SAL1 Jersey Shore BlueClaws

BlueClaws Benefit, Make itThree Straight

Published on April 18, 2009 under South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Jersey Shore BlueClaws News Release


HAGERSTOWN, MD - The BlueClaws benefitted from eight walks and four errors Saturday night as they won their third straight game against the Hagerstown Suns 6-4. The win gives the BlueClaws (6-4) five wins so far on a seven-game road swing, with one more game to play.

A number of trends have appeared in the series with the Suns (4-5), one of them is the Suns getting ahead early, and the BlueClaws coming back to take the lead. Saturday night was no different as the Suns took an early 3-1 lead in the bottom of the first inning. BlueClaws starter Jacob Diekman got into trouble allowing a walk to the leadoff batter, and then allowed three runs to come home. However, in the top of the second inning, after a Zach Collier walk, D'Arby Myers made his return to the lineup a good one with his first home run of the season. Myers hit only one all of last year.

With the game tied at three, Anthony Gose reached on an error in the fourth, stole his league-leading sixth base of the year, and then came around to score as shortstop Nick Arata made his second error of the inning on a ball hit by Travis Mattair. The BlueClaws took the 4-3 lead into the sixth and they added another run on an Anthony Gose RBI single. They added another run in the seventh as errors benefit the BlueClaws again. Travis d'Arnaud reached on an error and was then brought home on a Troy Hanzawa groundout.

Despite his early struggles, Diekman (1-0) settled down and began to strike Suns hitters out at a high rate. All told, he went five innings, allowed three runs, all in the first and struck out six. He was lifted in favor of Walter Tejeda, getting his first innings for the BlueClaws this season after being called up from extended spring training. He began his season going 1 2/3 innings, allowing one run.

Justin De Fratus came on in the seventh with two-on and two-out and worked out of the inning, popping Michael Guerrero to D'Arby Myers. He worked a clean eighth before being relieved by Ryan Bergh after a leadoff single in the ninth. Bergh threw a ground ball out, then struck out Sandy Leon before working another ground ball for the save.

Suns starter Ricardo Pecina only lasted three innings as he allowed seven baserunners to reach and three runs to score. He was relieved in the fourth by Justin Phillabaum. He continued the trend of free passes to BlueClaws hitters, walking three and allowing two to score in his three innings. Patrick Arnold and Osvaldo Rodriguez shut down the BlueClaws for the rest of the game.

The BlueClaws will go for the rare four-game sweep in an afternoon game, on Sunday at 2:05 pm, behind the righty arm of Tyler Cloyd (1-1). This will be Cloyd's third start of the season, as the BlueClaws are through two full rotations, and he looks to continue the success he's had on the mound. He will be opposed by Marcos Frias (0-0), a righty with a 1.59 ERA this season.

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South Atlantic League Stories from April 18, 2009


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