Checking in on the O's minors

With an off day today for the Orioles in the majors, here is a quick look at the four Orioles minor league affiliates and how they are faring so far.

* Triple-A Norfolk is 10-19
* Double-A Bowie is 15-14
* Single-A Frederick is 12-15
* Single-A Delmarva is 13-16

Norfolk was averaging just 3.5 runs per game and then scored 24 runs on 28 hits in two wins on Friday and Saturday over Scranton.

On Sunday, though, the Tides suffered a 16-2 blowout loss to Scranton. Suk-min Yoon got hit hard in that game and is 0-4 with a 7.46 ERA over six starts.

In his first start of the year, Yoon gave up nine runs and 11 hits over 2 1/3 innings. Yesterday, over three innings, he allowed 11 hits (eight for extra bases) and eight runs. In between, he made four starts and pitched to an ERA of 1.80. Yoon has allowed 46 hits over 25 1/3 innings for a batting average against of .397.

Christian Walker and Dariel Alvarez both homered and drove in three runs for Double-A Bowie in its win Sunday. For Walker, it was No. 6 and that leads all O's farmhands. Alvarez, who extended his hitting streak to 11 games, hit No. 5. He leads the Eastern League and all O's minor leaguers with 25 RBIs.

I recently wrote about both players. Click here to see a story on Walker and here to read about Alvarez.

Single-A Frederick lefty Matt Taylor had another strong start Sunday, pitching seven scoreless innings as the Keys won 6-1 at Myrtle Beach. The Orioles' fifth-round pick in 2011 out of Middle Georgia College, Taylor is now 3-1 with an ERA of 1.32. That ERA leads O's minor leaguers and ranks third in the Carolina League.

Keys outfielder Lucas Herbst had two hits and three RBIs in the win. He is batting .375 (12-for-32) during an eight-game hitting streak with three doubles and seven RBIs.

Single-A Delmarva continues to struggle on offense and was shut out 3-0 by Charleston on Sunday. The Shorebirds have lost five of six games and have been shut out three times during that stretch. Delmarva ranks last in the South Atlantic League with 90 runs scored and that is 17 fewer than the next closest team.

Right-hander Hunter Harvey (1-1, 2.08 ERA) pitches for the Shorebirds tonight at Charleston. Harvey is ninth in the league in ERA and second in opponent average at .163.

Delmarva's Jimmy Yacabonis, the club's 13th-round pick last June out of St. Joseph's University, leads the league with seven saves in seven chances. He has pitched 11 scoreless innings so far with eight walks and 16 strikeouts.

O's homer leaders:
6 - Christian Walker, Bowie
5 - Dariel Alvarez, Bowie
4 - Buck Britton, Norfolk and Creede Simpson, Frederick

O's ERA leaders:
1.32 - Matt Taylor, Frederick
2.08 - Hunter Harvey, Delmarva
2.36 - Branden Kline, Frederick
2.86 - Mike Wright, Norfolk
3.06 - Sebastian Vader, Delmarva