'Birds Erupt Early, Get Even with 'Claws
July 2, 2019 - South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Delmarva Shorebirds News Release
LAKEWOOD, NJ - The Delmarva Shorebirds took their revenge after being shut out the night before, besting the Lakewood BlueClaws 8-4 on Tuesday night at FirstEnergy Park.
Ofekly Peralta (6-2) offered a sequel to last week's domination over Lakewood for the Shorebirds (10-3, 58-24), tossing six scoreless innings with just three hits, walking two and striking out two. He's now fired off 11 straight scoreless innings, including five no-hit frames last Wednesday, all against the BlueClaws (4-9, 33-50).
James McArthur (0-6) got knocked out in the third inning and took the loss, surrendering six runs on six hits in 2.1 frames.
The Shorebirds got to McArthur with one out in the top of the third. Adam Hall got hit by a pitch, then Robert Neustrom walked and Cadyn Grenier also got plunked to load the bases. Edison Lantigua came up next and slashed a single past a diving first baseman and into right, scoring Hall and Neustrom to get Delmarva on the board at 2-0.
Jaylen Ferguson followed with a screaming double off the left field wall, plating two more. Ben Breazeale came up next and bounced an automatic RBI double into the center field bushes, and Ryne Ogren capped the scoring with his own two-sacker up the right center gap, bringing in Breazeale to put the Shorebirds on top 6-0. McArthur came out of the game after the seventh straight batter reached in Ogren.
Delmarva tacked on two more for good measure in the sixth. Alexis Torres led off with a double, then two batters later Neustrom lashed a double of his own into the right field corner, scoring Torres. Grenier followed with an RBI single, making it an 8-0 Shorebird lead.
With the Shorebirds closing in on a shutout, the BlueClaws made things interesting in the bottom of the ninth. Down to his final strike, Cole Stobbe launched a solo homer down the left field line, ruining Delmarva's clean sheet. Malvin Matos followed with a double and Ben Pelletier went yard to left, cutting it to 8-3. Jonathan Guzman then doubled and Rafael Marchan singled him home, making it four two-out runs for Lakewood. Luis Garcia came up next and hit a frozen rope right to first, and Breazeale squeezed his mitt with the elusive 27th out assured.
In his second game since returning to the Shorebirds, Ferguson put up stellar numbers, going 3-for-5 with two doubles, a run, and two RBIs. Breazeale went 2-for-5 with a double, run, and RBI, all while playing his first career game at first base. Every other Shorebird had a hit as Delmarva put up a dozen on the night.
Entering the game in the third inning as an injury replacement, Marchan accounted for a significant chunk of the BlueClaws' offense, going 3-for-4 with an RBI.
The Shorebirds go for the series win in the rubber match against the BlueClaws on Wednesday night. Ryan Wilson (3-2, 3.48) looks to extend his blazing stretch for Delmarva against Lakewood's Manuel Silva (1-2, 3.97). First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m., and pregame coverage on Fox Sports 960 AM and the MiLB First Pitch App begins at 6:50 with Will DeBoer on the call.
South Atlantic League Stories from July 2, 2019
- Langrage Homers Again in Fireflies Loss - Columbia Fireflies
- Big Innings Lead to Suns Victory - Hagerstown Suns
- Series Now Even After Tourists Drop a Close One - Asheville Tourists
- RiverDogs Trounced by GreenJackets in Game Two - Charleston RiverDogs
- 'Birds Erupt Early, Get Even with 'Claws - Delmarva Shorebirds
- Bryce Bush Plays Hero in 5-4 Comeback Win - Kannapolis Cannon Ballers
- Jackets Jump All over Charleston for 10-0 Victory - Augusta GreenJackets
- Claws Rally But Fall Short in 8-4 Defeat on Tuesday - Jersey Shore BlueClaws
- Moyers Carves up Hickory in 1-0 Power Win - Charleston Dirty Birds
- Fireflies Roster Move and Game Notes: July 2 vs. Greenville (Game 79) - Columbia Fireflies
- Hagerstown Suns: Game Notes - Hagerstown Suns
- Game Notes (July 2) - Charleston Dirty Birds
- Kannapolis Takes Opener 1-0 over Rome - Rome Emperors
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