SAL1 Jersey Shore BlueClaws

BlueClaws lose third straight, 9-5, to Charleston

Published on August 17, 2008 under South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Jersey Shore BlueClaws News Release


LAKEWOOD, N.J. - The Charleston RiverDogs handed Mike Stutes his first loss in a BlueClaws uniform, as Lakewood dropped their third straight, 9-5, on Sunday evening at FirstEnergy Park.

Stutes (4-1) only gave up three runs, all in the first inning, but that was enough for Charleston to hang on the rest of the way. The BlueClaws right-hander, an 11th round draft selection in 2008, allowed just four hits and walked three. He also struck out eight, the second most in any outing in his career.

But the Lakewood offense did not provide Stutes any support and the BlueClaws starter departed with his side trailing 3-0. The 'Claws managed 12 hits, but did not get on the board until the game was long out of reach.

Mike Durant drove in Travis D'Arnaud on a sacrifice fly in the eighth to make it a 6-1 game. The BlueClaws got four more in the ninth on RBI hits from T.J. Warren, Dominic Brown and Matt Rizzotti and a wild pitch from Angel Reyes. Lakewood got six hits in the ninth off of Reyes, but still fell well short of the eight runs they needed to force extras.

Reyes had four wild pitches in the ninth inning, his only on the mound. He got just one out and gave up four runs on six hits. Closer Jonathan Ortiz came in and got the final two outs in order to pick up his 31st save of the season.

Ryan Zink put together a solid outing in his first start of the season for the RiverDogs, in place of Jairo Heredia, who was a scratch for the game. Zink, who had made 21 relief appearances this season, pitched four scoreless innings and gave up just two hits, but did not factor in the decision.

Lakewood's comeback efforts would have been made considerably easier had it not been for a pair of rocky innings from BlueClaws relievers. Reymond Cruz allowed three runs to cross in seventh, while Jared Simon came in and gave up a seemingly meaningless three runs in the top of the ninth to make is 9-1. Simon had an especially tough outing, giving up three runs on four hits in his only inning of work.

Stephen Artz (1-0) got the victory with four innings of relief. The right-hander gave up one run in his four frames on four hits.

The BlueClaws will try to avoid being swept in a four- game series for the first time since losing four straight in Greensboro on May 12-15. That is the only time Lakewood (35-21, 73-53) has been swept in a four- game set this season.

Lakewood will send Mike Cisco (1-0) to the mound to counter the RiverDogs (27-27, 72-53), who have won five of seven on their current roadtrip. Charleston will send Adam Olbrychowski (6-7) to the hill.

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South Atlantic League Stories from August 17, 2008


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