The IronBirds have sandwiched back-to-back wins around a five-game losing streak to start the 2023 campaign.
Against the Renegades, Aberdeen would drop the first four games and end the series with two victories. The worst aspect of the series was that the Renegades scored four or more runs in five of the games and scored 12 and 15 runs to start the series.
But the game of baseball is a long season, and teams are still finding their identity to start the year. Behind manager Roberto Mercado, this young team is still searching to establish that identity.
Although this series was lost, there were still Orioles prospects who shined. Let’s review who has strong weeks for Aberdeen.
ADAM RETZBACH – C
One of the young players making an early impact is catcher Adam Retzbach, a 2022 14th-round pick. For the series, he went a strong 4-for-12 while making a difference in Sunday’s 5-4 victory.
Retzbach would go 1-for-4, but it was a home run in the first, following a wild pitch that gave Aberdeen a 3-0 lead. He would boost his season stats by ending the series hitting .308.
For the season, he has one homer, four RBIs and is slashing .308/.408/.692. Of his four hits, three of them are for extra bases.
DYLAN BEAVERS – OF
Dylan Beavers turned some heads in this series, as he reached base in five of the six games and in all but one game he’s played this season.
In Fridays 4-1 loss to the Renegades, Beavers would go 2-for-5 at the plate. Those two hits would be a double and a triple.
For the season, Beavers is now slashing .233/ .343/.467 with three runs scored, a homer, two doubles, a triple and two RBIs.
TRACE BRIGHT – RHP
On the pitching side of things, 2022 fifth-round pick Trace Bright pulled out a gutty performance.
In the IronBirds’ 2-1 victory Saturday, Bright would pitch 4.2 innings, giving up just one earned run. He allowed four hits, walked none and struck out eight. Unfortunately, he didn’t factor in the decision, but he put the IronBirds in a position to win.
For the year, Bright is 0-0 in two games. He has 1.13 ERA across eight innings of work. His WHIP stands at 0.88, and he has walked two batters and struck out 18.
Though Aberdeen is 4-5 after the first two series, there have been some stand-out performers. It also shows that as this team comes together, they will be a dangerous club to play.
Aberdeen takes its two-game win steak and returns home to face the Jersey Shore Blue Claws, who currently are on a four-game losing streak. One streak will end come Tuesday, as game time will be 7:05 p.m. EST at Leidos Field at Ripken Stadium.
Who stood out to you this week for Aberdeen? Let us know in the comments below! Make sure to follow The Baltimore Battery on Facebook, Twitter and TikTok, and use the hashtag #baltimorebattery when sharing our content!
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