.  In the Game 1 4-3 loss, Jonathan Schoop went 2-3 with a K.  Manny Machado went 0-3 with a K.  Tyler Townsend was 0-1 and then was pinch hit for by Kipp Schutz who wound up going 0-2 with a K.  Randy Henry went 1.2 innings giving up 2 hits (1 homer) and 1 earned run, striking out 2 walking none.  In the Game 2 4-3 win, Schoop went 1-2 with a walk.  Machado doubled in 3 at bats and managed a steal of home.  Townsend DNP in the second game, and Schutz went 0-3.

Delmarva lost to Greensboro 6-0.  Johnny Ruettiger went 3-4 with a CS and seems to be adjusting nicely after a tough start in the SALLY.  Ty Kelly went 2-4 with a K.  Michael Ohlman went 2-3 with a walk.  Jake Cowan went 6.2 innings, giving up 3 earned runs on 6 hits and 5 walks, striking out 4 and posting a GB/FB of 8/3.

Aberdeen was rained out in Staten Island, no word yet if the iBirds are writing angry letters about a makeup date.  The New York Penn League is *that* important.

The GCL Orioles made it to the playoffs, but lost their single elimination semi final against the GCL Yankees.  Jaime Esquivel didn't  have it today, as he was pulled after recording 2 outs in the second inning, giving up 2 earned runs on 2 hits and 3 walks, while striking out 2.  Rod Bernadina went 2-4 with a SB.  Gabriel Lino went 1-4.

The DSL Orioles advanced in the playoffs in dramatic fashion, scoring 2 in the top of the 9th and holding on for a 3-2 win.  The DSL Orioles had 8 hits and 7 walks and were aided by 6 DSL Royal errors and the DSL Orioles went 2-16 with RISP, so it must have been a pretty crazy game.  Anyway, Byron Capellan went 0-3 with a walk and 3 strikeouts and an error.  Hector Veloz went 0-5 with 2 Ks.  The DSL Orioles now play the DSL Angels in their equivalent of the World Series.

Norfolk lost to Gwinnett 4-2.  Josh Bell went 0-2 with 2 walks and 2 strikeouts.  Brandon Snyder went 1-4 with 2 strikeouts.  Blake Davis went 0-3.  Kyle Hudson went 1-4 with a double and a K.  Wynn Pelzer retired 4 of the 5 batters he faced, giving up 1 walk while striking out 1.

Bowie lost to Erie 6-2.  Oliver Drake got the start and gave up 4 earned in 6.1 innings on 9 hits (3 homers!) without walking anyone while striking out 4 and posting a GB/FB of 10/2.  Xavier Avery went 2-3 with 2 doubles and a walk.  LJ Hoes went 0-4 and committed 2 errors playing second base.  Joe Mahoney went 0-4 with 2 Ks.  Caleb Joseph went 0-4 with a K.  Aaron Baker went 1-3 with a K.  Ronnie Welty went 0-3 with 3 strikeouts.

Frederick's game was postponed.

Delmarva led Greensboro 8-2 going into the bottom of the 8th and managed to not win, 9-8.  Johnny Ruettiger went 3-5 with 2 doubles and a K.  Ty Kelly went 2-5 with a walk and a SB.  Tim Berry gave up 2 earned in 5 innings on 5 hits (1 homer) without allowing a walk and striking out 4 posting a GB/FB of 3/5.  3rd rounder Mike Wright gave up 6 earned in 2.1 innings on six hits (1 homer) and 1 walk and struck out 5 with a GB/FB of 1/1.  4th rounder Kyle Simon went two thirds of an inning gave up 1 earned on 2 hits without recording a K or a walk.

Aberdeen was postponed.

The GCL Orioles were shutout by the GCL Rays, 3-0.  Neither Rod Bernadina nor Gabriel Lino played.

Tied through 6, the DSL Orioles lost to the DSL Royals 7-1, evening their playoff series 1-1.  Byron Capellan went 0-3 with a walk, two Ks and an error.  Hector Veloz went 2-4.