Delmarva Shorebirds Game Notes
July 4, 2022 - Carolina League (CarL)
Delmarva Shorebirds News Release
LAST TIME OUT: The Shorebirds were swept out of Fredericksburg on Sunday, losing 10-2 as the 'Birds were swept for the first time in fran- chise history during the six-game series era. The Shorebirds grabbed a 2-0 lead in the first inning on a Frederick Bencosme two-run single but never pushed another run across, going 1-for-10 with RISP and stranding nine runners on. Juan De Los Santos K'd 5 over just 2.2 innings before departing. The FredNats scored one in the fourth on a sac fly and then took the lead in the seventh on a two-run homer. Fredericks- burg hit three more homers down the stretch to blow the game open. Bencosme and Acevedo each finished with two hit games while Luis Valdez tallied a base hit and two stolen bases.
TODAY'S OPPONENT: Hunter Dobbins kicks off the series on the mound for the Red Sox. Dobbins has been working his way back slowly but surely from Tommy John Surgery and ha started to come into his own of late. The 2021 8th Rounder out of Texas Tech fired four no-hit in- nings his last time out on June 29 vs. Lynchburg allowing just a walk. Over his past three outings (which began with 4 innings of one run ball vs. Delmarva), Dobbins has tossed 12 innings, allowing just two runs on seven hits and two walks, striking out 10.
KJERSTUD: Heston Kjerstad finally debuted after being selected 2nd overall in the 2020 draft by the Orioles and hasn't missed a beat since returning. Kjerstad missed two seasons thanks to myocarditis and then a hamstring strain this past spring training, but has flourished with the Shorebirds in his first 16 games, going 28-for-63 (.444) with six doubles, two homers and 12 driven in. Kjerstad already has 10-multi hit games, including a three-hit game on June 19 which included a two-out, two-run go-ahead single in the ninth against Salem and is curently on a 14-game hitting streak, the longest for a Shorebird this season.
THE H IS SILENT, BUT HE ISN'T: Noelberth Romero just wrapped a 6-for-18 series against the Hillcats two weeks ago, smashing three hoemrs and driving in 10 runs. He now leads the ballclub with seven dingers, more than doubling his entire output from last season (3).
Romero was acquired by the Orioles from the Red Sox back in 2019 as part of the Andrew Cashner deal.
FREDDY BASE KNOCKS: All Frederick Bencosme has done since join the 'Birds is pile up the hits. He is 27-for-76 (.355) for the 'Birds, having just posted a 5-for-5 game June 19, and then had two multi-hit games last week, and two this week against the FredNats giving him seven on the season. Bencosme is still just 19 and has barely played stateside, having spent all of 2021 in the DSL.
RUN, LUIS, RUN: MLB.com recently crowned Valdez the fastest player in the O's system, and that's been bearing fruit on the bases. Valdez leads the league with 36 stolen bases, having been caught just 10 times. This comes after Valdez failed to steal a base in hus first nine games this season.
DE LE ON TRACK: Isaac De León got off to a putrid start this season (7-for-56, .125/.319/.161) but then found his groove over his next 24 games where he's slashed .256/.419/.359 with five doubles, a homer and 18 driven in. He had five multi-hit efforts during the stetch and five multi-RBI games too. De León is tied for the Carolina league in walks (56) as well and paces the 'Birds with 32 RBIs.
THE PRICE IS RIGHT: Although save opportunites have been few and far between for the 'Birds this season, when they have needed to close down a win, Preston Price has been money. The righty is 5-for-6 in save opportunites, tying him for the third most saves in the Caro- lina league.
THE MOMENT WE'VE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR: Orioles top-prospect, and 2019 Shorebird, Adley Rutschman finally got the call to the show after starting the season on the IL. Rutschman is considered one of, if not the, top prospect in baseball. Rutschman played in 12 games with the Shorebirds in 2019, hitting two homers and driving in eight, helping lead the team to a franchise-record 90 win season. With his debut, Adley is the 124th (4th this season) Shorebird in the show.
THE ROAD LESS TAKEN: Nick Vespi's long arduous journey finally paid off as he was called up the Orioles for the first time earlier this season, debuting by throwing two scoreless innings, stirking out three to earn his first Major League win. Vespi was a 2015 18th round pitck and spent part of 2017 and all of 2018 and 2019 with the Shorebirds. In 64 games (156.2IP) with Delmarva, Vespi had a 3.62 ERA, striking out 168. He is the 123rd (3rd this season) Shore- birds to get to the bigs.
DEBUT DENYI: 2022 Shorebird Denyi Reyes was called up to the Orioles on earlier this season and made his MLB debut night against the Detroit Tigers, throwing two perfect in- nings while striking out two. Reyes is the 123rd Shorebird (2nd this season) to make his MLB debut. Reyes made just one start for Delmarva in an effort to ramp up at the start of the season, firing five innings against Lynchburg on April 13.
TIDE, RISEN: The Orioles front office's meticulous approach in the recent rebuild has started to bear fruit, as the Orioles minor league system was named the No. 1 farm system in baseball for the second consecutive ranking by MLB Pipeline. Current top-30 O's prospects on the 'Birds roster are: No. 9 Heston Kjerstad, No. 27 Carter Baumler, and No. 30 Anthony Servideo.
Carolina League Stories from July 4, 2022
- Sibrian Homers as Mudcats Win Fifth Straight 4-3 - Carolina Mudcats
- Fireflies Stay Hot with Walk-Off Winner - Columbia Fireflies
- Manzueta's Slam Puts Exclamation Point on Largest Comeback Win of Season - Charleston RiverDogs
- Ten-Run Seventh Inning by Charleston Dooms Augusta - Augusta GreenJackets
- 'Birds Ring in the 4th of July with Walk-Off Win over Salem - Delmarva Shorebirds
- FredNats Extend Win Streak on 4th of July - Fredericksburg Nationals
- Delmarva Shorebirds Game Notes - Delmarva Shorebirds
- Columbia Fireflies Game Notes July 4 vs Myrtle Beach - Columbia Fireflies
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