EL1 Chesapeake Baysox

Drake's Fortune Overwhelms Squirrels

Published on July 14, 2011 under Eastern League (EL1)
Chesapeake Baysox News Release


BOWIE, Md. - Right-handed starting pitcher Oliver Drake struck out 10 batters and pitched the Baysox first complete game of the season to beat the Flying Squirrels 7-2 at home Thursday evening. With the win, the teams seventh in a row, the Baysox pass Richmond and move into sole control of second place in the Western Division with a record of 48-41.

Drake threw 113 pitches and threw the Baysox first complete game since right-handed starting pitcher Brad Bergesen achieved the feat July 28, 2008, against New Britain. Drake tied his season-high with 10 strikeouts and allowed two runs on seven hits while also walking two batters to earn his first win of the season with the Baysox.

"I was able to get ahead of guys and get a lot of ground balls," Drake said. "The middle infield helped me out with some double plays early on and I was able to execute some pitches each time I got into a jam. There were just some adjustments that I needed to make that I wasn't able to execute my first time up here. I added some run to my fastball and depth so I've been able to get a lot more ground balls off of that and that's really been the key to my success."

The Baysox recorded their fifth consecutive double-digit hit game as they hit 11 singles against Richmond. The Baysox recorded five of their 11 hits in the bottom of the seventh inning as they took their first lead of the game.

"Attention to detail and staying in the strike zone has been the key," said Hitting Coach Denny Hocking. "Early on we faced the best pitching staff in the league in Richmond and they do a great job of expanding the strike zone. Then we went and played Altoona and Binghamton when the team really got hot it was guys laying off pitches. It's a lot easier to hit when you are ahead in the count as opposed to behind in the count."

Richmond struck first in the top of the fifth inning. With two outs and no one on base, Francisco Paguero struck out, but reached base on a wild pitch. On the very next pitch, Charlie Culberson hit a two-run home run to left field to give the Flying Squirrels a 2-0 lead.

The Baysox got on the board for the first time in the sixth inning against Richmond starter Henry Sosa. With one out, center fielder Xavier Avery singled to center field and went to second on a balk. Second baseman Buck Britton reached on a throwing error by shortstop Nick Noonan and on the play Avery scored to make it a 2-1 game.

In the seventh inning, the Baysox took their first lead of the game. Catcher Caleb Joseph, designated hitter Brandon Waring and shortstop Pedro Florimon started the inning with three straight singles to load the bases with no one out. Greg Miclat entered as a pinch-runner for Waring and then right fielder Ronnie Welty then struck out before Sosa was replaced by left-handed pitcher Alex Hinshaw to face three straight left-handed batters. The first one, left fielder Kyle Hudson, blooped a single to left to score Joseph and even the game. With two outs, Britton delivered a two-run single to center field to score Miclat and Florimon to give the Baysox the lead. With third baseman L.J. Hoes batting, Hudson scored the fourth run of the inning on a wild pitch to make the score 5-2.

"It's one thing if we are facing a guy that's throwing mid-80s and he's handcuffing us, but that guy [Sosa] had a pretty good fastball he was throwing 93 - 95 and he had a change-up and a pretty good slider," said Manager Gary Kendall. "He's a quality starter, one of the better starters in the league, and he's been pretty hot lately so we were just hoping to stay close and just out-last him and that's what happened."

The Baysox tacked on two more runs in the eighth inning against Richmond pitcher Edwin Quirarte. First baseman Joe Mahoney and Joseph walked and moved to second and third on a sacrifice bunt by Miclat. Quirarte then intentionally walked Florimon to load the bases before Hudson knocked in two more runs on a single to center field to give the Baysox a 7-2 lead.

Hudson helped spark the Baysox offense two hits and three RBIs in the seventh and eighth innings to help the team come back from down a run to take a commanding five run lead.

"They were bringing a lefty in for a lefty-lefty matchup and I had struggled early in the season so my main focus going into those at bats was trying to see the ball deep and trying to hit the ball the other way," Hudson said. "I'm starting to feel more comfortable against lefties - I got a little lucky on the first one because I got jammed, but it fell in."

Friday, LHP Zach Britton (0-0, 0.00) takes the mound for the Baysox as they take on the Richmond Flying Squirrels. His opponent will be LHP Ryan Verdugo (5-4, 4.00).

Bowie is home through Sunday, July 17 for a four game home stand against the Richmond Flying Squirrels. The home stand features exciting promotions including fireworks Friday, July 15, Superhero Night and Fireworks Saturday, July 16, and Scrubs Sunday, July 16.

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Eastern League Stories from July 14, 2011


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