Games 62 and 63: BlueClaws (36-24) vs Shorebirds (32-27)

A battle between first and second place pits the BlueClaws and the Shorebirds in a three-game series at FirstEnergy Park. Tonight’s game is a doubleheader (two seven-inning games), with a regularly scheduled game following a makeup of the June 5th game at Delmarva which was rained out. However, Lakewood will be the home team for both games

LWD: RHP Jason Knapp (2-4, 3.92)
LCO: RHP Ryan O’Shea (5-2, 3.05)

The Magic Number is…: Seven. However, if Delmarva fails to make up a game with the Hickory Crawdads it could be six. That means, if the BlueClaws amass a combination of wins and losses from their closest opponent (now Delmarva) totaling seven, they will clinch the first half championship in the South Atlantic League Northern Division and a playoff spot. Their lead in the division is four, with ten games to play.

Streaking Towards the Playoffs…The BlueClaws have six separate win streaks of at least three games this year, including the current one, and have yet to lose three games in a row at any point this season. They are on a four-game win streak after the sweep if Lake County.

They’ll Play Two: After game one, the teams will break for 30 minutes before game two, both seven innings. The game two starters will both be making their season debut, RHP Trevor May for the BlueClaws and RHP Patrick Kantankevich for the Shorebirds

Game notes…Audio…Rest below…Enjoy

6:15: The doubleheader has begun, someone tell the Shorebirds…Knapp is sharp, as he strikes out the side in the first….The BlueClaws are coming to bat.

6:23: Susdorf 4-6-3 w/ 1st and 3rd…0-0 to the 2nd.

6:46: Delmarva gets two unearned runs, a Mattair error, in the top of the 2nd on a couple of RBI groundouts and Garcia strikes out with the bases loaded to end the 2nd. 2-0 to the 3rd.

7:07: Two rare walks for Knapp but he works through it…still 2-0 Delmarva, who has their two on just one hit.

7:19: Two more walks for O’Shea (now five), but Lakewood has yet to take advantage…This time Myers grounds out (almost beats it) to end the inning…still 2-0 to the 5th.

7:45: Anthony Gose reaches on an error before Travis d’Arnaud almost ties the game on one swing with a double to left scoring a run and making it 2-1. With a runner on second and one out, Joe Esposito entered the game and struck out both Susdorf and Murphy…to the sixth…

8:03: Walks come back to hurt the BlueClaws…Knapp walks two and reliever Justin De Fratus one…Three score, one on a throwing erro by Jeremy Hamilton and another on a two-run double by .190 hitter Luis Bernardo…Now 5-1 to the home 6th.

8:12: Nine left on for Lakewood through 6…5-1 Delmarva to the 7th.

8:25: Last licks…

8:50: The BlueClaws lose game one 5-1 and it sets up a very interesting game number two…First pitch at 9:03

9:16: Welcome to Lakewood Trevor May…3 up, 3 down, 3 Ks.

9:49: Not exactly the easiest inning but a scoreless inning…May hits one, walks two, but works through it, two more Ks…0-0 to the home 2nd.

10:04: Terrible play by Hudson tagging from 2nd and going to 3rd, except Xavier Avery was still there. Runs Delmarva out of an inning. Still no score.

10:22: Gose an RBI single…1-0…raining.

11:25: Welcome back…since we left you, Trevor May gave up a 3-run home run to Garabez Rosa, who was hitting .125…3-1 Delmarva…The delay was 40 minutes.

11:30: RBI double Mattair…3-2.

11:32: RBI triple Collier…3-3.

11:42: RBI double Garcia and single Gose…5-3 to the 5th.

12:41: Ballgame…Called due to rain, a huge BlueClaws victory 6-4.