Baysox Stretch Streak to Seven
April 17, 2010 - Eastern League (EL1)
Chesapeake Baysox News Release
AKRON, Ohio - The Bowie Baysox have jumped out to an 8-1 record with a 4-2 win over the Akron Aeros on Friday that has put the Baysox off to the hottest start in the franchise's 18-year history. Two runs in the top of the ninth inning provided the difference, as Bowie recorded its seventh consecutive victory.
The win put the Baysox atop the Eastern League's Western Division, as rain forced a postponement between Altoona and Erie to put the Baysox half a game ahead of Altoona. Bowie is standing not only atop the Eastern League but, in fact, boasts the top record in all of Double-A baseball through the young season.
Starting pitcher Ryohei Tanaka pitched six innings in which he gave up two runs before right-hander Eddie Gamboa took the mound in the seventh to get the win by holding the Aeros to just one hit in two scoreless innings.
Tanaka, known for being a fly ball pitcher, had a much more balanced outing than in his previous appearance, recording five outs on groundouts with seven flyouts. Last time out, Tanaka got 13 flyouts with just one grounder in his April 11 win over the Richmond Flying Squirrels.
Shortstop Pedro Florimon made the biggest offensive impact on the game. Florimon entered Friday with just a .087 average in the midst of a 2-for-23 slump, but shrugged off his grim statistics with a two-out RBI single in the second inning to record the Baysox first run and another two-out RBI single in the ninth to notch their final run.
Florimon's hit in the second drove in left fielder Tyler Henson, who reached base with a walk, and opened the scoring for the game. Akron answered back in the bottom of the third when Aeros infielder Lonnie Chisenhall doubled to left field to plate Tim Federoff for Tanaka's first earned run of 2010.
The Baysox reclaimed the lead the next inning when designated hitter Joel Guzman scored from third on a wild pitch, but Akron tied it back up with a Carlos Rivera single with runners on first and third in the sixth inning.
Bowie put the game out of reach in the final frame. Brandon Waring walked to lead off the inning. Guzman, followed with a single to right field and both runners moved into scoring position on a fielding error by Matt McBride. Catcher Caleb Joseph hit a sacrifice fly deep to center field that sent Waring in for the go-ahead run, and Florimon's hit brought in Guzman with two outs.
With the lead in hand, Manager Brad Komminsk sent out closer Wilfrido Perez to seal the win. Perez gave up a pair of singles in the last inning, but got the save with a fly ball corralled by left fielder Tyler Henson, a strikeout and a forceout at second base. Perez has been one of the Eastern League's most effective closers this year, giving up no runs while going three-for-three in save opportunities -- putting him tied for the league lead in saves.
The red-hot Baysox take on the Aeros in game three of the four-game set Saturday at 1:35 p.m. They continue the road trip Monday with a three-game series against the Erie SeaWolves before returning to Bowie on April 22 for a return home stand against the Aeros and SeaWolves. The games on Friday, April 23 and Saturday, April 24 feature the Baysox signature spectacular fireworks display after the game, presented by Educational Systems Federal Credit Union.
Think Outside The Box with the Baysox in 2010. The Baysox 18th season as the class Double-A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles is underway. Catch all the action in Natural Definition! Baysox full-season and partial-season ticket packages are available now at www.baysox.com or by calling the group sales department at (301) 464-4880.
Eastern League Stories from April 17, 2010
- Curve Classic results from Saturday - Altoona Curve
- Win Gives Squirrels First Series Victory - Richmond Flying Squirrels
- Aeros Skid Slides to Four Games After 3-2 Loss to Bowie - Akron RubberDucks
- Fisher Cats Bash Way to 13-8 Victory - New Hampshire Fisher Cats
- B-Mets Five-Game Streak Ends in 13-8 Loss at New Hampshire - Binghamton Rumble Ponies
- Waring Soars Over Aeros - Chesapeake Baysox
- SeaWolves Sink Curve in Ninth, 6-5 - Erie SeaWolves
- Richmond Flying Squirrels (3-6) VS. Reading Philles (5-4) - Richmond Flying Squirrels
- Thunder And Sea Dogs Postponed Again In Portland - Trenton Thunder
- Saturday's Sea Dogs Game Postponed - Portland Sea Dogs
- Baysox Stretch Streak to Seven - Chesapeake Baysox
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