Solid late relief on the farm

There has been some really good relief pitching on the farm this year for the Orioles. Near or at the top of that list would be right-hander Brandon Cooney, who has excelled at Frederick and now is pitching very well at Bowie. Between the two clubs this year, the 24-year-old, a 30th-round draft pick in 2007, is 4-0 with six saves and an ERA of 0.99 in 30 games. Cooney gave up three runs in his first outing with the Baysox on May 19, but has not allowed an earned run since. That is 19 1/3 innings without one over 15 games. Also at Bowie, converted starter Pedro Beato is 3-0, 1.74 with seven saves in ten chances. Eastern League batters are hitting just .103 vs. Beato when batting with runners in scoring position. Pat Egan, who moved up from Bowie to Norfolk, has pitched to an ERA of 3.86 in his first four Triple-A games. At Frederick, right-hander Jose Diaz is 3-0, 1.69 and is 12 for 12 in save chances. At 26, maybe he should be pitching well in the Carolina League and he has fanned 33 in 26 2/3. He was in the Double-A Texas League last season. Delmarva's Josh Dowdy is 0-1, 1.01 and is 14 for 14 in save chances. Dowdy has given up a batting average of just .162 vs. right-handed batters and has struck out 24 in 62 at bats. He has not been scored on in 7 2/3 over his last eight games. Dowdy, who had ten saves last year between Bluefield and Aberdeen, was drafted in round 38 last June out of Appalachian State. At Aberdeen now, right-hander David Walters, who was born in Baltimore, is three for three in save chances and has given up just one hit and no runs in his first 7 2/3 IronBirds innings. Earlier today, Frederick lost 7-4 at home vs. Potomac. Ronnie Welty had one hit to extend his batting streak to 13 games. Welty is hitting .436 with 12 RBI during the streak.