The Senators used 3 pitchers to combine for the no hitter, falling an error, a hit batter, and a couple of walks short of a perfect game. Harrisburg started off with one of their top prospects, Erick Fedde and the Baysox went downhill from there.
Seats were first row behind home plate, right behind the right handed batters box.
The Baysox starter, Marcos Molina, got in trouble early but didn’t get help. The first pitch of the game was lined into left for a single, while the second batter hit a grounder to Cael Brockmeyer, who was playing at first instead of Preston Palmeiro. He didn’t get his glove down and the ball glanced off the heel of his shoe and into right, for an error. A single loaded the bases and a sacrifice fly to right got the first run on the board. Molina calmed down and got a double play to end the inning.
The other run came in the fourth. After 2 ground outs, there was a single to left where T.J. Nichting had it get by for an error, getting the runner to second. A walk put runners on first and second, when Molina threw a pitch in the dirt. Cervenka was able to get a piece of it, but the ball rolled to his left and behind him. He got to it quickly as the runners were moving and had a chance at 3rd, but he held onto the ball. In that situation, the catcher has to make the throw, as he would of had him, or, at the very worst, been a close play. But Cervenka has a strong arm and the runner wasn’t that fast and didn’t have a great jump. The next batter singled to center, for the second (and last) run.
Molina pitched around a lot, getting deep in counts. His defense let him down. Harrisburg was making good contact, but mainly right at players. The radar gun wasn’t showing on the board tonight, so not sure his speed. It didn’t seem that great, but his off speed stuff had enough life to avoid the sweet spot on the bat. He had Kieboom reaching for one that hit off the end of the bat for a fly to right that was pretty good. Molina ended up going 7 innings.
Brian Gonzalez picked up the last 2 innings and shut down the Senators. Only 1 hit and 1 strike out, but worked quickly, throwing 19 strikes on 33 pitches. Nothing was hard hit against him.
There were only 2 real highlights on defense…
Rylan Bannon played 3rd base and had 2 really good plays. There was a hard hit ball towards the line and he was able to backhand it and throw across the diamond for the out. It was the type of ball that usually gets up the line for extra bases, especially against minor leaguers. The next one was a slow chopper to 3rd that he charged, schooped, and threw out the runner. Again, another really good play, similar to the one Wilkerson made against the Braves last year in extras.
On another note, the middle of the infield was Sean Miller at short and Chris Clare at 2nd. They combined for 2 double plays (Clare-Miller-Brockmeyer), with Clare giving some good feeds and Miller really making some great turns. Miller also showed some good range at short and a good arm. Clare didn’t have much work at 2nd, but I remember his range from Frederick. They bounce both of them back and forth, but they are a good combo in Bowie right now and should be fun to watch.
As for the batting, the weather screwed them a bit. Clare, Cervenka, and Rifaela all had very deep shots that would be home runs in another few weeks. The weather was really cold and the wind was blowing in a bit.
Cervenka had a strike out looking on a pitch that was low and inside (out of the zone.) Everyone else was kept off balance by Fedde. He was on another level. The other 2 pitchers were able to mix things up a bit too, but the Baysox looked a bit more comfortable against them, making good contact but right at the Senators. The ump was all over the place though, calling a lot of pitches that were low and inside strikes on the Baysox, then calling them as balls on the Senators. Not good at all.
Brockmeyer got on base by being grazed by a pitch on his elbow guard and stole second. Kieboom should of had him by a mile but spiked the ball infront of second, allowing Brockmeyer to be safe. Horrible, horrible jump and horrible speed. Super lucky he wasn’t out and wasn’t hurt on his awkward feet first slide.
If nothing else, atleast I got to see history. First no hitter I saw in person.