Westcott Splits Baysox Hopes
July 19, 2010 - Eastern League (EL1)
Bowie Baysox News Release
The Bowie Baysox managed just three hits and were nearly powerless against a shining performance by Richmond starter Craig Westcott, as the Flying Squirrels won 4-2 to split their four-game series. The Baysox two runs and all three hits came during Westcott's 7.0 innings, as he struck out nine batters with just one walk. Squirrels right-hander Rafael Cova completed the fine pitching display, with two hitless innings with one walk to record his 16th save of the season, second-most in the Eastern League.
Baysox started Ryohei Tanaka took his tenth loss of the season, entering a four-way tie for most defeats in the Eastern League. Tanaka was charged with all four of Richmond's runs on seven hits through 5.0 innings.
The Baysox scored the game's opening run in the third inning, a normally fortuitous event for the Baysox, who entered the game with a 32-10 record when scoring first. Shortstop Greg Miclat drew a walk with one out, and ran to second base after Westcott's attempt to pick him off flew past first base into foul territory. Miclat moved 90 feet closer to home on second baseman Carlos Rojas' groundout to second base, and scored when center fielder Danny Figueroa lifted a single into left-center field.
Richmond erased the Baysox one-run lead in the bottom of the fourth inning. Thomas Neal hit a one-out single to Miclat, and moved to second base and moved to third base when first baseman Brandon Belt doubled to left field. Conor Gillaspie walked to load the bases, and Clay Timpner's infield single rotated the runners as Neal scored to tie the game. Belt scored to make it 2-1 on shortstop Ryan Lormand's fielder's choice that forced Timpner out at second base.
Bowie third baseman Brandon Waring tied the game in the top of the fifth inning with a leadoff home run over the left field wall, his 16th long ball of the year. With 49 runs driven in, Waring is second behind Baysox slugger Joel Guzman for the club lead in home runs and RBIs.
Tanaka could not stop the Squirrels steady production, and they reclaimed the lead in the fifth inning as outfielder Darren Ford doubled to left field, moved to third after tagging up on a fly out to right field, and scored on Neal's single to right.
Gillaspie led off the bottom of the sixth inning with a triple to right field, bringing interim manager Field Coach Moe Hill out of the dugout to replace Tanaka with former Cincinnati Reds reliever Pedro Viola. Viola could not work any magic to prevent the run scoring, as Timpner plated Gillaspie with a single to right field that put the Flying Squirrels ahead 4-2.
Both bullpens went into lock down at that point, as Chad Thall and Bob McCrory joined Viola out of the Baysox bullpen and combined to give up no runs over the game's last three innings.
Unfortunately, their quality work went unrewarded as the needed rally never came. The Baysox came close in the top of the eighth inning. Miclat led off with a single to right field and moved to second after Cova took over on the mound and walked Rojas. Figueroa advanced the runners to second and third basewith his team-leading seventh successful sacrifice bunt. Their momentum snapped, as designated hitter Ryan Adams chopped the ball to Cova, who caught Miclat too far off third base and threw him out. Right fielder Tyler Henson flied out to left field to end the Baysox last, best chance. Cova retired the Baysox in order with two strikeouts in the top of the ninth inning to seal the win.
After the split in Richmond, the Baysox stand at 50-45 and are hanging on to second place in the Western Division by only their fingertips, as they stand 8.0 games behind league leaders Altoona and just half a game ahead of third-place Akron.
They return to Bowie for a seven-game home stand against Binghamton and Richmond that begins at 7:05 p.m. on Monday, July 19. That Monday game against Binghamton is the Baysox second annual Mustache Mania, where fans can show their 'stache to save some cash; fans sporting a moustache -- natural, drawn or taped on -- can get a half-priced lower reserved ticket at the box office. Saturday, July 24 is Star Wars Night, one of the most eagerly anticipated events at the ballpark this season, with lightsaber battles between innings by reenactors in authentic replica Star Wars costumes.
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.
• Discuss this story on the Eastern League message board...
Eastern League Stories from July 19, 2010
- Roberts Gives Baysox Major Advantage - Bowie Baysox
- Fisher Cats Strikeout 12 in Loss to Sea Dogs - New Hampshire Fisher Cats
- Seven Run Seventh Keys Sea Dogs Win - Portland Sea Dogs
- Evans Homers in Return, But B-Mets Fall 6-2 at - Binghamton Rumble Ponies
- Join the Cats for a Rockin' Homestand Starting This Thursday - New Britain Rock Cats
- Akron Homers Thrice in 4-1 Win Over Altoona - Akron RubberDucks
- Aeros Pitching Flies by Curve Bats in 4-1 Loss - Altoona Curve
- Thunder Rolls Over Richmond, 6-0 - Richmond Flying Squirrels
- Thunder Shut out Richmond at the Diamond - Trenton Thunder
- Espinosa's Big Night Spurs Sens - Harrisburg Senators
- 'Wolves Drop Fifth Straight Following 6-1 Loss to Reading - Erie SeaWolves
- Aeros Notes - Akron RubberDucks
- Richmond Flying Squirrels Game Notes - Richmond Flying Squirrels
- OF Shin-Soo Choo Joins Aeros - Akron RubberDucks
- Sea Dogs' Picnic in the Park Set for July 24th - Portland Sea Dogs
- Reyes Named EL Player of the Week - New Hampshire Fisher Cats
- Aeros Name Kipnis Player of the Week Again - Akron RubberDucks
- Jesus Valdez Wins the Eastern League Player of the Week Award - Harrisburg Senators
- Eastern League Announces Weekly Award Winners - EL1
- Rock Cats Make Two New Roster Moves - New Britain Rock Cats
- Baltimore Orioles 2B Brian Roberts Joins The Baysox - Bowie Baysox
- Westcott Splits Baysox Hopes - Bowie Baysox
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
