Baumann, 'Birds Blank Tourists on Opening Night
April 5, 2018 - South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Delmarva Shorebirds News Release
SALISBURY, MD - Michael Baumann struck out 10 batters over five masterful innings, powering the Delmarva Shorebirds to a 2-0 season-opening shutout win over the Asheville Tourists on Thursday night at Arthur W. Perdue Stadium.
Baumann (1-0), the 15th-ranked prospect in the Orioles system, scattered four hits and one walk over five scoreless innings in his first start for the Shorebirds (1-0). He had nine strikeouts through four frames and fanned one more in the fifth to crack double digits.
Scott Burke took the baton in the sixth and faced the minimum over three scoreless innings out of the bullpen. Reed Hayes notched his first save of the season with a scoreless ninth, delivering Delmarva to its third opening day shutout in the past four seasons.
Antonio Santos (0-1) took the hard-luck loss for the Tourists (0-1), allowing two runs (one earned) on four hits in six innings, walking one and striking out four.
Baumann's only real trouble came in the top of the second inning. Chad Spanberger led off with a double, then after a strikeout Ramon Marcelino singled to put men on the corners. Bret Boswell then worked a full-count walk, the only free pass from Shorebird pitching all day, to load the bases. Baumann dug down deep, though, freezing both Matt McLaughlin and Robbie Perkins for back-to-back strikeouts to quell the threat.
Delmarva broke through for its first run in the bottom of the second. Ben Breazeale led off with a full-count walk and advanced to third on back-to-back groundouts. Ryan Ripken then fisted a grounder past short and into center for an RBI single, bringing home Breazeale.
The Shorebirds added an insurance run thanks to some Asheville miscues in the bottom of the sixth. Mason McCoy scorched a hard grounder that deflected off third baseman McLaughlin's glove and into left for a one-out single. Two batters later, Breazeale slapped one in front of home plate, and catcher Robbie Perkins sailed the throw into right field, putting men on second and third with two out. McCoy then scampered home on a Santos wild pitch, giving Delmarva some breathing room at 2-0.
That was more than enough for Burke, who snagged a comeback liner to force a nifty double play in the seventh inning and cruised through the eighth for the hold. Hayes gave up a one-out single to Spanberger in the ninth but got Sean Bouchard to fly out to right and struck out Marcelino to end it.
Ripken finished the day a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate and picked up the game's only RBI. McCoy went 1-for-4 with a run, while T.J. Nichting notched a double in the fifth.
Spanberger and Marcelino each had multi-hit games for the Tourists.
Delmarva pitching combined for 14 strikeouts in the Opening Day goose egg. Shorebirds pitching totaled nine shutouts in 2017.
The Shorebirds and Tourists continue their season-opening four-game series on Friday night. Left-hander and No. 16 Orioles prospect Cameron Bishop takes the bump for Delmarva against Asheville southpaw Breiling Eusebio, the 13th-ranked prospect in the Rockies system. First pitch is 7:05 p.m. with gates opening at 6:00. The first 1,000 fans through the gates will receive an Orioles Top Prospects Schedule Poster courtesy of the Maryland Department of Transportation. Friday also marks the return of Orange Friday to Perdue Stadium, as well as Froggy 99.9 Big Beer Friday. It's also the first Hit the Books game presented by Dr. James M. Crouse at the Brace Place. Pregame coverage on Fox Sports 960 AM and the MiLB First Pitch App begins at 6:50 with Will DeBoer on the call.
South Atlantic League Stories from April 5, 2018
- Dibrell Leads Columbia to Opening Night Win - Columbia Fireflies
- Puckett Pitches Hoppers to Opening Night Win - Greensboro Grasshoppers
- Power Silenced by Drive on Opening Night - Charleston Dirty Birds
- Matias Leads Legends to Opening Night Victory - Lexington Legends
- Suns Fall 5-2 in Season Opener on Thursday - Hagerstown Suns
- Drive Cruise Past Power in Season Opener - Greenville Drive
- Hess Homers, But Dogs Drop Opener in Lexington - Charleston RiverDogs
- Baumann, 'Birds Blank Tourists on Opening Night - Delmarva Shorebirds
- Three Run Third Gives Rome 5-2 Win - Rome Emperors
- Hoppers to Make First Marks on Clean Slate - Greensboro Grasshoppers
- Santos with Strong Debut in Opening Day Defeat - Asheville Tourists
- BlueClaws Fall in Walk-Off Fashion 4-3 in Opener - Jersey Shore BlueClaws
- Hagerstown Suns Game Notes - Hagerstown Suns
- West Virginia Power Game Notes (April 5, 2018) - Charleston Dirty Birds
- Fireflies Opening Day Game Notes: April 5 vs. Augusta (Game 1) - Columbia Fireflies
- Fill the Frans on Opening Night - Hickory Crawdads
- Columbia Fireflies Homestand Highlights (April 5-11) - Columbia Fireflies
- Rome Braves Release Roster - Rome Emperors
- RiverDogs Game Notes: April 5, 2018 (Game 1) - Charleston RiverDogs
- Power Announce Prospect-Laden 2018 Opening Day Roster - Charleston Dirty Birds
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