Triple-A: Norfolk Tides 12, Rochester Red Wings (Nationals) 1

Samuel Basallo, Dylan Beavers and Ryan Mountcastle all went yard as the Tides battered the Red Wings in a resounding win. Mountcastle started the home run derby in Norfolk with one out in the 1st, lining a low fastball the other way and just over the right field fence for the Tides’ first run of the game.

After Norfolk added to the lead on an RBI single in the 4th, Beavers and Basallo blew the game open in the 5th. With two outs, Rochester tried to put away Beavers on a 2-2 fastball in on the hands, but the Norfolk outfielder turned on the heater and blasted a solo shot over the right-center fence. After a Mountcastle walk, Basallo provided the loudest long ball of them all, attacking a low slider and sending a 441-foot moonshot to center for his 22nd HR of the season.

The Basallo blast gave Norfolk a 5-0 lead, an advantage they’d double with a five-run 6th inning. Mountcastle forced in the sixth run on a bases-loaded walk, and Basallo followed with a two-run double. Emmanuel Rivera then capped the rally with a single up the middle that plated both Basallo and Mountcastle.

Beavers and Basallo finished the scoring with another pair of runs in the 8th. Beavers launched Norfolk’s fourth homer of the game, and his second, against infielder-turned-pitcher Jackson Cluff. Basallo and Rivera then hit back-to-back doubles to complete the Tides’ dozen.

The offensive outburst was the story of the game, but the subplot was the rehab start of Tyler Wells. After completing two shutout innings on 22 pitches last week for Chesapeake, Wells went one out deeper into the game Tuesday vs. Rochester. Wells did allow three hits and two walks, but also punched out four in 2.1 shutout innings. After Kyle Bradish struggled through three innings on Sunday for Norfolk, seeing Wells complete a relatively clean outing was an encouraging sign.

Double-A: Akron RubberDucks (Guardians) 3, Chesapeake Baysox 2

Blake Money put up one of his best starts of the season, but the Baysox bats couldn’t back their starter in a series-opening loss to the Rubber Ducks. Money, the Orioles’ 12th-round pick from the 2023 draft, threw 5+ scoreless innings for the second time all season and limited Akron to only one hit over the first five frames. That one hit came with two outs in the 1st inning, as the 23-year-old right-hander cruised from there.

He erased two early walks with double play balls in the 1st and 2nd, and at one point recorded 10 consecutive outs. The former LSU Tiger ended his five strong innings with a punch out of Alex Mooney, his sixth K of the game. Money finished with a final line of 5 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 3 BB and 6 K. The five shutout innings lowered the righty’s season ERA to 4.08 and he now has 113 Ks in 88.2 IP.

While Money fronted the Baysox the perfect opportunity to take an early lead, the Chesapeake offense couldn’t repay his efforts. The Baysox didn’t register a hit until an Anthony Servideo single in the 5th, with Servideo’s hit advancing Frederick Bencosme to third. Bencosme was then gunned down at the plate on a grounder to third as the Baysox failed to break the 0-0 tie.

Akron took the lead on an RBI single in the 6th, and then scored two runs after walking the bases loaded in the 7th. Trailing 3-0, the Baysox finally got on the board in the 8th thanks to Douglas Hodo III. With two outs and runners on first and second, Hodo laced a double into left to cut the Akron lead to one. However, Bencosme struck out to strand the tying run at second, and the Baysox couldn’t mount another rally in the 9th.

High-A: Wilmington Blue Rocks (Nationals) 3, Aberdeen IronBirds 1

The IronBirds did not score until the 9th inning as Aberdeen couldn’t capitalize on a well-pitched bullpen game in a loss to Wilmington. Aberdeen’s offense didn’t manage to get a hit until an Ethan Anderson leadoff single in the 5th, and didn’t have a baserunner of any kind until an Enrique Bradfield Jr. walk in the 4th. In between those two baserunners, Wilmington established a lead it would not relinquish.

During the top of the 5th, the Blue Rocks loaded the bases thanks to two instances of catcher’s interference and a walk. Caleb Lomavita then grounded to second to push across Wilmington’s first run, before a Nate Rombach single plated their second. Trailing 2-0, Aberdeen finally got a runner into scoring position in the 6th. Anderson De Los Santos led off the inning with a walk and moved to second when Yasmil Bucce reached on an error. Nine-hitter Alfredo Velásquez then bunted both into scoring position, but a Vance Honeycutt strikeout and Bradfield flyout left both runners stranded.

Griff O’Ferrall tried to start another rally in the 7th, leading off the inning with a single and immediately stealing second. However, a strikeout, groundout and flyout once again left a runner stranded in scoring position—with Aberdeen finishing the evening 0-for-5 with RISP. After the Blue Rocks expanded their lead to 3-0 in the top of the 9th, the IronBirds finally scored in the last frame of the game. Honeycutt led off the 9th with a double, moved to second on a balk and then scored on a sac fly from Jake Cunningham. However, O’Ferrall and Anderson couldn’t keep the rally going, striking out and flying out to end the game.

Low-A: Fayetteville Woodpeckers (Astros) 5, Delmarva Shorebirds 3

The Shorebirds fell behind 4-0 early on and couldn’t complete a late-inning comeback in their tightly-contested loss. The newly acquired Twine Palmer, acquired in the trade that sent Ramón Urías to Houston, made his organizational debut against his former team, the Woodpeckers. Fayetteville rattled their former pitcher early, scoring three runs in the top of the 2nd. The Woodpeckers started the inning with a two-base error, and followed that with a single to take a 1-0 lead.

After a balk and a passed ball, Fayetteville’s Chase Call singled home the Woodpeckers’ second run of the game. Call then stole second, advanced to third on a throwing error by the catcher, and scored three batters later on a single. After finally escaping that messy 2nd inning, Palmer allowed another run in the 3rd. He walked the Fayetteville leadoff hitter, saw him steal second and then watched as Deivy Cruz allowed the inherited runner to score on a single. In his Delmarva debut, Palmer finished with a final line of 2.2 IP, 3 H, 4 R (3 ER), 3 BB and 3 K.

Trailing 4-0, the Shorebirds scored a pair in the bottom of the 3rd. With two outs, Edwin Amparo stole second, moved to third on a Colin Tuft single and then the pair executed a double steal of second and home. Andrew Tess then doubled down the third base line to score Tuft and cut the Woodpecker lead to 4-2.

Delmarva got another run closer in the 7th, when Adriander Mejía led of the inning with a walk, moved to third on an Amparo single and scored on a passed ball. However, Fayetteville would get that run back in the top of the 8th and the Shorebirds didn’t have any more rallies in them. Delmarva mustered only one base runner across the 8th and 9th innings and the comeback attempt fell short.

Wednesday’s Scheduled Games

Norfolk Tides vs. Rochester Red Wings, 6:35pm ET (TBD vs. TBD)Chesapeake Baysox at Akron RubberDucks, 6:35pm ET (Zach Fruit vs. Trenton Denholm)Aberdeen IronBirds vs. Wilmington Blue Rocks, 7:05pm ET (Wellington Aracena vs. DavianGarcia)Delmarva Shorebirds vs. Fayetteville Woodpeckers, 7:05pm ET (Boston Bateman vs. TBD)