By Stephen Pianovich
Coming back from a seven-run deficit to force extra innings, the Curve showed a lot of resiliency Tuesday.
However, that resiliency wasn't enough to end their losing skid.
Bowie edged the Curve, 9-8, in 10 innings before a crowd of 4,302 at Peoples Natural Gas Field. The loss extends the Curve's season-worst losing streak to eight games.
The Baysox jumped out to a 7-0 lead in the third inning, but the Curve chipped away and Ramon Cabrera tied the game with a two-run double with two outs in the ninth inning to tie the game 8-8. However, Bowie's Manny Machado tripled with one out in the 10th and scored the game-winning run on a Caleb Joseph single.
After the game, manager P.J. Forbes said he couldn't fault the effort from his team in the loss. He added the fashion in which the Curve lost didn't make it any harder to swallow, but they need to find a way to close games.
"There are no moral victories, it doesn't make it any tougher," Forbes said. "A loss, is a loss, is a loss, is a loss. These guys have showed fight, we try not to lose that in the midst of all this. I don't think there's anything perfect to say on a night like this other than you kept fighting, gave ourselves a chance, but unfortunately beat ourselves again."
Starter Brandon Cumpton didn't allow a hit and faced the minimum through two innings, but the right hander was derailed in the third.
Coupled with a fielding error by second baseman Jarek Cunningham - on a grounder that was a potential double play ball - Cumpton allowed two hits, walked two batters and hit another in the frame as he exited due to inning pitch count restrictions without recording a third-inning out.
Bowie scored three runs off of Cumpton before he left, and the righty was charged with six runs - three earned - in total. Reliever Kris Harvey entered the game with the bases loaded, and though he surrendered just one hit in the inning, it was a big one.
After Rhyne Hughes hit a sacrifice fly to make it 4-0, Ty Kelly - who lead off the inning with a walk - smacked a three-run double to left field off of Harvey to break things wide open.
"That's why it's so important to take care of the ball and do all the little things that are so important in this game," Forbes said of Bowie's seven-run third inning.
The Curve chipped away at the lead as they combined to score six runs in the third, fourth and fifth innings, before creating some drama in the ninth.
With the Curve trailing 8-6, Jarek Cunningham began the inning by reaching first on a hit by pitch. Jeremy Farrell and Quincy Latimore both followed that up with strikeouts, but Drew Maggi singled with two outs to get the tying run on base.
Cabrera stepped in and smoked a double down the first base line into the right field corner which scored Cunningham and Maggi to tie the game. Cabrera was then stranded at second base as Adalberto Santos grounded out to end the ninth inning.
The Baysox then got the run in the 10th thanks to hits from Machado and Joseph, which came off of reliever Hunter Strickland (2-2), who was saddled with the loss.
Though he gave up the game-tying double, Chris Petrini (6-3) struck out eight batters in 4 1/3 innings of relief and got the win for Bowie. Mike Belfiore allowed a two-out single to Stefan Welch in the 10th inning, but that was it as he collected his second save.
"Losing sucks," Welch said. "Lose by a run, lose by 10 runs, it sucks. But I thought we showed great fight, Cabby had a huge hit and hopefully he'll have another big hit [Wednesday] night and we'll get a W."
SUBHD: Game recap
Key player: Bowie SS Manny Machado reached base three times and scored the game-winning run after hitting a triple in the 10th inning.
Key play: Bowie 3B Ty Kelly cleared the bases with a three-run double in the third inning to make it 7-0.
Key stat: The Curve have lost eight straight games.
SUBHD: How they scored
Top 3rd: Kelly walked, Welty reached on Cunningham error, both scored on Barfield double (0-2); Miller walked, scored on Schoop single (0-3); Hughes sacrifice fly scored Barfield (0-4); Widlansky walked, Machado walked, both scored along with Schoop on Kelly double (0-7).
Bottom 3rd: Latimore solo homer (1-7).
Bottom 4th: Santos singled, scored on Tejeda double (2-7); Curry walked, scored on Welch single (3-7); Cunningham groundout scored Tejeda (4-7).
Top 5th: Hughes singled, scored on Joseph single (4-8).
Bottom 5th: Maggi singled, Cabrera singled, both scored on Curry double (6-8).
Bottom 9th: Cunningham hit by pitch, Maggi singled, both scored on Cabrera double (8-8).
Top 10th: Machado tripled, scored on Joseph single (8-9)
