BOWIE, Md. - The Curve got on a good streak the last time they visited Bowie, sweeping three contests to start a seven-game winning streak, but things were much less memorable during the Memorial Day weekend.
The Baysox beat Altoona for the third straight game Monday afternoon, 4-0, limiting the Curve to only two hits. Altoona was no-hit for the first six innings before breaking it up, and in the past two games, the team managed only two runs and nine hits.
The Curve have been ultra-streaky the past three weeks, losing six in a row, winning seven, losing two, winning two and now dropping three straight. The club will try to find some consistency at home over the next week as it begins a six-game homestand tonight against Richmond.
Bowie starter Oliver Drake (1-1) pitched six no-hit innings, struck out three and walked three. Altoona's Anthony Norman originally was credited with an infield single with one out in the fifth inning, but after the game the ruling was changed to give Bowie second baseman Brian Roberts a throwing error on the play.
Drake was lifted after throwing 83 pitches through six innings, and while it wasn't known at the time because of the later ruling on the Norman at-bat, Ramon Cabrera actually broke up the no-hitter with a single up the middle off reliever Robert Hinton to start the seventh.
Altoona's only other hit came with two outs in the ninth as Matt Curry singled.
Bowie scored three runs on six hits in six innings off Curve starter Phil Irwin (0-3) and added another run against reliever Mike Colla.
Buck Britton hit a leadoff double in the third inning and scored on a double play groundout by Zelous Wheeler, and in the fifth inning, Wheeler belted a two-run homer off Irwin. L.J. Hoes doubled off Colla in the eighth and came home on a sacrifice fly by Manny Machado to make it 4-0.
Two Baltimore Orioles rehabbing players appeared for the Baysox. Roberts hit leadoff and went 1-for-3, while left fielder Endy Chavez batted second and was 1-for-2.
Game recap
Key player: Bowie RHP Oliver Drake pitched six no-hit innings.
Key play: 3B Zelous Wheeler's two-run homer in the fifth gave the Baysox a 3-0 lead.
Key stat: The Curve, who had only two hits, have lost three in a row.
How they scored
Bottom 3rd: Britton doubled, scored on Wheeler double play groundout (0-1).
Bottom 5th: Barfield singled, scored on Wheeler two-run homer (0-3).
Bottom 8th: Hoes doubled, scored on Machado sacrifice fly (0-4).
Covering the bases
LEADING OFF: OF Quincy Latimore was scheduled to start Monday's game but was a late scratch because of a leg infection. He is day to day.
SAFE AT FIRST: The Curve's struggling offense can ill afford to lose Latimore for an extended period as he's been hot lately. He raised his average from .193 to .231 the past two weeks, has taken over the team lead with four homers and is second on the club with 22 RBIs.
STEALING SECOND: 2B Jarek Cunningham's average dropped to .183 after an 0-for-4 Monday. He missed a month with a wrist injury but has batted just .118 in 10 games since returning (4-for-34). He's 1-for-21 in his past six games.
ROUNDING THIRD: The Curve dropped to 8-17 on the road Monday, but they've been much better at home, going 14-10.
HEADING HOME: The Curve are back home for a week, and when the calendar turns to June on Friday, normal game times at PNG Field will switch to 7 p.m.
- Cory Giger
