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There was a bit of deja vu in the air at Prince George's Stadium on Tuesday night as the Bowie Baysox dropped a 5-1 decision to the Akron Aeros.

Bowie managed just four hits as Akron had the luxury of sending right-hander Fausto Carmona to the mound. Carmona was a 19-game winner with the Cleveland Indians in 2007. After winning just eight games last year, he began this season 2-6 with a bloated 7.42 ERA through 12 starts. His struggles prompted the Indians to demote him all the way back to their extended spring training camp in Arizona earlier this month. He made one start at the Indians' Class A affiliate in the South Atlantic League, and then joined the Class AA Aeros, making his first start for Akron on Tuesday.

The 6-foot-4, 230-pound native of the Dominican Republic struck out five and didn't issue any walks. But he did surrender a solo homer to Baysox catcher Guillermo Rodriguez in the sixth inning, giving Bowie its only run.

"[Carmona is] a big leaguer, so he's going to be around the zone," Rodriguez told Baysox.com. "I sat on a fastball and hit it well and fortunately it went out of the park."

It is not the first time a Cleveland player on a temporary minor league assignment has given the Baysox fits. Last year, during the Eastern League Southern Division playoffs, Indians' slugger Travis Hafner was on an injury rehab assignment with Akron. Hafner, who has 154 home runs in eight major league seasons, hit two homers last September for Akron, as the Aeros won the best-of-five Southern Division series from Bowie, three games to one.

Tuesday night, Akron gave Carmona all the run support he would need in the second inning. The Aeros battered Bowie starter Radhames Liz for 11 hits in six innings. Six of those hits came in the second. At one point, Liz surrendered singles to five consecutive batters as the Aeros scored four runs in the inning.

Bowie had leadoff singles against Carmona in the second and third innings, but was unable to rally. Jonathan Tucker grounded into a double play to end the third inning. Ambiorix Concepcion singled with two outs in the fifth, but was left stranded when Joe Nowicki struck out looking. Carmona recovered from Rodriguez's leadoff homer in the sixth by retiring the next three Baysox hitters in order.

"[Carmona] has a lot of movement," Baysox first baseman Eric Crozier told Baysox.com after going 0 for 3 with two strikeouts. "He uses your aggressiveness against you, and if you're overly aggressive he will sink the ball away, but you have to be patient."

The game was called during the top of the eighth inning due to rain. The teams continue their series tonight with first pitch scheduled for 6:05 p.m.

Baysox move up in standings

Bowie now just two games out of playoffs

By Ted Black

Staff Writer

The Bowie Baysox moved into third place and two games out of the final playoff spot in the Southern Division of the Eastern League.

Bowie (41-34) still trailed front-running Akron (50-24) by nearly 10 games heading into their Tuesday doubleheader with the Aeros. The Baysox also were scheduled to play a single game with the Aeros on Wednesday and will do so again tonight and Friday. The Baysox head back to Altoona for three games Saturday-Monday.

On Sunday, Altoona scored two runs in the bottom of the first against Bowie starter Tim Bascom, who was eventually tagged with his first loss after allowing six earned runs in five innings of work. But the Baysox gave Bascom a brief lead to work with when they scored three times in the top of the second. Jonathan Tucker scored when Eric Crozier reached on an error and Robert Valido scored on a sac fly by Mike Costanzo.

But after being given a 3-2 lead, Bascom was roughed up in the home half of the inning. Jose Tabata reached on an error by Valido and then Pedro Alvarez walked. Jim Negrych followed with a run-scoring single and then Jonel Pacheco crushed a three-run homer to give the Curve a 6-3 lead en route to an 8-4 victory.

One night earlier, the Baysox took two games from Altoona, sweeping the, Curve 5-1, and, 5-0, behind a pair of stellar outings from Brian Matusz and Fredy Deza.

In the first inning of the opener, Bowie spotted Matusz with a three-run lead as Jonathan Tucker singled, stole second and scored on a single by Crozier. Costanzo followed with a triple to center that plated Crozier and Miguel Abreau garnered an RBI on a groundout that plated Costanzo.

Bowie also struck first in the nightcap as Tucker led off with a triple and scored on a sac fly by Valido. Deza tossed five scoreless innings and left with a 1-0 lead, but the Baysox added plenty of insurance in the sixth. Tucker and Valido singled and Crozier walked to load the bases and Costanzo promptly emptied them in dramatic fashion with a grand slam.

E-mail Ted Black at tblack@gazette.net