Looking around the Minor Leagues

Some news and notes around the O's Minor Leagues. With all the players that have made their way from Norfolk to Baltimore this year, the Tides still have a good record at 61-51 and are three games out of first place. Brandon Snyder is hitting .424 with 13 RBI over his last 15 games. He has seven multi-hit games in that stretch. Justin Turner is batting .347 over 34 games. Jeff Fiorentino is 4th in the IL in OBP and 5th in batting and slugging. Joey Gathright is batting .389 during an eight-game hitting streak. Brandon Erbe threw eight no-hit innings for Double-A Bowie vs. New Hampshire last night. He left having thrown 108 pitches and the Baysox lost the no-hit bid in the 9th. Bowie is 60-51 and will play Portland on Saturday at Noon at Fenway Park. Steve Johnson will make his second Bowie start on the hill. Josh Bell returned to the Baysox lineup tonight as the DH after missing two games with an ankle injury. Billy Rowell over his last three games at Frederick, is 8 for 13 with a homer and two RBI. Plus he got a hit his first time up tonight to add to that. Aaron Wirsch pitched three scoreless innings this afternoon for the Orioles Gulf Coast League team in a loss to the Reds. The 18-year-old Wirsch was drafted in round seven this year out of a high school in Lake Forest, California. The 6'6" lefty has made four appearances so far, pitching seven shutout innings. He has allowed four hits with one walk, ten strikeouts and a .160 opponent average.