HAGERSTOWN, Md. — Trevor Bauer might not be in the big leagues anymore, but he still has plenty of star power.
The 35-year-old was the main attraction Thursday night at Meritus Park, where a record crowd of 4,896 turned out to watch him pitch — even if many were rooting against him.
Bauer, who won the 2020 National League Cy Young Award with the Cincinnati Reds, showed he can still deliver. He threw seven scoreless innings with nine strikeouts to lead the Long Island Ducks to a 7-0 win over the Hagerstown Flying Boxcars in a matchup of the top two teams in the Atlantic League North Division.
Both teams are now 9-6.
“It was a great game, a well-played game between two really good teams,” Boxcars general manager David Blenckstone said. “Bauer should be pitching in the major leagues, not the Atlantic League. His stuff was electric.”
Bauer improved to 3-1 in his first Atlantic League season, lowering his ERA to 1.13 while recording 34 strikeouts in 24 innings.
He escaped his only jam in the fifth inning. With one out and the bases loaded after three Boxcars singles, Bauer answered with back-to-back strikeouts. He exited after the seventh with the Ducks clinging to a 1-0 lead.
“It was fun to play in front of a crowd like that,” Boxcars catcher Robert Brooks said. “You could feel the electricity in the stands. With the team off to the best start we’ve ever had, we’re definitely hoping to continue putting people in the seats and seeing great support from the fans.”
Long Island broke it open with a five-run eighth inning, highlighted by two-run homers from Gavin Collins and Jorge Bonifacio. Jacob Robson added a solo homer in the ninth.
After the game, Bauer signed autographs for a swarm of fans.
