BOWIE, Md. — When Reading needed it most, the Fightin Phils ran out of pitching and their bats — with few exceptions — fell silent.
Second baseman Garabez Rosa hit two home runs Saturday night to lift the Bowie Baysox over Reading 7-2 in the winner-take-all Game 5 of the Eastern League Championship Series.
With the victory, Bowie completed a comeback from a 2-1 series deficit by taking the final two games of the best-of-5 series at Prince George’s Stadium.
The Fightin Phils were trying to win their first outright Eastern League championship since 1995.
In Game 5, Reading took a brief 1-0 lead in the top of the fourth inning when Cam Perkins led off with a solo home run to left field.
Bowie, though, grabbed the lead to stay in the bottom of the fourth. Rosa slammed the first of his two homers, a two-run shot to left-center that gave the Baysox a 2-1 lead.
After Rosa homered in the bottom of the sixth, Rene Garcia’s solo home run in the seventh briefly cut Reading’s deficit to 3-2.
The Baysox tacked on two insurance runs in the bottom of the seventh inning and two more in the eighth to clinch the title.
After managing just four singles in the Game 4 loss Friday night, Reading had just six hits Saturday. The Fightin Phils went 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position.
In addition, Reading’s pitching didn’t hold up in the finale. The Fightin Phils used five pitchers. Reinier Roibal pitched the first 4.1 innings, allowing two runs on five hits.
Edubray Ramos, Jimmy Cordero, Hoby Milner and Ryan O’Sullivan finished.
In all, Reading’s pitching gave up 10 hits, seven runs (six earned), while striking out eight and walking six.
Meanwhile, Nick Additon tossed four innings of one-run relief to pick up the win for Bowie.