Welcome to NewBridge Bank Park in Greensboro, NC for the second of a four-game series with the Greensboro Grasshoppers. The teams split a four-game series at FirstEnergy Park last week.

LAK: RHP Jesus Sanchez (1-4)
GBO: RHP Kyle Kaminska (4-3)

Strong Bullpen…The BlueClaws pen has allowed one run in their last 19 innings and 11 in their last 59.1 innings pitched. The pen ERA is as low as its been all year at 2.74.

Largest Lead…The 2.5 game lead for the BlueClaws is the largest of the season. They were also 2.5 games up on May 21st and the ‘Claws have been in first place since May 18th.

Game notes…Audio…Rest below the fold.

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Looks like after Tuesday there will be 28 former BlueClaws to have played in a big league game. The Phillies have announced that Antonio Bastardo (2007) will pitch for them on Tuesday in place of the injured Brett Myers. Bastardo went 9-0 for Lakewood in 2007 and this year had a 1.82 ERA for Reading and a 2.08 ERA over two starts with Lehigh Valley. He was with Greg Legg in extended spring training at the beginning of 2007, like Sergio Escalona, who debuted two weeks ago. Here is what Jayson Stark of ESPN.com said about Bastardo:

Then there’s a left-hander who is climbing everybody’s charts, Antonio Bastardo, who has a 50-9 strikeout-walk ratio between Double-A and Triple-A. The Phillies dangled Bastardo in July for Rockies reliever Brian Fuentes. But a year later, he is actually drawing some Johan Santana comparisons, and might have passed Carrasco as their No. 1 pitching prospect.

High praise indeed. Remember, the Phils could have called up Carrasco, the more highly-touted entering the year, Kyle Kendrick or Drew Carpenter, who both have big league experience, yet it’s Bastardo who will take Myers place, at least for now.

“We’ve got some real good reports on him,” manager Charlie Manuel said. “He’s had two real good outings since he’s been at Triple-A, and he was real good at Double-A.”

On Ryan Howard’s 2007 rehab appearance with the BlueClaws. You can find the article here. Ben Hill of MiLB.com went around and wrote about some Major League rehab appearances with Minor League affiliates in anticipation of Manny Ramirez’s upcoming week in the minors. Manny’s hit the minors before, like the time when he thought Pawtucket valet parking. Valet parking? Really? Anyway, thanks to Ben for sprucing up my time at the DMV. Here’s a snippet…

‘After the game there was a big press conference, and we didn’t have a backdrop for it,” said Giombarrese. Well, up in our party deck we had two massive windscreens, because it can get pretty cold up there in the beginning of the season. We took the screens and used them as the backdrop for the press conference.”

The two most important things in life are good friends and a strong bullpen — Bob Lemon

Along those lines, the BlueClaws bullpen has allowed just one earned run since May 25th (covering 19 innings) and 11 over their last 59.1 innings. Overall, the pen is 14-5 with a 2.74 ERA (compared to the starters who are 15-14 with a 4.29 ERA. Here’s the breakdown of the four back-enders…

BJ Rosenberg…no runs over last five appearances (six innings)…He has seven saves this year, three of which are six out saves.

Ryan Bergh…picked up the save last night and has allowed one run over his last six innings (that was with Lakewood up 11-0).

Justin De Fratus…converted starter has allowed two runs over 12.2 innings and has flawlessly made the transition to the bullpen.

Santo Hernandez…The biggest turnaround…After an April where he had a 5+ ERA, Hernandez has given up one earned run over 21.1 innings in the Month of May.

Here are today’s game notes. First pitch at 4:05 with Jesus Sanchez on the hill for Lakewood.

Welcome to NewBridge Bank Park in Greensboro, NC for the first of a four-game series with the Greensboro Grasshoppers. The teams split a four-game series at FirstEnergy Park last week.

LAK: RHP Heitor Correa (1-1, 2.40)
GBO: LHP Brad Hand (2-5, 7.68)

On Correa…He has allowed just four runs over his last 25.1 innings and beat GBO on Monday with seven shutout innings at FirstEnergy Park.

Critical Stretch…After the four games here, it’s off to Delmarva for four. That’s eight games against the 2nd and 3rd place teams. Lakewood leads DEL by 1.5 and GBO by 3.5 in the North. Beginning Monday of next week, Lakewood plays 15 in 14 to close out the half, 13 are against Hagerstown and Lake County and 10 of the 15 are at home.

Home Hitting…Greensboro has already hit 27 home runs at home this year, the same amount Lakewood hit at home all of last year. It’s just 305 down the lines, 365 in the gaps and 400 to center with an eight-foot wall all the way around. Plus the ball flies out of here. This is considered one of the best hitters parks in the league.

Game notes…Audio…Rest below the fold.

