Aberdeen came into their series with the Blue Rocks struggling a bit in the second half of the season.
Needing to turn things around in order to properly defend their first half division crown, the IronBirds would need to start by taking a series.
The timing couldn’t of happened at a more perfect juncture, as the IronBirds would face Wilmington and win their series four games to two.
One of the key outcomes from this series was the Aberdeen offense, which scored six or more runs in five of the six games. The only one they didn’t was Saturday’s 3-0 victory.
Also by winning the series, Aberdeen became just the second team in the SAL to have a winning record against clubs below .500. These are the series that teams need to win in order to stay on top.
Davis Tavarez was one of the stand-outs for the series against the Blue Rocks. Batting .500 for the series, Tavarez took advantage of his opportunities when given the time to shine.
Though the IronBirds lost Sunday, Tavarez would go 2-for-4 at the plate. He would hit his fourth home run for Aberdeen, while scoring and knocking in a run.
On the season for the IronBirds, Tavarez is now batting .286 with an OBP of .318. He has four home runs and 15 RBIs in 36 games at the High-A level.
Chris Givin had a strong series as well for Aberdeen. Finishing the series with a six-game hitting streak and an eight-game on-base streak, Givin has been taking advantage of his opportunity since the Orioles signed him in mid-June.
In Wednesday’s 7-4 victory, Givin would go 2-for-5 at the plate in the five hole. Playing second base, he would also be part of the game’s only double play.
Though Givin has played only eight games with Aberdeen, he is batting .333 with a .412 OBP. He also has three walks to one strikeout over that time, scoring six runs.
We would be remiss if we didn’t mention Coby Mayo returning to Aberdeen on a rehab assignment.
Showing why he was promoted to Bowie earlier this year, Mayo would go 4-for-15 (.267 BA) for the series, collecting two doubles, a triple and a home run, driving in seven runs across his five games. One of the biggest improvements is he struck out only two times while also collecting two walks.
A new member of the Orioles’ organization is Cade Povich. The left-hander came over in the Jorge LĂłpez trade with the Minnesota Twins and made his mark immediately felt.
The young southpaw is the Orioles’ new No. 26 ranked prospect and took the mound for Aberdeen Saturday.
Povich would toss six innings of one-hit ball, not allowing any runs and striking out eight in leading the IronBirds to a 3-0 victory. This performance would help earn Povich the South Atlantic League Pitcher of the Week honors.
He improves to 7-8 on the season with a 4.15 ERA in 17 games. He has pitched 84.2 innings with 115 strikeouts, while walking only 26 batters. Opponents are hitting .223 off Pavich, who has a 1.16 WHiP.
The IronBirds will travel to take on division rivals, the Hudson Valley Renegades. Separated by just a game in the standings, this series will have a lot of tension between the two clubs.
First pitch is Tuesday, August 9, at 7:05 p.m. EST at Duchess Stadium. It’s the Yankees’ affiliate against the Orioles’ affiliate in a battle for second place in the second half.
Who stood out for you in Aberdeen this week? Let us know in the comments below! And make sure to follow The Baltimore Battery on Facebook and Twitter, and use the hashtag #baltimorebattery when sharing our content!
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