The second half is underway, and the Bowie Baysox are starting to assert dominance behind the number one prospect in baseball.
Before this series, the Baysox welcomed infielder Jackson Holliday to begin the second half, and since then, Bowie has looked like one of the best teams in Minor League Baseball.
This recent series was against the Harrisburg Senators, and the Baysox took five of the six games at home. Bowie’s offense struggled a bit, slashing .237/.302/.437 with a .739 OPS in 190 at-bats. They also had eight home runs and scored 27 total runs.
The pitching, on the other hand, was what carried the team, compiling a 3.60 ERA. While the club saw success as a whole, four players really showed out this week. Let’s get into it.
JACKSON HOLLIDAY – INF
In his first week in Bowie, Holliday showed why he belonged, playing in all six games and slashing .280/.308/.480 with a .788 OPS in 25 total at-bats. He had seven total hits, four singles, two doubles and his first career home run at the Double-A level.
Holliday also collected two RBIs, walked once and struck out four times. The 19-year-old now carries a .350 average at the Double-A level and continues to climb up the MiLB ladder as quick as any prospect we’ve ever seen.
CARLOS TAVERA – RHP
It’s obvious that Tavera’s season has been an up and down rollercoaster, but this week was one of his best of the season.
Tavera went five innings of one-hit baseball, walking two and striking out eight. The 2021 fifth-round pic now brings his ERA down to a 4.81 on the season and continues to show that he still has high potential in this organization.
CONNOR GILLISPIE – RHP
Gillispie was overall the best pitcher for the Baysox this series, as he pitched in two games and went 2-0 with a 1.64 ERA in 11 innings of work.
He gave up five hits, two earned runs, walked one batter and struck out 10. Gillispie now has a 3.61 ERA on the season and has a 5-3 record as a member of the Baysox this season.
JOSEPH ROSA – INF
Rosa has had a very stressful season being bounced around from Bowie and Triple-A Norfolk, but this series showed that he can pop off if needed.
Rosa played in all six games and slashed .471/.591/.765 with a 1.356 OPS in 17 at-bats, tallying eight total hits, four singles, three doubles, a triple and four walks. He also drove in two and went 3-3 in stolen bases. Rosa has a .262 batting average in Bowie and has a season OPS of .793.
Bowie is now tied for second place with Richmond in the Eastern League second half standings. But, because first place is occupied by the Erie Seawolves, who won the first half, technically, the Baysox are tied for the second half playoff spot.
Bowie will start an away series against the Somerset Patriots, with the first game being Tuesday, July 25, with a 12:05 p.m. EST start time.
Who stood out to you for Bowie this week? Let us know in the comments below! Make sure to follow The Baltimore Battery on Facebook, Twitter and TikTok, and use the hashtag #baltimorebattery when sharing our content!
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