BOWIE, Md., April 23, 2025 — The Altoona Curve blanked the Bowie Baysox 2-0 on April 22, 2025, at Prince George’s Stadium, driven by Tsung-Che Johnson’s solo home run and a three-hit shutout from four pitchers. The victory moved Altoona to 8-8, fourth in the Eastern League’s Southwest Division, while Bowie dropped to 9-7, third in the same division.
The game, starting at 6:04 p.m. EDT, saw Altoona strike first in the third inning. After Jase Bowen struck out, Johnson launched his second home run of the season off Bowie starter Tommy Pham, a fly ball to right-center, giving the Curve a 1-0 lead. Mitch Jebb followed with a bunt groundout to end the inning. Altoona added a second run in the eighth when Sammy Siani singled to left, scoring Bowen, who had walked and stolen his fifth base. The Curve managed six hits, with Jebb going 2-for-3 and stealing his sixth base, though they left five runners on base and went 1-for-5 with runners in scoring position.
Bowie’s offense struggled, mustering three hits. Jeremiah Jackson doubled in the sixth and singled in the third but was caught stealing and picked off. Creed Willems doubled in the fourth, and Jackson added another hit, but the Baysox went 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position. A throwing error by Jebb in the second allowed Frederick Bencosme to reach, but Adam Retzbach struck out to end the threat. Bowie’s runners were stranded, with key outs like Jackson’s double play in the eighth.
Altoona’s pitching dominated, led by Anthony Barco, who threw 4.2 scoreless innings, allowing two hits and striking out eight. Valentin Linarez (3-0, 3.38 ERA) earned the win with one scoreless inning, followed by Wilkin Ramos (2.1 innings) and Cam Sanders, who secured his fifth save with a perfect ninth, striking out Willems and retiring Silas Ardoin and Tavian Josenberger. Bowie’s Pham (0-1, 3.79 ERA) took the loss, allowing one run over 5.1 innings with 11 strikeouts. Relievers Yaramil Hiraldo, Daniel Lloyd, and Keagan Gillies limited damage, but a pickoff error by catcher Retzbach in the sixth aided Altoona.
Defensively, Altoona turned a double play (Jebb to Jack Brannigan to Nick Cimillo) and caught Jackson stealing, despite Jebb’s error. Bowie’s Retzbach committed a pickoff error, and Hiraldo picked off Brenden Dixon. The game, attended by 1,061 fans under partly cloudy 79-degree weather, lasted 2 hours, 25 minutes, with umpires Jack Wason, Trevor Patience, and Davion Frye officiating.
The Eastern League, a Double-A circuit, features tight races, with Altoona and Bowie competing for playoff spots . The Curve’s win showcased their pitching strength and clutch hitting, while Bowie looks to rebound.
