Akron starter Austin Adams pitched five no-hit innings as the Aeros topped the Baysox 4-2 Tuesday night despite Bowie outhitting Akron 9-4. With the loss, the Baysox drop to 70-58 and fall to one and a half games behind Harrisburg in the division.
The Baysox defense struggled, committing two errors that led to an unearned run and not finishing several other plays that extended innings for the Akron offense. The Baysox also made several base running errors early in the game that eliminated their few scoring chances against Adams, who pitched seven scoreless innings.
“[Adams] is a good pitcher; he knows how to pitch and he has a good arm,” said Manager Gary Kendall. “We didn’t look sharp defensively and we didn’t run the bases particularly well and I think that’s the case and point.”
The Baysox offense came alive in the second half of the game, recording all nine hits and both of the runs after ending Adams’s no-hit bid in the sixth inning.
“I like what we did in the second half of the ballgame – it was like a tale of two games,” Kendall said. “We just woke up and got better pitches to hit; we got better counts to hit in and we started laying off some pitches we were swinging at early in the ball game. Sometimes you just don’t come out of the chute hitting.”
The Aeros jumped out to the early lead in the top of the first inning against right-handed starting pitcher Bobby Bundy. With one out, Juan Diaz reached on an infield single and then John Drennen walked. With two outs, Ben Copeland reached on an error by first baseman Joe Mahoney that allowed the ball to end up in right field and allowed Diaz to score and give the Aeros a 1-0 lead.
In the fifth inning, the Aeros added to the lead. Diaz hit a lead off double to left field and Drennen followed with a walk. Chun Chen then hit an infield single to third base that deflected off the bag to load the bases before Copeland knocked in the first run of the inning on a single to left field. Bundy was then taken out of the game and replaced by right-handed pitcher Chorye Spoone who walked the first batter he faced to force in another run. Michel Hernandez then hit into a double play, but on the play, the third run of the inning scored and it gave the Aeros a 4-0 lead.
The Baysox got on the board for the first time in the eighth inning against Akron reliever Tyler Sturdevant. Catcher Steve Lerud hit a one out single to left-center field and second baseman Greg Miclat followed with a double to right field that moved Lerud to third base. With two outs, left fielder LJ Hoes hit a two-run single to center field that cut the lead to 4-2.
“[Sturdevant] threw me a couple sliders and I finally just got one that he hung up and I was able to put a good swing on it,” Hoes said. “Early in the game they threw me a lot of sliders so this time my plan was to look off-speed and hope he would hang one that I could put a good swing on.”
Bundy pitched four innings and allowed four runs (three earned) on four hits while striking out three and walking five in the loss. As a team, the Baysox walked seven batters, giving Akron the advantage of extra base runners.
“A couple unfortunate things happened, but the bottom line is you have to throw strikes – you can’t have that many walks in a game or it’s going to catch up to you eventually,” Bundy said. “I felt like my sinker was just coming off the plate a little bit and I wasn’t able to make the adjustment at the right times to get it over the plate.”
Spoone pitched two innings in relief of Bundy and struck out three batters while not allowing a hit. Right-handed relievers Raul Rivero, Eddie Gamboa and Brandon Cooney each pitched a scoreless inning to finish out the game for the Baysox.
Wednesday, RHP Zach Clark (8-8, 4.96) takes the mound as the Baysox finish their series with the Akron Aeros. His opponent will be LHP Matt Packer (7-11, 4.18).
The Baysox are home through Wednesday, August 24 for a three game homestand that includes Baysox for a Buck Night Wednesday, August 24. The team begins a four game road trip to Erie Thursday, August 25 and returns home for eight games Monday, August 29.
Baysox Baseball – We’ll Knock Your ‘Sox Off. The Baysox 19th season as the class Double-A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles is nearly over at Prince George’s Stadium. Parking and game programs are free at every Baysox home game. To purchase Baysox single game tickets and check out all the exciting promotions, visit www.baysox.com or call the Baysox Box Office at (301) 464-4865.
