Greetings from NewBridge Bank Park for game three of four between the BlueClaws and Grasshoppers. Lakewood has lost four of five and looks to get to 1-2 on the current eight-game road trip.

Listen Live (at 6:45)
Game Notes

LAK: RHP Brody Colvin (0-3, 13.06)
GBO: LHP Edgar Olmos (1-0, 4.26)

On Colvin…This is Colvin’s 4th start of the year and he comes off an outing on Wednesday when he lasted just 1.1 innings and gave up seven runs in a loss to Hagerstown. Colvin gave up three runs in five innings in his lone start against Greensboro, Opening Night in Lakewood…A 7th round pick last year, Colvin make just his 5th start as a Phillie (he pitched 2 innings w/ GCL last year after signing late)…He was the 43rd ranked player in the draft by Baseball America.

Limiting Losing Streaks…The BlueClaws have lost two in a row but this year’s BlueClaws team is now 3-0 following a two-game losing streak, their latest win 9-8 in 14- innings on Friday night…The 2009 BlueClaws were 10-0 after two-game losing streaks before their first three-game losing streak July 28-31…They went the longest without a three-game losing streak in all of Minor League Baseball (120 full-season teams) by six weeks (Durham, AAA, Rays).

Hot and Not…Adam Buschini began the season 6-27 but his 13-34 over his last eight games, and 8-16 over his last three…Darin Ruf is 9-20 over his last four games…Anthony Hewitt is 3-23 and Jonathan Villar 2-20 over the last five games.

Zeid It and Weep…Josh Zeid, a 10th round pick in 2009 (Tulane), has thrown 12.2 innings with Lakewood this year and given up just three hits and one unearned run…Four of his six appearances have been at least two innings long and he has alternated days pitching since April 20th (by this pattern he could pitch today)…Zeid went 8-1, 2.70 with Williamsport last year…He began his college career at Vanderbilt where he pitched for two years and then transferred to Tulane.

Errors…The BlueClaws made four errors on Sunday and have made 12 errors in their last six games (including at least one error in each game).

Closing the Deal…The BlueClaws have lost late leads in three of their last four games. On Thursday, Eric Massingham allowed five runs in the 9th inning in an 11-7 loss to Hagerstown…Friday, Jordan Ellis gave up two runs in the 9th to tie the game, though Lakewood would win 9-8 in 14 innings…Sunday, Ellis allowed a three-run home run to Terrence Dayleg in the 8th inning to give Greensboro an 8-6 lead in a game they won 8-7.

Rest below.

(more…)

Attention music fans…we have a couple of things on BlueClaws.com that we think you’ll like.

First, May 22nd is our annual Concert Ticket Extravaganza, where you can win tickets to area music shows for this summer. Included in this year’s listing, which will grow, are Lady Gaga, Bon Jovi, and Jimmy Buffett.

Click here to see the list of what we have so far (it will grow).

Second, this summer in the WRAT Trap, we’ll have a number of different performers who earn their spot through competitions at the Local Shack, a Lakewood restaurant whose mission is to discover and develop young musical artists.

Click here to see that list and for information on how you can be a part.

Congrats to 2002 BlueClaws 1B Ryan Howard, who today signed a 5-year $125 million contract extension. The BlueClaws will retire Howard’s number 29 on September 2nd, and his wallet should be a little thicker.

Howard hit 19 home runs with the 2002 BlueClaws a year after the Phillies took him in the 5th round (SW Missouri State, now Missouri State). He returned to Lakewood to rehab in 2007 and hit another home run.

He was the first former BlueClaws player to reach the big leagues (full list here).

From the story…

Howard will earn $20 million in each of the 2012 and 2013 seasons and $25 million per season from 2014-16. The Phillies hold a club option for the 2017 season that is worth $23 million with a $10 million buyout.

(snip)

In 2009, Howard became just the fourth player in baseball history to boast at least 40 home runs and 130-plus RBIs in four consecutive seasons, joining Babe Ruth (seven straight seasons), Ken Griffey Jr. (four) and Sammy Sosa (four).

He also reached 200 home runs the fastest of any player, achieving the milestone in just his 658th game.

Colby Shreve has been added to the BlueClaws roster to replace the injured Jarred Cosart and will likely start Thursday’s game in Kannapolis.

Shreve is very interesting. Drafted in the 7th round by the Braves in 2007, he returned to school (CC

of Southern Nevada), where he was one of the best JUCO pitchers entering the 2008 draft. But he blew is elbow out, had Tommy John Surgery the month before the draft and the Phillies took him anyway.

That said, he has not yet pitched in a professional game. He missed all of last year recovering and has been in extended spring training for the first month of 2010.

