Sports
Baysox Notebook: Bowie Offense Showing Signs of Life
The Baysox (36-33) have won nine of their last 13 games.
With center fielder Xavier Avery leading the way, Bowie’s offense continues to turn the corner after an extremely slow start to the season.
After averaging just more than three runs per game during May (3.17), the Baysox have tallied six runs or more in five of the last eight games, including 10 or more in two of those games. Prior to its 10-7 win against Portland June 12, Bowie hadn’t scored double-digit runs in any of its previous 34 games, held to three runs or less 21 times during that span.
The 12 runs in Sunday’s, 12-4, win against Richmond, tied a season-high for the Baysox. Avery, whose batting .281 in June, was 4-for-6 in the win with two runs scored and two RBI. He’s had at least one hit in nine of his last 10 games, including each of the last four, scoring seven runs during that stretch.
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MAHONEY HOT SINCE RETURNING
Bowie’s offense has also been aided by the return of first baseman Joe Mahoney, who had missed most of April and May with a lingering quad injury.
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But in the five games he’s played in since returning June 14, Mahoney, the Orioles’ Minor League Player of the Year in 2010, is 6-of-17 (.353) with four runs scored, one home run and two RBI.
JOHNSON SHELLED IN FIRST START SINCE PROMOTION
Starting pitcher Steve Johnson, who was promoted to Triple-A Norfolk last week, his second stint with the Tides this year, allowed 10 earned runs and yielded seven walks in Norfolk’s 16-2 loss to Buffalo Sunday night, Johnson’s first start since being promoted back to Norfolk.
Johnson, who was 5-1 with a 2.16 ERA in 10 starts with the Baysox, is 0-2 with a 15.09 ERA in three starts with the Tides this season.
CLARK STRUGGLING
At Bowie, meanwhile, starting pitcher Zach Clark has been struggling of late after a solid start to the year.
The 28-year old Clark has surrendered five earned runs or more in three of his last four starts, and has seen his ERA jump from 3.40 to 4.66 during that stretch. Clark, who was 5-2 as of May 23, is 0-3 with a 7.47 ERA in those four starts.
