It was only one inning, but it was bad enough to spoil the other eight.

The Erie SeaWolves committed a wild pitch, a passed ball and a fielding error in the top of the fourth of Wednesday’s matinee game against Bowie. Starting pitcher Patrick Cooper also allowed the Baysox three hits, a walk and a hit batsman during their rally, which they made hold up for a 5-2 victory at Jerry Uht Park.

The loss was the SeaWolves’ sixth in their last seven games. It left them 45-51 going into an eight-game, seven-day road trip to Altoona and Akron.

– Mike Copper

Bowie (48-48) batted around during its game-changing rally. Besides Erie’s miscues, Robbie Widlansky and Ty Kelly had RBI doubles.

Brandon Douglas and Jordan Lennerton each doubled for Erie’s initial run in the first. Michael Rockett accounted for its second run in the fifth, when he tripled and scored on a throwing error during Bowie’s relay attempt.

**

Erie’s current plight won’t get any easier Thursday, when the team is scheduled to face a pitcher who was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2011 amateur draft.

Right-hander Gerrit Cole is listed as the probable starter for Altoona’s five-game series opener against the SeaWolves. Cole, formerly of UCLA, began this season with Bradenton of the Florida State League before the parent Pittsburgh Pirates promoted him to the Curve in June.

The series between Erie and Altoona includes a rare scheduled doubleheader. The Eastern League is making them play twice Friday to make up for not competing Easter Sunday, which would have been the end of their season-opening series at Peoples Natural Gas Field.

Thursday’s opener has a first pitch set for 6:30 p.m. Friday’s doubleheader and Sunday’s nine-inning series finale are scheduled for 6 p.m., with Saturday’s game at 7.

Probable starters for the series are: Erie RH James Avery (9-7, 4.25 ERA) vs. Altoona RH Gerrit Cole (2-2, 5.17 ERA) Thursday; Erie RH Cesar Carrillo (1-2, 8.10) vs. Altoona RH Phil Irwin (1-7, 3.63) Friday’s first game; Erie RH Jared Gayhart (1-1, 4.56) vs. Altoona to be determined, Friday’s second game; Erie to be determined vs. Altoona RH Brandon Cumpton (8-8, 3.49) Saturday; and Erie LH Jared Wesson (5-5, 6.75) vs. Altoona RH Tim Alderson (4-4, 4.40) Sunday.

**

The SeaWolves lost another starting pitcher to the disabled list when Kelvin De La Cruz was sent to it, retroactive to Tuesday.

“It’s just been a little soreness,” De La Cruz said of his left arm after Thursday’s game. “I’m going to skip a start to see if it feels better.”

It’s little coincidence that De La Cruz was chased after only two outs of his last start. Binghamton bombarded him for six runs and six hits in the first inning of Sunday’s 13-3 rout of the SeaWolves at NYSEG Stadium.

De La Cruz is 5-8 with a 4.86 ERA in 17 starts and 19 appearances for Erie.

**

Erie manager Chris Cron hinted that De La Cruz’s injury could result in the parent Detroit Tigers calling up a pitcher from Single-A Lakeland (Fla.) to start Saturday at Altoona.

If that happens, the prime candidate would be Brian Flynn. The 22-year-old left-hander was Detroit’s seventh-round pick in the 2011 amateur draft.

Flynn is 8-4 with a 3.71 ERA for the Flying Tigers.

One pitcher who won’t be claiming Saturday’s start is Zack Segovia. Cron said that the right-hander, who was placed on the disabled list June 19 with inflammation of his right elbow, is out for the rest of this season.

“I’m not sure if he’s had surgery or is having surgery, but he’s done,” Cron said.

Segovia, 29, was 5-6 with a 5.98 ERA at the time of his injury. His baseball career included major league cameos with Philadelphia in 2007 and Washington in 2009.

**

Two players who were with Erie earlier this season were stampeded by the Buffalo Bisons Tuesday night.

Buffalo, due in large part to four eighth-inning home runs, posted the largest margin of victory in franchise history with its 17-1 International League rout of Toledo at Coca-Cola Field.

The Bisons chased Mud Hens starter Ramon Garcia, called up from Erie earlier this week, after he allowed five runs and seven hits in two innings.

The game was already out of Toledo’s reach at 10-1 when manager Phil Nevin opted for third baseman Bryan Pounds to save his bullpen. The former Erie third baseman proceeded to serve up homers to Buffalo’s Oswaldo Navarro, Adam Loewen, Matt Den Dekker and Fred Lewis.