In a commanding display of skill, the Bowie Baysox clinched their ninth shutout victory of the season, overpowering the Altoona Curve with a 5-0 win on Tuesday at Peoples Natural Gas Field.
The Baysox, a Double-A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles, improved their record to 51-57, leaving the Curve, affiliated with the Pittsburgh Pirates, trailing at 45-64 for the season. The match began aggressively with Bowie scoring three early runs in the first two innings against Altoona’s starter, Po-Yu Chen, who took the loss, moving to a 4-8 record.
Jud Fabian, the Orioles’ No. 13 prospect, sparked the offensive onslaught with a two-run homer in the opening frame—his 18th of the season—reclaiming the Eastern League lead in home runs. Fabian continued his impressive performance with a sacrifice fly in the second inning, driving in his third run of the game.
Making his Double-A debut, Orioles No. 6 prospect Enrique Bradfield Jr. also left a mark by hitting a sharp single into right field in the fourth inning, scoring his first Double-A hit and RBI. Fabian, seizing another opportunity, doubled down the left field line to bring Bradfield Jr. home, widening the lead to 5-0. Bradfield Jr. concluded his debut with two runs scored from three at-bats.
On the mound, Alex Pham delivered a stellar performance, pitching five scoreless innings and securing the win. Pham, the Orioles’ No. 27 prospect, extended his scoreless streak to 14 innings, dating back to August 1, and lowered his ERA to 2.62 in the latter half of the season. Relievers Dan Hammer and Levi Stoudt maintained the shutout, combining for four innings of relief with four strikeouts.
Tavian Josenberger, another player making his Double-A debut, contributed with two hits. The 22-year-old was drafted from Arkansas in the third round of the 2023 Draft.
The Baysox are set to continue their six-game series against the Curve, with the next game scheduled for 6:00 pm tomorrow at Peoples Natural Gas Field. Peter Van Loon is expected to start for Bowie, facing Altoona’s Anthony Solometo.
The next Baysox homestand will run from Tuesday, August 20, to Sunday, August 25, featuring a series against the Erie SeaWolves, the Double-A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers.
