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CarL Delmarva Shorebirds

Delmarva Shorebirds Game Notes,

July 9, 2022 - Carolina League (CarL)
Delmarva Shorebirds News Release


LAST TIME OUT: The Shorebirds tied a season-high by drawing 11 walks (including strings of five and three in a row) to win 8-7 in 10 innings over Salem on a Luis Valdez walk-off walk. The 'Birds used five straight walks in the seventh to plate five runs, Noelberth Romero providing the big blow with a two-run double. Salem tied the game with a four-run ninth to force extras, only for the 'Birds to draw three straight walks to start the bottom of the tenth, with Luis Valdez's free pass winning the game. Heston Kjerstad posted his second straight three-hit game, reaching base five times (3-for-3, 2BB) while Edgar Portes grinded out five innings in his start, allowing three runs while punching out five.

TODAY'S OPPONENT: Juan Daniel Encarnacion takes the hill Saturday for Salem. Encarnacion was roughed up for five runs on eight hits and two walks last time out (July 3) at Lynchburg. Encarnacion was hit around by the 'Birds on June 16, allowing five runs over four innings, the outing coming after he had posted six stellar innings in Delmarva on May 13, allowing one run on two hits while punching out aseason high eight.

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 21 games, going 36-for-77 (.468) with eight doubles, two homers and 16 driven in. Kjerstad already has 13-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. Kjerstad just wrapped a 14-game hitting streak (the longest this season for a 'Bird), slashing .472/.547/.679 with two homers and 10 driven in during the run.

FRESH ARMS: The Shorebirds have remade their starting rotation with names like Miguel Padilla, Deivy Cruz, and Edgar Portes making their Single-A debuts in prominent starting roles. The trio have combined to post 43.0 innings through their first nine out- ings, allowing just 17 earned runs (3.55 ERA).

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 31-for-83 (.375) for the 'Birds, having posted a 5-for-5 game June 19, running out five more multi-hit games since, giving him eight on the season. Ben- cosme 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 37 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 leads the Carolina league in walks (58) as well and paces the 'Birds with 34 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 Carolina league.

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.

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Carolina League Stories from July 9, 2022


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