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The 2009 New Jersey Irish Festival is back at FirstEnergy Park this year for the third straight year, and we recently received word about their pipe-

band competition, always a central piece of the event. Below, you’ll find the list of pipe-bands that will take part in an on-field competition…

• OLD BRIDGE SHILLELAGH PIPE BAND
  RAMPART LION PIPE BAND
  SHAMROCK & THISTLE PIPE BAND
  OCEAN COUNTY EMERALD SOC PIPES & DRUMS
  SOUTH PARK AND DISTRICT PIPES & DRUMS
  AMERICAN CELTS PIPES & DRUMS
  CENTRAL JERSEY POLICE & FIRE P&D’s
  PIPES AND DRUMS OF BERGEN COUNTY
  MONMOUTH COUNTY PIPES & DRUMS
  PIPES AND DRUMS OF THE JERSEY SHORE SHILLELAGHS

This year, the event will take place from 12 noon to 8 pm, a departure from the previous two years when it was held from 9 am – 5 pm. Please note. Tickets here (click June). Official site here. Previous pipe-band competition below:

It’s almost June and June at FirstEnergy Park will feature a number of Phillies-centric promotions that are a must a

ttend for all Phillies phans…Here we go…

• 6/9: Lou Marson “Made the Phillies” bobblehead (Smart Carpet and Flooring)
• 6/10: Cole Hamels caps (Strand Theater and Accu-Image Design)
• 6/15: Charlie Manuel World Series bobblehead (American Red Cross)
• 6/27: Phillies World Series poster (Asbury Park Press)
• 6/29: Phillie Phanatic appearance (OceanFirst Bank)
• 6/30: JA Happ “Made the Phillies” bobblehead (Verizon Wireless)

The full list of promotions can be found here.

With Friday night’s win over West Virginia, the BlueClaws have now won four games that they have trailed entering the ninth inning. Only three teams in the SAL have as many as two such victories and no one has won three. Other Cardiac Claws notes…

• Lakewood has won three different games that they’ve trailed by five runs
• Lakewood is 4-1 in extra innings this year
• They are 12-5 in one-run games and 8-3 in two run games
• The combined 20-8 record in one and two run games is the best in the SAL

Here are tonight’s game notes.

Hard to believe we’ve reached game 47 already…After tonight it’s off to Greensboro, NC for an interesting eight-game trip…four at Greensboro and four at Delmarva, the third and second place teams in the SAL North.

Up 1…The BlueClaws are a game up on Delmarva, who scored a run in the 7th, 8th, and 10th to beat Hickory 3-2 last night. Greensboro is playing three games today. They finished a suspended game, a 5-1 loss at Lake County, and will play a DH tonight.

LWD- Jason Knapp (2-4)
WVA- Duke Welker (0-5)

On Knapp…The second round pick from last year’s draft is 2-4, 4.86 on the season, but has an 8.18 ERA in May. He gave up two runs and five walks at West Virginia on 5/19.

Go Go Gose…Anthony Gose leads MiLB with 30 steals (in 35 attempts). He stole three last night, the second time this year he has stolen five bases in a game.

Game notes…Audio…Rest below the fold.

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Welcome back to FirstEnergy Park for today’s game between the BlueClaws and West Virginia Power. The BlueClaws held on for a well-played 5-3 victory on Wednesday afternoon and look to regain the edge in this four-game series.

Goodbye, We hardy knew ye...JC Romero…The Phillies LHP has returned to Lehigh Valley where he will continue his rehab before a June 3rd return to the Phillies bullpen. Romero featured in the 6th and 7th innings in yesterday’s game and did not allow a baserunner, while striking out two. Click here for an interview with JC Romero.

LWD- RHP Tyler Cloyd (4-2)
WVA- RHP Maurice Bankston (1-3)

The BlueClaws are in first place again by their lonesome as Delmarva lost yesterday to Hickory, ending their seven game winning streak. Tyler Cloyd, today’s starter, carries a personal three-game win streak to the mound.

Game notes…Audio…Rest below the fold

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First off, thanks to everyone who came out last night to our 9th annual ALS Celebrity Waiter event. The night was once again a great success, with all proceeds going to the ALS Association of Greater Philadelphia. So, which players got the most tips? Congratulations to:

• Jason Knapp, $1,360
• Zach Collier, $310
• Anthony Gose, $300
• Harold Garcia, $250
• Jon Velasquez, $250
• Travis Mattair, $240

Here are today’s game notes.

Who’s Hot: Troy Hanzawa is 14 for his last 33 and Jim Murhpy is 12 for his last 28.

Tyler Cloyd goes tonight, 4-2 with a 3.14 ERA. He has walked just seven on the year and two over his last 40.1 innings of work.

The BlueClaws learned shortly before their 11:05 am game with the West Virginia Power that they would be joined by a key member of the 2008 Philadelphia Phillies world championship team, J.C. Romero. Romero pitched for two innings on Wednesday, the sixth and seventh and did not allow a baserunner while striking out two.

Before the game, Josh Ellis had the opportunity to catch up with Romero and interview him for BlueClaws Beat, the pre-game show for the BlueClaws broadcasts on the radio. That interview can be heard by clicking here.

Welcome back to FirstEnergy Park for today’s game between the BlueClaws and West Virginia Power. The BlueClaws had a tough 4-3 loss last night, where they had two players thrown out on the bases in the ninth inning.

Welcome…To JC Romero…The Phillies LHP will pitch today for the BlueClaws as part of his rehab assignment. He has allowed one run over four innings thus far, three innings with Lehigh Valley and one with Reading. He’s eligible to be activated in the 51st game, June 3rd at San Diego.

LWD- RHP Jon Velasquez (5-2)
WVA- Gabriel Alvarado (2-2)

The BlueClaws are tied atop the SAL North with Delmarva. The Shorebirds have won seven in a row and Lakewood has lost four of their last six.

Game notes…Audio…Rest below the fold

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