Triple-A: Norfolk Tides 7, Gwinnett Stripers (Braves) 6

What a comeback by the Tides, who trailed 6-0 in the third inning and then scored seven unanswered runs to flip the script on the Stripers. Jackson Holliday played a big role, getting Norfolk on the board with a two-run double in the third, one of three times he reached base in the game. Holliday now has an eight-game hitting streak and a 15-game on-base streak. He showed some quality glove work, too.

Connor Norby also contributed a big hit, a go-ahead, three-run triple in the fourth. At the bottom of the order, Maverick Handley, Terrin Vavra, and Hudson Haskin combined for five hits and five runs. Heston Kjerstad took a rare 0-for-4 with three strikeouts.

If this was Cade Povich’s chance to earn a call-up to the Orioles’ injury-riddled rotation, well, he squandered it. Facing a Gwinnett lineup in which eight of the nine hitters have big league experience, Povich labored through 77 pitches in just three innings, with each of the six baserunners he allowed eventually scoring. His third inning was particularly rough, as he walked the first two batters, gave up a single to former Orioles great Andrew Velazquez, and then served up a bases-loaded double to Luke Williams, who later scored on a sac fly.

Povich was picked up by his bullpen, as five Norfolk relievers — Nolan Hoffman, Nick Vespi, Kade Strowd, Matt Krook, and Bryan Baker — combined for six scoreless innings, striking out nine and allowing just two hits.

Double-A: Somerset Patriots (Yankees) 13, Bowie Baysox 5

It was a rough day to be a Baysox pitcher. Starter Cameron Weston failed to make it out of the first inning, giving up four runs on three walks and two hits, and he was the first of five Bowie hurlers to surrender at least one run. The only “pitcher” who wasn’t scored upon, in fact, was infielder Ryan Higgins, who retired all three batters he faced in mop-up relief.

The Baysox had no answer for the top five hitters in Somerset’s lineup, who combined for 13 hits, plus #9 hitter Anthony Seigler, who homered twice. Among the Patriots standouts was the Yankees’ #1 prospect Jasson Domínguez, who’s rehabbing from Tommy John surgery that cut short his rookie campaign in New York last year. Dominguez went 3-for-5 with a homer in this game.

Bowie’s hitters had less success overall, although four of them had multi-hit games, including TT Bowens, who homered as part of a 3-for-5 game. Jud Fabian doubled twice, while Samuel Basallo was hitless in four at-bats.

High-A: Hudson Valley Renegades (Yankees) 10, Aberdeen IronBirds 3

Yankees affiliates beat Orioles affiliates by a combined 23-8 score in Double-A and High-A. I don’t care for that. Hudson Valley put up double-digit runs on Aberdeen, and the damage would’ve been worse had the Renegades not stranded 15 runners on base.

This game was actually a 3-3 tie in the middle innings before the Renegades exploded for seven runs in the bottom of the sixth. Poor Deivy Cruz suffered the worst outing of his season, and likely his professional career, by giving up six runs while recording just two outs. The 20-year-old lefty had been having a great season up to that point, entering the game with a 1.47 ERA, but that number nearly tripled after this disastrous outing.

At the plate, 2023 tenth-round pick Matthew Etzel continued to open eyes, knocking a two-run single and picking up his 25th stolen base. He’s hitting .306 with an .859 OPS. First rounder Enrique Bradfield Jr. had a walk and a sac fly but was also thrown out trying to steal.

Low-A: Carolina Mudcats (Brewers) 4, Delmarva Shorebirds 2

Unlike the other three O’s affiliates, the Shorebirds pitched quite well, particularly right-hander Blake Money, who delivered 5.1 excellent innings of one-hit ball, striking out six and not allowing an earned run. You might say that Blake Money was really on the…well, you know. And yet he was charged with the loss because an unearned run scored against him. Baseball isn’t fair sometimes. The Shorebirds made four errors in all.

Stiven Acevedo drove in both Shorebirds runs despite never reaching base. One was on a run-scoring forceout and the other on a sac fly. Anderson De Los Santos and Aneudis Mordán each had a pair of hits.

Saturday’s scheduled games:

• Norfolk: vs. Gwinnett, 6:35 PM. Starter: Justin Armbruester (1-3, 9.32)
• Bowie: at Somerset, 6:35 PM. Starter: Trace Bright (0-3, 3.10)
• Aberdeen: at Hudson Valley, 5:05 PM. Starter: Luis De León (0-1, 3.68)
• Delmarva: at Carolina, 5:00 PM. Starter: Michael Forret (2-4, 3.44)