Home Run Derby Lifts Shorebirds to Series Win
June 12, 2016 - South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Delmarva Shorebirds News Release
SALISBURY, MD - Delmarva's first half division title hopes are slim, but they are still alive. On a scorching hot and tremendously windy Sunday afternoon at Arthur W. Perdue Stadium, Delmarva up-ended Lakewood for the third time in four nights, 5-3.
Delmarva (35-26) used the long ball for the second game in a row to outlast Lakewood's (24-38) offensive surge. Even though the BlueClaws have not been contenders in the division after beginning the year 4-16, their offense is still among the top five in the league. Jiandido Tromp thumped the ball out of the ball park three times during the four game series, including a game-tying two-run homer Sunday afternoon, to lead the way for Lakewood. His third RBI came on a bases-loaded walk in the fifth.
The Shorebirds lineup had a slightly different look to it on Sunday with both DJ Stewart and Yermin Mercedes taking the day off. Gerrion Grim batted clean-up for Ryan Minor's club for the first time all season, and he made an immediate impact. On the very first pitch he saw in the bottom of the second, he launched a 418 foot homer to left field that left his bat at an estimated 107 mph. Grim's first trip around the bases this season wasn't the only blast of the inning. With two outs, Steve Laurino hit a pitch up and over the middle of the plate to straight-away center field that cleared the second fence. His estimated 417 foot bomb left the park at 105 mph and had many Shorebirds fans wondering if they had seen a ball clear the second fence in the deepest part of the ballpark before Sunday.
Alex Murphy joined the home run parade in the fifth with his league-leading 11th of the season to center. Murphy finished the afternoon 1-for-4 with two RBI's as he also drove home a run on a ground ball in the third inning. The only other Shorebirds run scored in the third on Ryan Mountcastle's RBI double to left field. By the end of the game, five of Delmarva's eight hits went for extra bases.
Cristian Alvarado (4-4) earned the win. He fanned eight over five frames, running his team-leading total to 74 strikeouts on the season. He is currently second in the league and the league's active strikeout leader. Tyler Gilbert (3-6) took the loss for Lakewood, allowing each of the 'Birds three long balls. Jesus Liranzo and Patrick Baker fired four scoreless innings in relief of Alvarado.
Lakewood had a couple of opportunities in the middle of the contest, but they left the bases loaded in back-to-back innings. From that point forward, it was hard for the BlueClaws to get anything rolling on offense.
The Shorebirds continue the homestand with Kannapolis' first visit to the Eastern Shore this season. Delmarva trails Hagerstown by four games with eight games remaining in the first half. Francisco Jimenez gets the ball in the series opener with the cellar-dwelling Intimidators. First pitch on Monday night is slated for 7:05 pm. Brendan Gulick will have the broadcast beginning with Shorebirds On-Deck at 6:50 pm on Fox Sports AM 960 and online at theshorebirds.com.
South Atlantic League Stories from June 12, 2016
- Tourists Bounce Back with Eighth Inning Outburst - Asheville Tourists
- 'Dads Finish 4-Game Sweep with 8-1 Win - Hickory Crawdads
- Gittens' Two Homers Not Enough as RiverDogs Handed 6-3 Loss by Asheville - Charleston RiverDogs
- Zavala Shuts Down Crawdads Running Game - Kannapolis Cannon Ballers
- Siena Stays Hot in Series Finale - Columbia Fireflies
- Home Run Derby Lifts Shorebirds to Series Win - Delmarva Shorebirds
- Homers Fly as Suns Top Legends 7-5 - Lexington Legends
- Suns Defeat Legends 7-5 in Series Finale - Hagerstown Suns
- Power Dodges Sweep, Returns to .500 - Charleston Dirty Birds
- Shorebirds Hit Three Home Runs in Topping BlueClaws 5-3 on Sunday - Jersey Shore BlueClaws
- Delmarva Shorebirds Game Notes for Sunday, June 12 - Delmarva Shorebirds
- Fireflies Game Notes: June 12 vs. West Virginia (Game 63) - Columbia Fireflies
- WV Power Game Notes - Charleston Dirty Birds
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