Welcome back to FirstEnergy Park in Lakewood where the BlueClaws look for their 80th win of the season on a potential clincher night…they clinch the 2nd half title with a win and a Greensboro loss.

Game Notes
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LAK: RHP Trevor May (6-3, 3.05)
AUG: RHP Brian Irving (7-5, 4.50)

Let’s Get This Party Started…The BlueClaws can clinch the league’s second half title tonight with a win AND a Greensboro loss…The Grasshoppers are currently 4.5 games behind Lakewood with six games to play…If the BlueClaws do win the second-half title, they will become the first team since Capital City in 2004 and just the fourth (also Lake County in 2003 and Piedmont in 2000) to win both halves (the SAL switched to the current two-half/two-division format in 2000)…None of the three teams to win both halves went on to win the South Atlantic League title…Piedmont, the Phillies SAL affiliate before Lakewood’s 2001 debut, was managed by current BlueClaws hitting coach Greg Legg.

The First Clincher…The BlueClaws clinched the first-half title on the last day of the half, June 20th in a 6-3 win over Kannapolis…Jonathan Singleton hit two home runs in the win.

May Day…May, 20, makes his 11th start with Lakewood after he went 5-5, 5.01 in 17 starts with Hi-A Clearwater…He gave up four runs (tied Lakewood season-high) in five innings at Hickory last Wednesday…May has struck out 85 in just 59 innings with Lakewood and has walked just 19 (he walked 61 in 70 innings with Clearwater)…On July 27th at Delmarva, he struck out 14 Shorebirds, tying a BlueClaws single-game franchise record…In 10 starts with Lakewood, May has struck out at least nine hitters in six of them…Left-handed hitters are batting just .198 against May (.234 for right- handed hitters)

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One night after the 13th walk-off win of the season, the BlueClaws are back in action tonight against Augusta at FirstEnergy Park, with just seven games left in the 2010 regular season.

Game Notes
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LAK: RHP Brody Colvin (6-7, 3.28)
AUG: RHP Andrew Reichard (4-1, 3.50)

Magic Tricks…The BlueClaws magic number to win the second half title is just three.

Record Chasing…BlueClaws CF Jiwan James has 147 hits on the season, just five off Quintin Berry’s single-season franchise record set in 2007…Sebastian Valle, with 89, is three behind Ryan Howard’s franchise RBI record (Valle was placed on the disabled list, retroactive to Saturday with a right hamstring strain).

The Beal Deal…BlueClaws RHP Justin Beal has has only allowed one run in his last 10.1 innings pitched, including 4.2 scoreless on the current road trip…Beal joined the BlueClaws on 6/27 from Williamsport…He began pitching during his senior year of college at Missouri Southern State.

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Welcome back to FirstEnergy Park. After the final day off of the regular season, the BlueClaws are set to kick off an eight-game homestand beginning with four against the Augusta GreenJackets (Giants). The teams haven’t met since 2008 and Lakewood beat Augusta in the 2006 SAL Championship Series.

Game Notes
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LAK: RHP Mike Bolsenbroek (0-1, 3.00)
AUG: LHP Kelvin Marte (1-0, 2.70)

Do You Believe in Magic?…The BlueClaws are trying to become the first team since Capital City in 2004 and just the 3rd (Piedmont, a Phillies affiliate managed by current Lakewood hitting coach Greg Legg, in 2000 and Lake County in 2003) to win both halves…They currently lead Greensboro by 4.5 games in the second half standings with eight games left…The BlueClaws magic number is four over Greensboro and three over Hickory and Kannapolis, meaning any combo of four BlueClaws wins and Grasshoppers losses plus any combo of three BlueClaws wins and Kannapolis/Hickory losses would clinch the half for Lakewood.

Barnes Burning Up…On the strength of a 13-30 week, Jeremy Barnes has raised his average up to .296 …Barnes has not been at .300 since May 31st…He is 31-82 (.375) in August with 10 multi-hit games this month…He hit .346 in April, .268 in May, .176 in June, .247 in July.

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Hard to believe but this is the last regular season road game for the BlueClaws as they look to take three of four from Hickory after winning the last two. The winning team has scored multiple runs in the first inning each day and has led throughout.

Game Notes
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LAK: RHP Julio Rodriguez (3-1, 1.85)
HIC: LHP Miguel de los Santos (2-1, 3.99)

Ten In a Row…The BlueClaws have wrapped up a winning record for the 10th consecutive half and 13th among 20 in franchise history…Lakewood had just three winning halves in their first 10 but this would is their 10th straight (beginning with the first half of 2006).

Here Comes Jiwan…BlueClaws CF Jiwan James has 145 hits on the season, just seven off Quintin Berry’s single-season franchise record set in 2007…He has scored 80 runs, 12 less than Michael Bourn’s total of 92 set in the 2004 season.

