First inning rally all for naught in Wednesday loss

BOX SCORE

BOWIE, MD. — The Bowie Baysox, the Double-A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles, scored three first inning runs but failed to keep their early lead against the Altoona Curve, the Double-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates, in a 6-4 loss on Wednesday night at Prince George’s Stadium.

Bowie (32-32) opened the scoring with three runs on three hits against Altoona starting right-hander Drake Fellows. An RBI groundout from Dylan Beavers brought home the first run of the game for the Baysox while Samuel Basallo and Matthew Etzel both scored from third on wild pitches to make it 3-0 Bowie.

In seven Double-A games since being promoted from High-A Aberdeen on June 11, Etzel has eight hits and five stolen bases after going 1-for-4 with a run scored and a stolen bag.

Altoona (25-40) answered in the second and third innings on a solo homer and an RBI single from Sammy Siani, who finished the night with three hits.

The Curve took their first lead of the series in the fifth off Bowie starting right-hander Trace Bright (L, 0-7) after Joe Perez cleared the bases with a double to the wall in right-center to make it 5-3 Altoona.

Bright received the loss after going 4.1 innings while allowing five runs (three earned) on seven hits across one walk and three strikeouts.

Right-hander Ryan Long relieved Bright and kept Bowie in the contest with 3.2 innings of one run ball across four hits, one walk and four strikeouts. The Curve tacked on a run off Long in the eighth on a two-out RBI single by Yoyner Fajardo.

Altoona’s bullpen recorded the final 25 outs of the game and allowed just one run after the starter Fellows lasted just 0.2 inning. Grant Ford, Emmanuel Chapman (W, 1-0), Eddy Yean and Jack Carey (S, 4) combined for 8.1 innings and seven strikeouts. At one point, 10 Baysox batters were retired in a row.

In the ninth, John Rhodes lined his fifth homer of the season to pull Bowie within two, part of a three-hit night for the Orioles No. 23 prospect. The Baysox brought the tying run to the plate after Collin Burns singled but Ryan Higgins grounded into a game-ending double play.

Bowie continues its six-game first half finale with Altoona on Thursday night. RHP Kyle Brnovich (4-2, 4.10 ERA) is set to start on the mound for the Baysox, against RHP Sean Sullivan (2-5, 3.26 ERA) for the Curve. First pitch is set for 6:35 p.m. ET from Prince George’s Stadium.

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