The Altoona Curve (58-58) jumped out to an early lead and never looked back, winning 9-2 and handing the Bowie Baysox (72-47) just their second loss in their last 13 games, in front of 5,126 fans at Prince George’s Stadium on Saturday night.
Altoona scored a run two batters into the game, then added four in the third. Rehabbing starter Bruce Zimmermann exited in a 1-0 game with two runners on base, but Steven Klimek allowed four runs to score (the first runs he has allowed in September), with two of them charged to Zimmermann. In the end, Zimmermann threw 2.1 innings and allowed three runs, all earned, on five hits, with no walks and three strikeouts.
The Curve added two more runs in the fifth before Bowie got on the board. Jordan Westburg hit a solo home run, his fourth homer with Bowie, in the bottom of the fifth.
Altoona answered for one of their own in the sixth, a solo shot from Ji-Hwan Bae.
Bowie’s only other run came in the bottom of the ninth, when Cadyn Grenier hit a solo homer, his ninth of the season.
In total, Bowie had three hits on the night, with two of them coming off the bat of Westburg. Those hits extended his hitting streak to six games.
Kyle Brnovich threw four innings for Bowie, allowing three runs on four hits with a walk and five strikeouts. Tyler Burch threw the ninth, allowing an unearned run on no hits with two walks and one strikeout.
With Akron’s win over Somerset on Saturday night, that means Bowie’s situation sits like this for Sunday’s final regular season game: win, and the Baysox will advance to the Double-A Northeast League Championship Series, lose and the season is over. Right-hander Mickey Jannis (0-2, 7.27 ERA) will start for the Baysox, with first pitch set for 1:35 p.m. at Prince George’s Stadium.
Order your 2021 Baysox tickets online or call 301-464-4865 to purchase over the phone. The 2021 season is presented by Money One Federal Credit Union.