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Back at LP Frans Stadium here in Hickory where the BlueClaws look to take their second in the first three games against Hickory…Lakewood dropped the series opener 5-3 on Friday and took the second game 7-3 last night. If the playoffs started today, here’s your match-up.

Game Notes
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LAK: RHP Jonathan Pettibone (6-6, 3.57)
HIC: RHP Braden Tullis (6-1, 3.64)

The Pettibone…Pettibone, 20, makes his 23rd appearance and comes off a career long (tying) eight inning outing against Hagerstown on Saturday…The only run he gave up was an 8th inning home run to Sandy Leon…Pettibone has not allowed more than three earned runs in a start since he gave up six in 1/3 of an inning against Greensboro on June 6th…Since then he has an ERA of 2.33, lowing his ERA from 5.98… Pettibone has walked just one hitter in his last three starts and four in his last 39.1 innings pitched…He is 3-1 with a 1.83 ERA over his last six starts.

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Welcome back to LP Frans Stadium here in Hickory where tonight the BlueClaws try to even up their four-game series with the Crawdads after dropping a 5-3 decision last night.

Game Notes
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Don’t Look Now…But here comes Greensboro…The Grasshoppers have won six of their last eight games and are just 2.5 games in back of Lakewood (and tied with Hickory for second place) in the second half standings…Greensboro can make the playoffs if they win the second half, while Hickory would qualify by winning the second half or if the BlueClaws win and Hickory has the next-best overall record (they lead by eight games with 11 to go).

The Comeback Kids…The BlueClaws have won nine games that they have trailed after eight innings this year…No other team in the league has won more than four.

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A playoff preview from Hickory, NC tonight as the BlueClaws open a four-game series with the Hickory Crawdads, their would-be playoff opponent if the post-season began today. Should be fun. It’s the first meeting of the year between the two division-rivals.

Game Notes
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LAK: RHP Trevor May (6-2, 2.67)
HIC: RHP Neil Ramirez (8-8, 4.56)

Barnes Burning Up…Jeremy Barnes went 5-6 in the double-header on Tuesday at Hagerstown raising his average to .299…Barnes has not been at .300 since May 31st…He is 28-67 (.418) in August with nine multi-hit games this month…He hit .346 in April, .268 in May, .176 in June, .247 in July…In his last four games, Barnes is 10-15 with four doubles and two triples…Barnes also has two three-double games this month, one off the franchise record of four (Jeremy Slayden, 2006)…He was an 11th round pick last year out of Notre Dame who played shortstop for Williamsport last year…This year, he has played second and third base with Lakewood.

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Let’s try this again…After getting rained out last night, the BlueClaws and Hagerstown Suns will play two today beginning at 5:05

Game Notes
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We’ll have both game updates down here…

Game One
LAK: RHP Brody Colvin (6-7, 3.19)
HAG: LHP Graham Hicks (1-5, 5.79)

Game Two
LAK: RHP Mike McGuire (1-1, 3.27)
HAG: RHP Paul Demny (6-7, 3.90)

Brody’s Back…Today is Brody Colvin’s first start since exiting a game Tuesday against Greensboro when he was hit in the leg with a come-backer. He has an extra day of rest since the BlueClaws used a six-man rotation this turn (with Julio Rodriguez making a Friday start), but Brody has been fine since leaving his last outing…He is 4-2, 1.53 over his last 17 starts.

Closing In…The BlueClaws are three wins away from clinching a winning record in their 10th consecutive half, dating to the first half of the 2006 season…Lakewood had just three winning halves in their first 10, but have been over .500 in every half since.
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Welcome back to Municipal Stadium here in Hagerstown as the BlueClaws look to bounce back from a 9-7 loss yesterday afternoon. This is game three of a four-game series after which the BlueClaws head to Hickory.

Game Notes
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UPDATE: Rained out…Two tomorrow beginning at 5:05.

Brody’s Back…Today is Brody Colvin’s first start since exiting a game Tuesday against Greensboro when he was hit in the leg with a come-backer. He has an extra day of rest since the BlueClaws used a six-man rotation this turn (with Julio Rodriguez making a Friday start), but Brody has been fine since leaving his last outing…He is 4-2, 1.53 over his last 17 starts.

Closing In…The BlueClaws are three wins away from clinching a winning record in their 10th consecutive half, dating to the first half of the 2006 season…Lakewood had just three winning halves in their first 10, but have been over .500 in every half since.

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Day game after a night game in which Lakewood knocked off Hagerstown 6-1 behind eight great innings from Jonathan Pettibone. The BlueClaws are still 3.5 games up on Hickory as they try to win both halves.

