EL1 Chesapeake Baysox

Baysox Finish What They Started

Published on April 22, 2009 under Eastern League (EL1)
Chesapeake Baysox News Release


BOWIE, Md. - The Baysox pulled out a victory over the SeaWolves on Wednesday, capitalizing on two wild pitches in the bottom of the sixth inning. Brandon Snyder scored the winning run for the Baysox on a wild pitch and Chad Thall allowed one hit over the final two innings to preserve the Baysox victory 4-3.

The Baysox and SeaWolves were scheduled to play a twin bill this afternoon, but only managed to finish last night's suspended game before the rain came down again at Prince George's Stadium.A makeup date for today's second game has not been announced. Two of the three scheduled games in the series were rained out, and no makeup date has been announced. Fans with a ticket for Monday's game can exchange it for a ticket of the same value for any other Baysox home game this season.

Before the rain last night, the game started with righty Jake Arrieta on the mound for the Baysox. Erie got on the board early when Maxwell Leon drove a two run homer the opposite way for his second of the season putting the SeaWolves up 2-0 in the first.

The Baysox answered back in the bottom of the inning as second baseman Paco Figueroa led off the inning with a single. One batter later, first baseman Brandon Snyder drove a base hit to right to put two runners on with one out. Guillermo Rodriguez moved the runners over with a groundout to the pitcher, and designated hitter Miguel Abreu snapped a 1-19 slump with a two-out, two-run single to center field to tie the game at two. Ambiorix Concepcion followed with a high fly ball that dropped for a single, skipping past the center fielder allowing Abreu the chance to score from first. The right-fielder backed up the play, and the relay throw by first baseman Ryan Strieby was on time to catcher Alex Avila, who held on as Abreu came crashing into him for the third out of the inning.

Erie went back on top in the second, as Jeff Frazier bounced a ball down the left-field line for a double to start the inning. Avila followed, bouncing a ball past a diving Brandon Snyder at first for another double to score Frazier and make the score 3-2.

Paco Figueroa drew a walk to lead off the next inning, and two pitches into Melvin Dorta's at-bat the umpires decided the rain was too much and pulled the players off the field. The game was suspended after a three hour delay and resumed this morning at 11:15 as Zack Simons came on in relief for Erie.

Jim Hoey came on in relief for the Baysox, and showed the form that got him to Baltimore in 2007 before shoulder surgery wiped out all of his 2008 season.

"That is the best I've seen Hoey throw all season," said Pitching Coach Larry McCall. " He commanded all of his pitches well."

Hoey pitched two perfect innings with two strikeouts as the rain once again began to fall at Prince George's Stadium.

The two teams played through it and the Baysox tied the game in the bottom of the fourth inning. Ambiorix Concepcion doubled off the base of the wall in left field with one out. Jonathan Tucker came to the plate and smashed a double of his own down the left field line to tie the game at three apiece.

Lefty Chad Thall came on to work in the top of the sixth, running into trouble as Ambiorix Concepcion dropped a fly ball to right by Ryan Strieby with two outs. With Strieby on third, Thall struck out Deik Scram swinging to end the threat.

In the bottom of the inning, the rains started to fall harder and the Baysox took advantage of control issues by SeaWolves reliever Cody Satterwhite. Brandon Snyder walked on four pitches to start the inning and advanced to second on a groundout by Guillermo Rodriguez. With Miguel Abreu batting, Satterwhite oncorked a wild pitch over the head of his catcher allowing Snyder to move to third. After Abreu went down swinging and with Ambiorix Concepcion at the dish, Satterwhite bounced a pitch past his catcher allowing Snyder to score from third and put the Baysox in front 4-3.

Chad Thall came back on for the seventh and closed the door, allowing a one out single to Alex Avila before striking out Cale Iorg and getting Santo De Leon to ground out to second to preserve the Baysox win.

Thall and Hoey not only shut out the SeaWolves over four innings, but showed impeccable command in doing so. The two combined to throw 32 out of their 38 pitches for strikes.

"Six balls in four innings of work," said McCall after the game. "That's pretty awesome right there."

Thall picked up his first win as a member of the Baysox and his first since May 7th of last year against single-A Kinston.

The win moves the Baysox to within three and a half games of division leading Akron coming into action Wednesday night. The Baysox will head to Reading to begin a four game set with the Phillies. LHP Troy Patton (2-0, 0.00) goes for the Baysox against Reading RHP Vance Worley (1-0, 0.00).

The Baysox 17th season as the class AA affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles is underway! 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 April 22, 2009


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