Blunders Bury Baysox
July 24, 2009 - Eastern League (EL1)
Chesapeake Baysox News Release
BOWIE, Md. - Reading took advantage of three defensive miscues by the Baysox to take game one of their three-game set 7-1. Phillies third baseman Neil Sellers came a single short of the cycle, scoring two runs and driving in two as Reading jumped the Baysox to move into third place in the Southern Division. The loss drops the Baysox to 54-45 on the season and 6.5 games behind first place Akron.
"That's the way it goes sometimes," Baysox Manager Brad Komminsk said. "We've got (Brandon) Erbe going tomorrow and hopefully we can come out and win a game."
The Baysox jumped out to a lead in the first inning against Reading right-hander Michael Stutes. First baseman Eric Crozier singled through the right side of the infield to put a runner aboard with two outs. Right fielder Ambiorix Concepcion followed with a double deep into the gap in left-center field. Crozier slid in safely with the Baysox first run, giving Concepcion his team leading 36th RBI of the season.
Stutes settled down after the first inning, holding the Baysox scoreless until leaving with one out in the eighth inning. The right-hander picked up his eighth win of the season, striking out eight in 7.1 innings of work.
Baysox starter Ryohei Tanaka was at the top of his game over the first five innings, but two errors in the top of the sixth inning allowed Reading to plate four runs. Sellers got the inning started with a deep drive to center for a one-out triple. Kevin Mahar followed with a bloop single into left field to tie the game at 1-1. Gus Milner lifted a high fly ball to center field, but Dave Krynzel lost the ball in the lights and could not recover in time to make the catch. The error put runners at second and third with one out, and Brad Harman stroked a double down the left field line to make the score 3-1. After getting Kevin Nelson to pop out to second base, Quintin Berry singled to left. As the throw came into the infield, Berry was caught in a run down between first and second. Harman took off for home as second baseman Miguel Abreu threw wildly to the plate, allowing the run to score and Berry to advance to second. After the dust settled, the Baysox found themselves in a 4-1 hole and Tanaka went from being in control to taking his first professional loss.
"He threw well and he probably shouldn't have given up any runs," said Baysox Pitching Coach Larry McCall. "We had a couple balls lost in the lights and another bad play and he should have been ahead 1-0."
McCall saw some positives in Tanaka in his transition to the starting rotation. After giving up three earned runs on six hits and three walks in his last start against Akron, Tanaka made some mechanical adjustments in his delivery which paid dividends tonight.
"His command wasn't good in his last start so we had him going from the windup tonight," McCall said. "His command was much better tonight."
Right-hander Chris Ray came on in the seventh inning, making his first appearance in a major league rehab assignment with the Baysox. Ray struck out two and was hitting 95 mph with his fastball, while keeping his offspeed pitches low in the zone.
"My arm feels incredible, I can't remember my arm feeling as good as it does right now," Ray said. "I had to throttle back a little bit out there because I didn't want to overthrow, it was a good first outing and something to build off of."
Reading tacked on an unearned run in the eighth inning against Baysox right-hander Zach Clark. Mahar singled to lead off the inning, advancing to second and third on groundouts. Clark looked as though he had gotten out of the inning with a grounder to second by Nelson, but the ball kicked off Abreu's glove and into left field.
"You make mistakes sometimes," Komminsk said. "It's just another game and we have a lot to go."
In the ninth inning, Sellers took right-hander Luis Lebron deep for his 11th home run of the season, a two-run blast which put Reading ahead 7-1. Reading left-hander Michael Zagurski came on in the ninth for the Phillies, giving up a two-out double to catcher Adam Donachie before getting shortstop Robert Valido to pop out to end the game.
The Baysox will try and bounce back tomorrow as RHP Brandon Erbe (1-3, 2.33) takes the mound in search of his second win on the season. He will be matched up against RHP Vance Worley (6-7, 4.81) for the Phillies. Game time is set for 7:05 p.m. and fans are encouraged to wear their favorite holiday attire as the Baysox celebrate Christmas in July! The team will be sporting festive green and red uniforms which will be auctioned off during the game to benefit the Salvation Army.
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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