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
BlueClaws pitcher, and 2008 Phillies second-round pick, Jason Knapp was featured in USA Today earlier this week. Paul White was up in Lakewood and sat down with the right-handed pitcher, who will start tonight’s BlueClaws game in Hickory. Knapp is 1-2 with an ERA of just 1.85. The BlueClaws have only scored seven runs in his four starts.