Orioles' best prospect performers of the week
Here’s a look at the top performances of the past week by Orioles prospects in the Minor Leagues:
Friday, Sept. 13: Bowie loses finals to Trenton
A return home was not enough to save Bowie’s season as the Orioles’ Double-A affiliate lost the Eastern League finals, 3-1, to Trenton.
Bowie was able to split the first two games of the best-of-five series on the road in Trenton, but once the series returned to Bowie, the Thunder won Game 3 on Thursday and then clinched the title with a 5-2 win on Friday night.
The Baysox fell behind 3-0 in the second inning, but were unable to ever really threaten to mount a comeback. Cedric Mullins and Anderson Feliz each hit solo homers, but that was the extent of Bowie’s offense. Friday's prospect stats »
Thursday, Sept. 12: Bowie drops Game 3
Alex Wells turned in a quality start in for Double-A Bowie on Wednesday, though it wasn’t enough to keep the Baysox from falling to Trenton, 2-1, in Game 3 of the Eastern League Championship Series.
Wells, Baltimore’s No. 20 prospect, allowed two runs and scattered six hits over seven innings. The Australian-born southpaw did not issue a walk and struck out eight batters, matching his season-high total, while throwing 69 of 90 pitches for strikes. During the regular season, the 22-year-old ranked among the Eastern League leaders with a 2.95 ERA (sixth) and a 1.07 WHIP (fifth).
The Thunder tagged Wells for three consecutive singles to open the seventh inning, but the left-hander battled back to record three straight strikeouts -- but not before Hoy Jun Park caught him and the rest of the Baysox napping with a straight steal of home.
Cedric Mullins scored Bowie’s lone run and also collected two of the team’s three hits in the loss.
Bowie trails Trenton in the series, 2-1, and will need to win Game 4 on Friday to stay alive in the best-of-five finals. Thursday's prospect stats »
Wednesday, Sept. 11: Bowie pulls even with Game 2 win
After dropping Game 1 of the Eastern League Championship series, the Bowie Baysox rebounded to defeat Luis Severino and Double-A Trenton, 7-2, on Wednesday to even the best-of-five series.
Bowie mustered just one hit in the first two innings against Severino -- making his second start as part of a rehab assignment -- but finally got to the hard-throwing right-hander in the third inning. Cedric Mullins tied the game when he plated T.J. Nichting with a single, and two batters later, Orioles No. 5 prospect Yusniel Diaz hit an RBI triple and scored on a throwing error to put the Baysox ahead.
Bowie added to its lead in the subsequent frame via a Mason McCoy (No. 25) sacrifice fly, and catcher Carlos Perez pushed across a run in the fifth with a fielder’s choice. Nichting drove in two runs in the eighth with a single, his team-leading third hit of the game. He finished the game 3-for-4, and Diaz went 2-for-5 from the three-spot in the lineup.
On the mound, right-hander Cody Sedlock (No. 17) surrendered a first-inning run before settling in to retire nine straight batters. The 24-year-old scattered four hits over five innings and struck out two in the outing, throwing 53 of 83 pitches for strikes.
Tuesday, Sept. 10: Baysox drop Game 1
Double-A Bowie got off to a strong start on Tuesday, pushing across a pair of runs in the first inning, though it would account for all of the Baysox scoring as they fell to Trenton, 6-2, in Game 1 of the best-of-five Eastern League Championship Series.
No. 5 prospect Yusniel Diaz drove in Bowie’s second run of the game with a first-inning double and finished the game 2-for-4. Catcher Carlos Perez also collected two hits, going 2-for-4 with a pair of doubles. Baysox starter Michael Baumann (No. 9) struggled with his control as he issued five walks (matching his season high) and uncorked a pair of wild pitches, while throwing 56 of 91 pitches for strikes over 3 2/3 frames. He allowed two runs on five hits and struck out six. Tuesday's prospect stats »
Saturday, Sept. 7: Mullins cycles as Baysox advance
Cedric Mullins hit for the cycle on Saturday as the Double-A Bowie Baysox clinched the Eastern League division series, three games to one, with a 12-5 win over Harrisburg. Mullins finished the day 5-for-6 with three RBIs and three runs scored out of the leadoff spot and completed the cycle with a double in the ninth inning after tripling in the seventh.
No. 13 prospect Ryan McKenna went 3-for-4, all singles, while No. 25 prospect Mason McCoy added three hits of his own, going 3-for-5 with a double and an RBI. Orioles No. 5 prospect Yusniel Diaz went 2-for-6 with two RBIs and No. 30 prospect Brett Cumberland finished 1-for-3 with an RBI. The Bowie offense burst out with 20 hits, including two five-run innings in the second and seventh.
On the mound, No. 20 prospect Alex Wells kept the Harrisburg lineup in check to let his offense do their thing. The 22-year-old lefty tossed six innings of one-run ball, allowing just one earned run on six hits and a walk while striking out six. Wells is coming off a strong season at the Double-A level, where he posted a 2.95 ERA over 137 1/3 innings.
Bowie now advances to the Eastern League championship series, where it will face Trenton on the road beginning Tuesday. After two games in Trenton, the best-of-five will shift back to Bowie for the final three games of the series. Saturday's prospect stats »