Latimore drives in six as Bowie routs Altoona 11-3, now one win from advancing

BOWIE, Md. - Former Orioles minor league pitcher Steven Brault has had tremendous success this year against most of the Double-A Eastern League. He's done well against every team except the Bowie Baysox.

Facing his former organization for the second time in less than two months, Brault got hit hard again tonight in a 11-3 Bowie win over Altoona. Quincy Latimore had a six-RBI night for Bowie. The victory gives the Baysox a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five playoff series.

A win tomorrow night in Game 4 - or Sunday in Game 5 if needed - would give Bowie its first-ever playoff series win and send the Baysox on to play for the Eastern League championship starting next Tuesday.

Latimore had a huge night. He went 4-for-5 with two doubles, two homers and six RBIs. He had a two-run double in Bowie's three-run first, a solo homer in the fifth and a three-run home run in the sixth.

The last Baysox player to have five or more RBIs in a playoff game was Nolan Reimold on Sept. 4, 2008 when he had three homers and eight RBIs against Akron. The six-RBI game is the most by any Bowie player this year.

Brault entered with a record of 9-3 and ERA of 2.00 in 15 starts. That included a game July 12 when he gave up six runs in 1 2/3 innings versus Bowie. But since that outing Brault was 8-0 with an 0.96 ERA - the lowest ERA in Double-A baseball in that stretch.

Traded by the Orioles with pitcher Stephen Tarpley for outfielder Travis Snider over the winter, Brault gave up nine hits and six runs over 4 2/3 innings tonight. In two starts this season versus Bowie, Brault has an ERA of 17.06. In his other 14 starts for Altoona, his ERA is 1.43. Bowie starter Chris Lee got the win. He went six innings, allowing six hits and two runs. Lee threw 92 pitches.

Five different players added RBIs for Bowie tonight as the Baysox had 14 hits and went 6-for-18 with runners in scoring position. Since blowing a 7-0 lead in Game 1 Wednesday night, Bowie has outscored the Curve 18-3 to win the last two days.

On Saturday, David Hess (1-1, 4.50 ERA) pitches for Bowie verus right-hander Jason Creasy (12-8, 4.41 ERA) at 6:35 p.m. Bowie advances with a win and would host Game 5 Sunday to decide the series at 1:05 p.m. with a loss tomorrow.

A few postgame quotes:

Latimore on his big night: "I put some good swings on the ball and got the results that I wanted. I consider myself one of the power hitters of this team. It definitely felt great, probably the best game I've played.

"I definitely crushed that first homer. I knew that was gone. It was a fastball up in the zone and he tried to sneak one by me on 0-2. That second one, I just wanted to get a pitch to get to the outfield to get the man in from third. It was not a no-doubter like the first one."

Latimore on playing well against the Pittsburgh organization that drafted him in 2007: "I got traded by the Pirates, it happens, it's part of the game. The manager with Altoona, Tom Prince, was my first manager in the Gulf Coast League. He taught me a lot about how to play the game."

Bowie manager Gary Kendall on the Baysox a victory away from their first-ever playoffs series win: "It would mean a lot for the Orioles organization and we're all part of that, but it would be nice for Bowie. I was here scouting when this team played at Memorial Stadium in 1993. A lot of good players have been Baysox. You'd like to accomplish something with a special group of guys. It would mean a lot to our players. Really proud of them."

Baysox outfielder Glynn Davis on Latimore: "He's been huge all year. He had 20 home runs this year and he keeps doing it in the playoffs. I don't know where we would be without him. Tonight was huge. He drove in six runs with two big homers. He's been a real catalyst for our team this year."