Frederick is in, Delmarva is in and the Bowie Baysox face a must-win situation to qualify for postseason play.
If the Baysox get into the playoffs, it would mean that three of the Orioles' six minor league teams qualified.
"It would make me, very, very happy if we got three teams in the playoffs, but they don't have to be in," said David Stockstill, Orioles director of minor league operations, who said at the start of the season that "stressing winning baseball and respect for the game" were goals.
"Just the fact that we have [three] teams this close in the last week of the season has us pleased."
The Keys (43-26) have qualified for the Single-A Carolina League playoffs and will host the Lynchburg Hillcats at 6:35 p.m. Wednesday. It's the start of a best-of-three series between the first-half winner (Hillcats) and the second-half winner (Keys) in the North Division.
Bowie, which has not been in the playoffs since 1997, needed to win its final two Double-A Eastern League games at home over the Altoona Curve to clinch the final Southern Division berth outright. Both teams were 74-66 going into yesterday's game, won by Altoona, 4-1 on Josh Bonifay's three-run homer in the 15th inning off Chris Piersoll (5-1, 1.61), who suffered his first loss.
The Baysox have to win today to force a one-game playoff.
Either Bowie or Altoona will play a best-of-five with first-place Akron (83-58) for the Southern Division title.
Delmarva's 7-2 win last night in Lakewood, N.J., gave the Shorebirds (42-26) the second-half title in the Single-A South Atlantic League North Division.
Delmarva plays the Hagerstown Suns, the first-half winner, in a best-of-three series for the North Division title.
Triple-A Ottawa
The Lynx (68-75) promoted second baseman Bernie Castro and first baseman Walter Young to the Orioles last week, joining pitcher John Maine.
Castro had a banner season for the Lynx, hitting .315 (third in the International League) with 41 stolen bases (third) and 81 runs (fifth). The switch-hitter became the fifth player in Ottawa's 13-year franchise history to be named a postseason All-Star and set a team record for hits (157).
Double-A Bowie
Nick Markakis is leading the Baysox in batting at .351 (40-for-114) since being called up from Frederick.
"Teams have been pitching him outside, and he has made the adjustment by hitting line drives to left," Stockstill said of Markakis, who nearly hit one out in the bottom of the 14th yesterday to win the game, but it was caught against the fence.
