AtL Southern Maryland Blue Crabs

Blue Crabs' Reichert Defeats York, Breaks Single Season Win Record

Published on September 18, 2010 under Atlantic League (AtL)
Southern Maryland Blue Crabs News Release


The Blue Crabs defeated the York Revolution 7-2 Friday night at in front of 5,169 Blue Crab fans at Regency Furniture Stadium, with the winning decision going to starter Dan Reichert, who threw seven innings. Reichert improved to a career best 18-9 on the year, breaking the Atlantic League record for wins in a single season. The league leader in innings pitched (189.0) and strikeouts (148) through Friday, it was also Reichert's career high 29th start of the season.

18 wins surpasses the 17-4 record of Denny Harriger in 2006, who posted that mark for the Lancaster Barnstormers in their championship season. Reichert had to earn the winning decision in his final three regular season starts to set the new record, after losing to Somerset on September 2 at home, dropping to 15-9. Reichert won both of his starts on the most recent road trip, September 7 at Newark, and last Sunday, September 12 at Long Island before Friday's victory.

Last season, playing in the Atlantic League with the Bridgeport Bluefish, Reichert went 14-9 in 28 starts. A season prior in 2008, Reichert began his first tour of duty with the Blue Crabs, going 3-1 in six starts before being the first player in franchise history to be signed by a Major League organization, after having his contract purchased by the Cleveland Indians on May 29. Reichert is now 35-19 in 63 Atlantic League starts. For his career, Reichert is 108-89, with 21 of those wins coming at the Major League level for the Kansas City Royals.

Reichert, selected by the Royals with the seventh overall pick of the 1997 draft out of the University of the Pacific, debuted in the Majors just two years later in 1999 with Kansas City, pitching for the Royals through 2002 where he tallied all of his 51 MLB starts. The Turlock, CA native also pitched for the Toronto Blue Jays in 2003.

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The Blue Crabs wasted no time getting an early lead for Reichert on Friday, pushing two runs across in the bottom of the first. David Espinosa got things started with a one-out double, and came into score on a Matt Craig RBI single. Craig later scored on an Eric Crozier sac-fly, making the score 2-0 after an inning off York right-hander Tim Harikkala.

The first lead for the Blue Crabs would be short-lived, as the Revolution quickly tied it in the top of the second, rapping three hits off Reichert. An Ian Bladergroen RBI groundout and an Erold Andrus RBI double made the score 2-2, but those would be the first and last runs of the night for York. Reichert would then toss five scoreless innings to end his outing after the seventh, scattering seven hits and two walks with nine strikeouts. Both runs were earned.

The Crabs would waste no time breaking the tie, scoring the final five runs of the contest. David Espinosa's two-RBI double in the bottom of the second made the score 4-2, and Southern Maryland waited to add on two more in the sixth. Eric Crozier belted a towering home run (21) off Harikkala down the right field line to lead off the inning, which was followed by a Travis Garcia double. After being moved to third by a Shaun Cumberland single, Garcia scored on a Jeremy Owens sac-fly that made the score 6-2 in favor of the home team. Southern Maryland rounded out the scoring for the night in the seventh on a Greg Porter RBI single, which scored Espinosa after he led the inning with a triple off reliever Matt DeSalvo. Crozier now leads the team in home runs again, breaking a tie with Casey Benjamin who had homered each of the last two nights.

Harrikala (1-2) would last five-plus innings, allowing six of the seven Crab runs, five of which were earned. He struck out four, walking three.

At 82-55, the 2010 Southern Maryland Blue Crabs are already the winningiest team in franchise history with two regular season games to play, surpassing last season's win total of 79. They also hold the best overall record in the Atlantic League, and are 41-26 in the second half. Should the Blue Crabs take at least one of the final two games from York, they would surpass their 41-29 first half record this season, which made them the Liberty Division first half winner, clinching a playoff spot for the second consecutive year.

The Blue Crabs return to action Saturday evening at Regency Furniture Stadium for the third of this four-game series against the York Revolution, to end the regular season. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 p.m.

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Atlantic League Stories from September 18, 2010


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