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EL1 Chesapeake Baysox

Power Surge Propels Baysox To Victory

September 3, 2009 - Eastern League (EL1)
Chesapeake Baysox News Release


BOWIE, Md. - The Baysox smashed a season-high three home runs downed Binghamton 6-4 Thursday night at Prince George's Stadium. Bowie stormed back from a three-run deficit with a four-run fourth inning before the bullpen held the B-Mets hitless over the final four innings. The win improves the Baysox to 70-66 on the season, giving the team 70 or more wins in three straight seasons for just the second time in franchise history.

"We've been playing pretty good, we just had a little bit of bad luck," catcher Steve Torrealba said. "We're doing better with runners in scoring position and our bullpen is doing a good job to keep in close in the playoff race."

Right-hander Fredy Deza got off to a rocky start in his seventh start of the season, allowing two runs in the first inning. With runners at the corners and nobody out, D.J. Wabick came through with an RBI single to put Binghamton on top. One batter later, Carlos Guzman singled to center field to bring another run across and put the Baysox in a 2-0 home. The Baysox got a bit of luck as Zach Lutz followed with a one-hop smash to Brandon Waring at third. The ball caromed off Waring's knee and kicked right to second baseman Carlos Rojas, who stepped on second and threw to first to end the threat and prevent any further damage.

Bowie answered back in the second inning with a single run against Binghamton left-hander Edgar Alfonzo. First baseman Eric Crozier led off the inning with a triple off the wall in right field to give the Baysox a chance with nobody out. Left fielder Tyler Henson brought him home with a sacrifice fly to cut the lead in half.

Binghamton responded with two more runs in the fourth against, extending the lead to three with the help of the long ball. Wabick led off the inning with a solo blast to right, his fourth of the season. Later in the inning, Guzman connected for his first home run of the season to make the score 4-1.

The Baysox connected on a pair of home runs in the fourth inning to take a 5-4 lead against Binghamton reliever Jake Ruckle. Crozier led off the inning with a rope over the wall in right for his 10th home run of the season. Marred in a 1-for-21 slump coming into the game, Crozier had hits in each of his at bats tonight before tweaking his hamstring and leaving after the fifth inning.

"I can't even tell you (how good it feels)," Crozier said. "I watched film all night of a swing I had a few years ago in Triple-A and said, 'Well nothing else is working so let's try this."

Later in the inning, singles by Henson and right fielder Joe Nowicki put two men on for Torrealba, who got ahead in the count 2-1 against Ruckle. The Binghamton right-hander left a fastball middle-in to the Baysox catcher, who deposited it in the trees in left field for a go-ahead three-run blast.

"I've been getting more at-bats (in Double-A) and I'm starting to feel more comfortable at the plate," Torrealba said. "Any time you get a chance to go out there everyday it's always better for me."

Binghamton put two runners aboard in the top of the fifth inning, but Deza worked out of the jam with help of two sensational defensive plays. With runners on first and second with nobody out, Guzman hit a tapper in front of the mound that turned into a 1-6-3 double play. With the tying run on third, Lutz hit a one-hop smash to shortstop, but Pedro Florimon made a beautiful sliding stop and fired a perfect throw to first to end the inning.

The Baysox added an insurance run in the bottom of the fifth, as Josh Bell connected for a towering solo home run off Ruckle to make the score 6-4. It was a rough night for the Binghamton right-hander, allowing three home runs in 3.0 innings while being dealt his fourth loss of the season.

From there the Baysox bullpen took over to nail down the victory. Right-hander Eddie Gamboa tossed 2.0 innings of relief, walking one and striking out three to earn his first hold of the season and push his scoreless streak to 10.2 innings. Left-hander Chad Thall came on in the eighth inning, working a scoreless inning highlighted by a diving catch by Henson in left field for the third out of the inning.

In the ninth inning, the Baysox called on Luis Lebron to close out the victory. The right-hander allowed a one-out walk to Rafael Arroyo, but struck out the side in another scoreless inning for the Baysox closer.

"My control is so much better than it was in Frederick," Lebron said through a translator. "Here they've forced me to throw the first pitch strike so I've been working a lot more on that."

Lebron also drew the praise of Torrealba, a 15-year veteran behind the plate who said the right-hander is one of the best he has seen throughout his career.

"That is the future of the Orioles right there," Torrealba said. "He's a young kid with a big future who throws 95 plus and his slider which is unhittable."

After taking two of three from the B-Mets, the fourth place Harrisburg Senators come to town for a five-game set as the Baysox close out their 2009 regular season. Tomorrow, RHP Pedro Beato (1-2, 4.68) takes the mound for the Baysox against a starter yet to be determined for the Senators. Game time is set for 7:05 p.m. as the Baysox treat their fans to Kids Eat Free Day at the ballpark. Any child with an upper reserved seat ticket will receive a junior hot dog and a juice box FREE!

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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