Here is a good write-up from Phillies Nation, who notes that Shreve could get to the mid-90s with a good change-up. Gorm Heimueller (minor league pitching coordinator) said last week Shreve was ready to go and they just need a spot for him.

He takes the roster spot of Jarred Cosart, who was placed on the disabled list with a blister on his right middle finger developed on Saturday in Greensboro.

Before Sunday’s game we sat down with BlueClaws 1B Darin Ruf for a ClawCast and pre-game radio interview. You can listen here.

Ruf touched on a few topics, including:

• His current hot streak, on which he has nine hits in his last four games: “It’s just one of those things…I was 0-11 before that…But baseball is a funny game like that.”
• A leadership role within the locker room: “The other day, Hewitt came up to me what my approach was at the plate, and he’s a really good hitter in his own right. But we’re all talking to everyone, and that’s the important thing. Everyone is trying to learn.”
• How close was he to playing football in college, rather than baseball at Creighton: “It was tough at the time because I had to commit to Creighton in the fall, football season in Nebraska. I was getting a little interest from some smaller schools but obviously for the better I made the decision to go to Creighton and it couldn’t have worked out any better.”

Welcome back to NewBridge Bank Park here in Greensboro. Lakewood looks to bounce back from 4-2 loss last night. Early start today, 4:00.

Game Notes
Listen Live (at 3:45)

LAK: LHP Matt Way (0-2, 7.07)
GBO: RHP Erick Carrillo (0-2, 11.70)

Need Some Depth…BlueClaws starting pitchers in the last four games have thrown a total of 15 innings. Seven of those were Nick Hernandez in his start on Friday night, which was a 14 inning game. Therefore, Lakewood has used their bullpen to the tune of 24.2 innings over the last four days (no 9th inning last night), which is totally unsustainable.

Running In Place…The BlueClaws have 14 stolen bases this year and have been caught 20 times on the bases…Only West Virginia (10 for 21) has been caught more times than they have been successful stealing bases…Only Rome (16) has been caught more than 12 times on the bases this year…Leandro Castro has been caught six times in nine attempts for Lakewood, after going 20-30 last year between Lakewood and Williamsport.

Bounce Back…Leandro Castro went 0-8 on Friday night in Lakewood in the 14-inning game…He returned to the lineup Saturday in Greensboro going 3-4 with two RBI doubles…He was, however, twice thrown out trying to steal bases.

Ruf and Ready…Darin Ruf went 2-4 on Saturday night and is second in the league in on-base percentage at .464…Ruf is hitting .351 on the season and is 9- 18 over his last four games, with multi-hit games in all four.

On Way…Way’s 4th appearance today…he allowed just two earned over six last time in back of Joe Blanton on Tuesday…Remember, he missed some time in spring training with a lower back injury, so he is just getting to 100% now. When he was 100% last year, he went 4-1 with the BlueClaws and had a 3.11 ERA.

Rest below the fold.

(more…)

That’s right folks. The BlueClaws will reenact the 136th Kentucky Derby at our May 4th game. It will be between innings, and we’ll have silks on the “riders” plus pre-race festivities in the paddock (Kids Zone).

This will be awesome. You will not want to miss it. More information here.

It will also be the first time the BlueClaws have ever reenacted a sporting event.

Because of this, you will want to keep up with the latest Kentucky Derby news and notes, and you can do so here. Note today that Eskenderya, the horse who would have been a substantial favorite in the race, has been withdrawn.

Finally, at that game, Tuesday May 4th, the first 2,000 kids 17 & under receive a Horse Webkinz thanks to Monmouth Park. Hope to see you there.

Jarred Cosart left last night’s game in the 3rd inning with a blister on his right middle finger. He’ll be examined over the next few days in regards to his next scheduled start, which is Thursday in Kannapolis. He was frustrated, as expected, and took the loss, his first of the season.

Update: Cosart has been placed on the disabled list (7-day DL), so he will miss his next start. No word on who will make that start on Thursday at Kannapolis.

Greetings from NewBridge Bank Park here in Greensboro for the first of an eight-game road trip and four-game series here with the Grasshoppers (Marlins). There is some rain in the forecast and it was drizzling before, but it just stopped.

LAK: RHP Jarred Cosart (3-0, 2.65)
GBO: RHP Bryan Evans (0-1, 9.72)

Game Notes
Listen Live (at 6:45)

New Pitcher: Bryan Evans starts for Greensboro today. A 14th round pick in 2008 (UC-Davis), he starts today for Chad James, a 2009 first round pick who was placed on the disabled list earlier today. Evans was 3-7, 3.97 here last year (39 games, four starts) and this year has given up nine runs in 8.1 innings out of the pen.

