Baysox get early lead on Erie

BOWIE, Md. - Facing a must-win situation today to have a chance to get in the playoffs, the Double-A Bowie Baysox took a 2-0 lead in the last of the first this afternoon versus Erie. After right-hander Tim Bascom retired Erie with a 1-2-3 top of the first, Bowie came up with two runs on two hits in the home half. Xavier Avery led off with a walk against lefty Jay Voss and went to third on a Pedro Florimon double. Chris Davis, in the second day of his injury rehab stint with the Baysox, was called out on strikes. But LJ Hoes followed with an RBI groundout to third and Joe Mahoney then hit a soft single to center to score Florimon for a 2-0 edge. The Baysox need a win today and a Richmond loss at Altoona to make the Eastern League playoffs. Richmond took a 2-1 lead in the top of the eighth of their game on a home run, but right afterward, the game went into a rain delay. What is unclear is whether Richmond's run would count if the game gets rained out from here. It would certainly seem that it would not count since both teams would not have batted eight times in the game. I'll keep you posted with more on that. If that game did get rained out and finished without a winner and Bowie wins here, a one-game playoff would be held here tomorrow night between Bowie and Richmond for a playoff spot. Update: Now the word is that if that game at Altoona gets called by rain, Richmond would win 2-1 even if Altoona doesn't bat in the eighth because it is the last game of the year between these teams. Meanwhile, here at Bowie, the Baysox lead 2-1 now through four and a half innings. Bowie has not scored since the first. Tim Bascom had allowed just one hit through four but gave up a run in the fifth. Chris Davis is 0-for-2 today with a strikeout and groundout. He was robbed of a hit on a diving stop by Erie second baseman Brandon Douglas in the last of the third.