Baysox Snap Skid, Topple Sea Dogs
August 15, 2009 - Eastern League (EL1)
Chesapeake Baysox News Release
BOWIE, Md. - The Baysox snapped their three-game losing skid with a 4-3 victory Saturday night against Portland. Left fielder Jonathan Tucker broke a 3-3 tie in the bottom of the sixth inning, lifting a sacrifice fly that scored right fielder Dave Krynzel with the go-ahead run. Ryohei Tanaka earned his third win of the season, allowing three unearned runs in 6.0 innings of work and improving the Baysox to 62-57 on the season.
Portland got all three of their runs in the second inning, as an error by second baseman Miguel Abreu proved to be costly. With Daniel Nava on first and one out, Ryan Khoury hit a sharp one-hopper to third. Josh Bell made a great play to field and throw to second, but Abreu dropped the ball allowing the runner to slide in safely. Tanaka struck out Yamaico Navarro for the second out of the inning, but Jason Place lined a two-run double to left to put the Sea Dogs ahead 2-0. Iggy Suarez followed with a double, scoring Place and extending the lead to three.
"In that situation I need to make sure of one and not hurry," Abreu said. "The most important thing you can do as a player is forget about it."
Abreu would atone for his mistake quickly, lining a single to lead off the bottom of the second against Portland starter Jarod Plummer. After moving to second on a groundout by Krynzel, catcher Adam Donachie brought him home with an RBI single.
In the third inning, Abreu came through in the clutch again as the Baysox tied the score at three. Bell lead off the inning with a single to right and first baseman Eric Crozier drew a walk to put runners on first and second. Plummer's next pitch was a fastball on the inside part of the plate, Abreu turned on it and laced a double down the line in left. Bell scored easily, while Crozier slid across safely with the tying run as Abreu trotted in to third on the throw.
Tanaka allowed two straight hits to start the third inning, but went on to retire the next 12 in a row to earn his third professional win. After moving into the rotation at the beginning of July, Tanaka has been one of the most consistent starters for the Baysox in the second half going 3-2 with a 3.04 ERA in seven starts.
"He's giving us six or seven innings every time," Pitching Coach Larry McCall said. "He kept us in the ball game tonight, he really got his stuff together and got much better over the last three innings."
The Baysox pulled ahead in the sixth with the help of Tucker, who came into the game marred in a 0-for-23 slump. The speedy leadoff man gathered two hits in his first three at-bats before coming to the plate with the go-ahead run on third. Tucker found a pitch up in the zone and drove it just deep enough into center field as Krynzel scored without a throw, giving the Baysox a 4-3 lead.
"I don't shy away from slumps, that's just not the type of player I am," Tucker said. "My number is called upon to play and I'm ready to go and I'm going to try and give it my best effort."
The Baysox bullpen made sure Portland would not have a chance to tie the game. Right-hander Fredy Deza came on in the seventh, setting down the Sea Dogs in order. Left-hander Chad Thall allowed a leadoff single in the eighth, but retired the next three to earn his league leading 15th hold of the season.
Right-hander Luis Lebron came on in the ninth, setting down the first two before getting Navarro to flail at a pitch well out of the strike zone to earn his third save of the season. Lebron has been dominant over his last seven outings, allowing three hits and not walking a batter while striking out 12 in 10.2 innings of work.
"He looks like he's getting command of his fastball down, but his stuff is electric." McCall said. "He is 95-97 mph with a good slider and if you can command that you can pitch in the big leagues."
Tomorrow the Baysox close out their six-game home-stand looking to take two of three from the Sea Dogs over the weekend. RHP Pedro Beato (0-1, 5.40) takes the hill for the Baysox looking for his first win in double-A, while Portland has yet to announce their starter. Game time is set for 6:05 p.m. The Baysox will be giving 50 fans the chance to dig up the infield in search of a brand new diamond valued at more than $4,000 as part of the Miss Utility Diamond Dig. Come out to the ballpark and you could be randomly selected to win a spoon and the chance to provide yourself of that special someone with a brand new piece of jewelry sponsored by Adore Jewelry in Annapolis.
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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