Mountcastle collects six hits in twinbill
Over the last month, Ryan Mountcastle has collected eight multi-hit games. Half of those, however, have come in the last three days. The Orioles' top-ranked prospect went a combined 6-for-7 with two RBIs on Saturday as Double-A Bowie split a doubleheader with Richmond at The Diamond. Mountcastle was a perfect 4-for-4
Over the last month,
The Orioles' top-ranked prospect went a combined 6-for-7 with two RBIs on Saturday as Double-A Bowie split a doubleheader with Richmond at The Diamond. Mountcastle was a perfect 4-for-4 in the opener, a 9-4 Baysox win, and went 2-for-3 in the nightcap, which the Flying Squirrels took, 5-1.
Gameday box score
"You've just got to take everything with a grain of salt," Mountcastle told MiLB.com last week. "You can only control what you can control. I'm just going to go out there and play hard every day, work hard and whatever happens, happens."
MLB.com's No. 84 overall prospect started his day by sending a line drive back up the middle on a 1-0 pitch from Flying Squirrels starter and Giants No. 9 prospect
In an 0-2 hole against reliever
Game 2 began in a similar fashion. Leading off the second, Mountcastle swatted the first pitch he saw from
Mountcastle was a perfect 6-for-6 when he strode to the plate in the seventh. True to form, he swung at the first pitch from reliever
"So far, I've seen his plate discipline get a little better and that's encouraging," Baysox hitting coach Keith Bodie said. "All of the things that he brings to the table, he's still showing his power, his ability to hit balls to all fields, his natural ability to hit.
"The only thing that will make it easier for him is his natural ability. He's gifted. He needs to play. He needs to develop his skills on both sides of the ball. It takes time."
The 2015 first-round pick had multiple hits in one of his previous 14 contests entering Thursday's tilt in Harrisburg. His batting average sat at a season-low .265 before he rapped out a trio of singles. He tripled and singled Friday before breaking out Saturday.
Mountcastle boosted his slash line to .311/.365/.497 and has six homers and 29 RBIs in 42 games this season, which began a month late as he battled back from a hairline fracture in his right hand.
"It feels good right now, like it did before," Mountcastle said. "I'm grateful that it healed well. I feel back to normal."
Rodriguez went 2-for-3 with three runs scored and two RBIs in Game 1.
Chris Bumbaca is a contributor for MiLB.com based in New York. Follow him on Twitter @BOOMbaca.