EL1 Chesapeake Baysox

Baysox Find A Gem

Published on August 16, 2009 under Eastern League (EL1)
Chesapeake Baysox News Release


BOWIE, Md. - The Baysox took advantage of two costly errors by the Portland defense to sneak out of Bowie with a 5-4 win and a fan turned up a diamond behind second base in the Miss Utility Diamond Dig Sunday night. Leonard White of Glen Burnie, Md. out-dug 49 other contestants and won a diamond valued at more than $4,000, courtesy of Adore Jewelry in Annapolis.

Second baseman Paco Figueroa sparked the Baysox offense with three hits, including the game-winner as the Baysox improve to 63-57 on the season. Right-hander Zach Clark picked up the win, while Ryan Ouellette tallied his fourth save as the Baysox head into a showdown with first place Akron starting Tuesday.

Portland got on the board first against Baysox starter Pedro Beato. The right-hander left a fastball up in the zone to Ryan Kalish and the Portland outfielder deposited it over the right field wall to give the Sea Dogs a 1-0 lead. Beato would settle down after the blast, retiring the next eleven in a row.

"I got more aggressive after trying to spot the ball in the first inning," Beato said. "After the home run I just told myself to bear down, make good pitches and make them hit my best stuff."

The Baysox came back to take the lead with single runs in the third and fourth innings against Portland starter Ryne Lawson. Back-to back singles by right fielder Dave Krynzel and catcher Adam Donachie put runners on the corners with nobody out in the third inning. Shortstop Jason White followed with a tapper to the first base side of the mound, just far enough to allow Krynzel to cross the plate without a throw. In the fourth inning, third baseman Josh Bell got a hold of one and took it the other way for his third home run for the Baysox. Bell said he has taken notice of the pitchers in the Eastern League beginning to pitch around him, so he feels like he needs to make solid contact no matter how they approach him.

"I'm just trying to see the ball as long as I can and not always try to pull," Bell said. "I really don't try to go the other way but sometimes it just happens."

The Sea Dogs stormed back in the top of the sixth inning with three runs against Beato. Singles to start the inning by Jason Place and Daniel Nava put runners on first and second. Kalish followed with a long fly ball over the head of Krynzel in right for a two-run triple. Jorge Jimenez brought Kalish home with a sacrifice fly to left, and Portland took a 4-2 lead.

The first of two Sea Dogs errors allowed the Baysox to tie the game in the bottom of the sixth against Portland reliever Ryne Miller. With runners on first and second and two outs, White lifted a lazy fly ball to left that looked to be the third out of the inning. Place misplayed the ball, and it hit off the palm of his glove and fell to the ground to extend the inning. Paco Figueroa came around to score on the play, while Donachie coasted into third to put men on the corners. Left fielder Jonathan Tucker followed with a ground-rule double deep to right-center field, scoring Donachie and tying the score at four. It was an unfortunate break for the Baysox, White would have easily scored on the play but was forced to stop at third after the ball hopped over the wall.

A two-out rally in the seventh inning put the Baysox ahead for good. Abreu smoked a double into the left field corner to start the rally. Portland skipper Arnie Beyeler brought on left-hander Tommy Hottovy to face Paco Figueroa with the go-ahead run on second. Figueroa laced a shot off the body of Hottovy, deflecting towards shortstop Yamaico Navarro. The shortstop charged the ball looking to make a bare-hand throw, but the ball slipped under his grasp. Figueroa was credited with a single and Navarro was charged with an error as Abreu scored from second. After the game, Figueroa said he was happy to hit the ball hard, but feared the worst when a single up the middle almost turned into an inning-ending ground out.

"The same thing happened to me yesterday and I got out," Figueroa said. "Every game is important and we've got Reading and Erie in front of us so it was great to get the win."

The Baysox bullpen clung to a one-run advantage for the second night in a row. Right-hander Zachary Clark worked a perfect 1.2 innings striking out two in relief of Beato. Left-hander Chad Thall allowed singles to the first two men he faced, butretired the last two batters he faced to record his league-leading 16th hold of the season. He retired the first batter in the ninth inning before handing it over to Ouellette. The right-hander allowed a two-out single to Ryan Khoury, but slammed the door on a Sea Dogs rally to earn his fourth save.

Baltimore native Brandon Erbe (3-3, 2.26) will take the hill for the Baysox in Akron at 7:05 p.m. on Tuesday after an off day Monday. He will be opposed by Aeros LHP Scott Barnes (1-0, 3.60). The Baysox will open another six-game home stand when the team returns home Friday, Aug. 21.

The Baysox 17th season as the class AA affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles is going strong! Check out www.baysox.com to see all that's going on at the stadium this year, and don't miss a moment of the action as the Baysox attempt to bring home their first Eastern League championship. Individual game tickets and ticket packages are available now at www.baysox.com or by calling the Baysox box office at (301) 464-4865.

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Eastern League Stories from August 16, 2009


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