There was a bit of deja vu in the air at Prince George's Stadium on Tuesday night as the Bowie Baysox dropped a 5-1 decision to the Akron Aeros.
Bowie managed just four hits as Akron had the luxury of sending right-hander Fausto Carmona to the mound. Carmona was a 19-game winner with the Cleveland Indians in 2007. After winning just eight games last year, he began this season 2-6 with a bloated 7.42 ERA through 12 starts. His struggles prompted the Indians to demote him all the way back to their extended spring training camp in Arizona earlier this month. He made one start at the Indians' Class A affiliate in the South Atlantic League, and then joined the Class AA Aeros, making his first start for Akron on Tuesday.
The 6-foot-4, 230-pound native of the Dominican Republic struck out five and didn't issue any walks. But he did surrender a solo homer to Baysox catcher Guillermo Rodriguez in the sixth inning, giving the Bowie its only run.
"[Carmona is] a big leaguer, so he's going to be around the zone," Rodriguez told Baysox.com. "I sat on a fastball and hit it well and fortunately it went out of the park."
It is not the first time a Cleveland player on a temporary minor league assignment has given the Baysox fits. Last year, during the Eastern League Southern Division playoffs, Indians' slugger Travis Hafner was on an injury rehab assignment with Akron. Hafner, who has 154 home runs in eight major league seasons, hit two homers last September for Akron, as the Aeros won the best-of-five Southern Division series from Bowie, three games to one.
Tuesday night, Akron gave Carmona all the run support he would need in the second inning. The Aeros battered Bowie starter Radhames Liz for 11 hits in six innings. Six of those hits came in the second. At one point, Liz surrendered singles to five consecutive batters as the Aeros scored four runs in the inning.
Bowie had leadoff singles against Carmona in the second and third innings, but was unable to rally. Jonathan Tucker grounded into a double play to end the third inning. Ambiorix Concepcion singled with two outs in the fifth, but was left stranded when Joe Nowicki struck out looking. Carmona recovered from Rodriguez's leadoff homer in the sixth by retiring the next three Baysox hitters in order.
"[Carmona] has a lot of movement," Baysox first baseman Eric Crozier told Baysox.com after going 0 for 3 with two strikeouts. "He uses your aggressiveness against you, and if you're overly aggressive he will sink the ball away, but you have to be patient."
The game was called during the top of the eighth inning due to rain. The teams were scheduled to play a doubleheader Wednesday night after The Gazette to press, and they have two more games Thursday and Friday before the Baysox head to Altoona to start a three-game set on Saturday.
Earlier this week, the Baysox finished off a 6-2 road trip with a 5-1 victory at Altoona on Monday night.
Bowie scored four runs in the top of the first inning, and starting pitcher Bobby Livingston made the lead stand, allowing just one run on five hits in seven innings. Ryohei Tanaka tossed two perfect innings in relief.
Crozier and Dave Krynzel each hit two-run homers off Altoona Curve starter Derek Hankins in the first inning. Bowie added its other run in the fourth on a solo homer by Concepcion.
Livingston improved to 6-2 and lowered his ERA to 3.62. Crozier, who joined the Baysox on June 19, was hitting .303 with three homers and 10 RBIs in 11 games with the team through Tuesday.