O's DSL team clinches playoff berth, plus Gonzalez to Aberdeen and Bowie's All Stars

The Orioles have two teams in the Dominican Summer League and their DSL No. 1 team is headed to the playoffs. That club is 47-23 with two regular season games remaining, having clinched its division championship. This is also the best record ever by an O's team in the DSL. The DSL Orioles won 10 in a row to wrap up the division. The team leads the league with a team ERA of 2.31. Six teams make the DSL playoffs and the clubs with the two top records get first-round byes. The O's will play in the opening round in a best-of-three series beginning Monday. Some nice honors today for the Double-A Bowie Baysox as four players were named to the Eastern League season-ending All-Star team. Named to the team were first baseman Christian Walker and outfielder Dariel Alvarez, who are now with Triple-A Norfolk, along with pitcher Oliver Drake and third baseman Niuman Romero. Bowie leads the league with four All-Star selections, the most ever for the Baysox. Their one representative last year was Caleb Joseph. The team is voted on by Eastern League managers and coaches, sportswriters, radio and television broadcasters and other members of the media. Despite a promotion to Norfolk after the All-Star Break in July, Walker is still second in the league with 77 RBIs, tied for fourth with a .516 slugging percentage and eighth with a .301 batting average. He leads the team with 20 home runs and his .516 slugging percentage is on track to be the sixth-highest in franchise history. Romero has been one of the most consistent hitters in the league this season, leading the league in hits (147), on-base percentage (.426), runs scored (85) and walks (82). He is also third in the league with a .327 batting average and in position to have one of the five highest single-season averages in team history. He is on pace to record the second-highest OBP in franchise history, trailing only Calvin Pickering at .434 in 1998. Romero also leads the team in doubles (26) and total bases (190). Alvarez was also promoted to Triple-A following the All-Star Break in July, but statistically remains one of the top hitters on the team. He remains fifth in the league with 68 RBIs and sixth with a .309 average. His 14 home runs and 68 RBIs trail only Walker for the team lead and his 10 outfield assists still lead the team. Drake has been one of the best closers in the Eastern League this season, leading all pitchers with 27 saves in 31 chances. He converted 15 consecutive saves from May 22 to July 20 and did not allow a run over 15 2/3 innings from May 22 to June 30. Drake's 27 saves place him third all-time for a single-season and his 35 career saves with the Baysox are the second-most in franchise history. The complete 2014 Eastern League All-Star Team: 1B: Christian Walker, Bowie 2B: Devon Travis, Erie 3B: Niuman Romero, Bowie SS: Matt Duffy, Richmond C: Elias Diaz, Altoona OF: Dariel Alvarez, Bowie OF: Steven Moya, Erie OF: Michael Taylor, Harrisburg DH: Reynaldo Rodriguez, New Britain UTL: Brian Burgamy, Binghamton RH Starting Pitcher: Adrian Sampson, Altoona LH Starting Pitcher: Henry Owens, Portland Relief Pitcher: Oliver Drake, Bowie Also, left-hander Brian Gonzalez, the Orioles' top draft pick in June, is going to be promoted from the Gulf Coast League to short-season Single-A Aberdeen to make his final two starts on Aug. 26 and Sept. 1. The O's re-evaluated this decision after earlier it appeared Gonzalez would finish out the season in the GCL. Taken in the third round in June out of Archbishop McCarthy (Fla.) High School, the 18-year-old Gonzalez has an ERA of 0.00 in eight GCL games. Over 24 2/3 innings, he has allowed 11 hits and one unearned run with eight walks and 25 strikeouts.