Walk This Way…Domingo Santana’s home run to end Friday’s game was Lakewood’s second walk-off hit of the week. Jonathan Villar had an infield single in the 11th inning on Tuesday to score Adam Buschini and seal a BlueClaws win.
Against Greensboro…After losing a 3-2 decision on Opening Night in Lakewood (April 16th), the BlueClaws won the next three games against the Grasshoppers, outscoring Greensboro 22-1 over those games and at one point throwing 25 consecutive shutout innings to end the series.

First and Worst…The BlueClaws lead the league in hitting at .288 this year and are second in runs scored (98 runs; Lexington has scored 99)…Greensboro is last (of 14) in hitting at .206. They have scored 53 runs, more than just two teams (Rome 46 and West Virginia 47).

Limiting Losing Streaks…This year’s BlueClaws team is now 3-0 following a two-game losing streak, their latest win 9-8 in 14-innings on Friday night…The 2009 BlueClaws were 10-0 after two-game losing streaks before their first three-game losing streak July 28-31…They went the longest without a three-game losing streak in all of Minor League Baseball (120 full-seaosn teams) by six weeks (Durham, AAA, Rays).

On Cosart…Cosart, 19, makes his fourth start of the season after pitching last year with the GCL Phillies…Cosart is tied with three others for the league lead with three wins and is tied with teammate Nick Hernandez with 24 strikeouts to lead the SAL (Hernandez has made four starts to Cosart’s three)…Drafted in 2008, he signed with the Phillies over a commitment to Missouri…He is the 8th ranked prospect in the system according to Baseball America.

In-game updates below the fold.

(more…)

Put this up on the site yesterday, but in case you missed it, our 2010 jersey auctions.

First, on Mother’s Day, May 9th, the BlueClaws will wear special pink jerseys which will be auctioned off live after the game.

With the World Cup this summer, the BlueClaws will auction off jerseys modeled after the United States World Cup Soccer jerseys. This auction takes place on June 17th, Soccer Night.

The BruceClaws return on July 10th. The BlueClaws are transformed for one evening, Bruce Springsteen Appreciation Night, and will wear BruceClaws jerseys.

On July 29th, the BlueClaws will wear Goonies jerseys as we celebrate the 25th anniversary of the hit 1985 movie. Jeff Cohen, who played “Chunk,” will be in attendance to sign autographs, throw out a ceremonial first pitch, and judge a “Truffle Shuffle” contest.

Proceeds for these four auctions will benefit BlueClaws Charities.

Finally, the BlueClaws will auction off jerseys for the American Cancer Society and their “Strides Against Breast Cancer” after the game on August 15th.

Let’s take a quick look back at an absolutely wild game and series last night in Lakewood. First off, the game took 4 hours and 32 minutes and went 14 innings.

• The two starting pitchers, Nick Hernandez of Lakewood and Dan Rosenbaum of Hagerstown, had combined to allow three earned runs in their three starts each. So naturally it was 4-4 after an inning and a half.
• Three of the eight meetings between these two teams have gone to extra innings (Lakewood has won two of those three and the season series is now 4-4).
• Hagerstown scored two in the ninth to tie the game after they scored five to win 11-7 in the 9th on Thursday night.
• The teams combined for seven errors and 30 hits.
• Hagerstown took the lead in the 12th when Chad Poe balked in the go-ahead run (who had advanced to third after a wild pitch on an intentional walk).
• Lakewood left 20 (!) runners on base in the game, including at least one in all but two innings. They went 3-22 with runners in scoring position.
• Domingo Santana was 0-4 with two walks and a HBP before his home run.
• One more, the sprinklers went off a few times in the 11th inning.

Wow. That was certainly a fun series. Next up, Greensboro. The bus arrived at about 9:30. First pitch tonight at 7.

Welcome back to FirstEnergy Park, getaway day and a great pitching matchup.

Listen Live (6:50)

LAK: LHP Nick Hernandez (2-0)
HAG: LHP Dan Rosenbaum (1-0)

(more…)

BlueClaws pitcher Jarred Cosart, who throws tomorrow night in Greensboro, is mentioned in this Baseball America article.

Cosart is another high school righthander who spent an extra year in Rookie ball before being unleashed on low Class A hitters this year. Cosart’s mid-90s fastball alone would be enough to dominate most hitters at that level, but mix in his curveball that has plus potential and it’s not a fair fight. Cosart outpitched Greensboro’s Chad James, the Marlins’ 2009 first-round pick, on Monday and has won each of this three starts in a Lakewood uniform, giving up just five runs on 11 hits in 17 innings. He also leads the Sally League in strikeouts with 24 and has issued a mere three walks.

On the day after Rutgers had two first round picks in the NFL Draft, we let you know that former Rutgers kicker Jeremy Ito will be in Lakewood to sign autographs on Rutgers Alumni Night, May 20th.