Game Notes
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LAK: RHP Colby Shreve (7-5, 3.67)
HAG: LHP Evan Bronson (3-2, 4.18)

Just Missed…Jonathan Pettibone was three outs short of a nine-inning complete game on Saturday at Hagerstown…The BlueClaws have not had a nine-inning complete game since July 20th, 2007 by Carlos Monasterios (now with the Dodgers), a span of 464 games…The BlueClaws have had a pitcher throw eight innings this year a total of eight times but have yet to have a pitcher start the ninth.

A Dabbs Here and a Dabbs There…Michael Dabbs, who joined the BlueClaws from Williamsport on July 21st, is hitting .312 with Lakewood and has hit safely in all but three games that he has played…He had an 11-game hitting streak from 7/31 – 8/17 and has hit safely in 12 of his last 13 games.

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One night after Ryan Howard and 10,000+ fans, the BlueClaws have arrived in Hagerstown to open the final road trip of the regular season. Four here and then four more in Hickory, Lakewood’s likely first round playoff opponent.

Game Notes
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LAK: RHP Jonathan Pettibone (5-6, 3.75)
HAG: LHP Mitchell Clegg (9-1, 2.52)

Atop the Rankings…Howard drove in his 92nd run of his BlueClaw career on Friday, putting him atop the franchise leaderboard in that category…He broke a tie with Travis Mattair and Randy Ruiz, who each had 91…Howard drove in 87 in 2002 and four more during a 2007 rehab appearance at FirstEnergy Park…Sebastian Valle had 15 last year and has 72 this year…He is five away from tying the record…Leandro Castro, who had six last year, has 74 this year and 80 in his BlueClaws career, 12 off the record.

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Guess who’s in town tonight? Ryan Howard arrived at FirstEnergy Park around 2:30 this afternoon, took a little batting practice (pictured) and is batting third tonight for Lakewood. As I type (6:26), we’re about 30 minutes away from his jersey retirement ceremony.

Game Notes
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LAK: RHP Julio Rodriguez (3-0, 1.86)
GBO: LHP Chad James (3-9, 5.32)

Welcome Back Ryan Howard…Ryan Howard, who played with the BlueClaws in 2002 and rehabbed with Lakewood in 2007, will rehab here tonight…He has been on the disabled list since August 3rd (retroactive to August 2nd) with a left ankle sprain…Howard hit .280 with 19 HRs and 87 RBIs with Lakewood in 2002, the team’s second year.

One More RBI…Howard has 91 RBIs as a BlueClaw, tying him for the franchise record with two others (Travis Mattair, 07-08 and Randy Ruiz, 04)…He is two home runs short of Juan Richardson’s team record of 22, set in the team’s inaugural season of 2001…Howard had one home run and four RBIs during a two-day rehab appearance in 2007 (May 23rd and 24th).

Retired Numbers…The BlueClaws will retire the #29 Howard wore while playing for the team in 2002…He is the first former BlueClaws player to have his number retired…There are two other numbers that will never be worn by a BlueClaws player (42, retired by Major League Baseball in honor of Jackie Robinson and 50, retired by the South Atlantic League in honor of former league president John Henry Moss, who was president of the league for 50 years).

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Welcome back to FirstEnergy Park here in Lakewood where tonight the BlueClaws and Greensboro Grasshoppers meet in game three of a four game series. The clubs have split the first two.

Game Notes
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LAK: RHP Josh Zeid (6-4, 2.74)
GBO: RHP Robert Morey (0-2, 2.36)

Dig the Long Ball…Sebastian Valle had hit one home run through May 27th, but since then has hit 15 home runs, most in the league in that period. Valle has hit seven home runs since July 26th and five in August…Valle hit six home runs with Williamsport last year after starting the season with Lakewood…He turned 20 on July 24th.

On the Improve…Lakewood’s pitchers have improved the team ERA each month this year…April 4.26, May 3.09, June 2.76, July 2.70, August 2.30.

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Welcome back to FirstEnergy Park where tonight the BlueClaws and Greensboro Grasshoppers meet in the second of a four-game series. First pitch at 7:05 (as I type at 4:11, we’re going to take the tarp off the field at 4:30).

Game Notes
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LAK: RHP Trevor May (5-2. 2.44)
GBO: RHP Erick Carrillo (5-5, 4.44)

May Day…May, 20, makes his 9th start with Lakewood after opening the year with Clearwater, where he went 5-5, 5.01…He was sent to Lakewood on July 4th when LHP Matt Way was promoted to Clearwater…May threw seven shutout against Delmarva on Friday, the second time he threw seven shutout against Delmarva in a span of 17 days…May has allowed a total of four earned runs over his last five starts (covering 32 innings pitched)…In those 32 innings, May has allowed 18 hits, 10 walks, and has struck out 45…He is 4-1 in that stretch…May does lead the minors in walks, with 79 in 118 innings between Lakewood and Clearwater

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