The Chesapeake Baysox dropped a 5-1 decision to the Harrisburg Senators on Thursday night at Prince George’s Stadium, unable to overcome a four-run fourth inning despite recording 14 strikeouts. The loss left the Baysox at 1-2 in the early stages of their six-game series against the Nationals’ Double-A affiliate.
Evan Yates took the loss for Chesapeake after allowing four runs over his outing, though he struck out five. The right-hander surrendered a two-run homer to Max Romero Jr. that opened the scoring in the fourth, then watched as Ethan Petry doubled and later scored on Cortland Lawson’s triple. T.J. White added a sacrifice fly later in the frame to make it 4-0.
Romero Jr. drove in another run with a single in the fifth to push the lead to 5-0. Chesapeake answered in the bottom half when Doug Hodo grounded out to score Adam Retzbach, cutting the deficit to 5-1. That proved to be the Baysox’ only run against Harrisburg left-hander Alex Clemmey, who earned the win with a quality start of six innings, allowing three hits and two walks while striking out four.
Chesapeake mounted a late threat in the ninth when Tavian Josenberger doubled with two outs, but a strikeout ended the game. The Baysox managed just four hits in total.
Reliever Ryan Long provided the brightest spot for Chesapeake. The right-hander tossed two and a third scoreless innings, striking out five without allowing a hit while facing just one batter over the minimum. Long has been sharp of late, posting a 1.76 ERA over his last four outings with 11 strikeouts against one walk in five and a third innings.
Gerald Ogando closed out the ninth with a 1-2-3 inning, lowering his Double-A ERA with the Baysox to 1.93 across five appearances.
The Baysox will look to even the series on Friday when left-hander Cade Povich makes his second rehab start for Chesapeake. Povich, working his way back toward the majors with the Orioles, will face Harrisburg left-hander Isaac Lyon. First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m.
Minor league baseball remains a staple of the Maryland sports scene, with the Baysox providing affordable, family-friendly entertainment in Prince George’s County. Games at Prince George’s Stadium often draw strong local crowds, and series like this one against a division rival offer fans a chance to see top prospects from both the Orioles and Nationals organizations.
Harrisburg’s pitching staff, led by Clemmey’s strong outing, kept Chesapeake’s offense in check for most of the night. The Senators’ ability to capitalize on early opportunities in the fourth proved decisive. For the Baysox, the high strikeout total showed some promise on the mound, but the lack of timely hitting limited their comeback chances.
Chesapeake will need to generate more offense over the remainder of the series while relying on strong starting efforts like the one expected from Povich on Friday. The Orioles’ top pitching prospect brings major league experience and could provide a boost as the Baysox aim to get back on track.
The six-game set offers both teams valuable development time in a competitive Eastern League environment. For Chesapeake, rebounding from the Thursday loss will be key to building momentum heading into the weekend.
