Game #35: Lakewood BlueClaws (12-22) at Greensboro Grasshoppers (15-19)

RHP Yoel Mecias (0-2, 5.48) vs RHP Austin Brice (2-3, 5.26)

Series: Meeting 4 of 4 (Greensboro leads season series 4-3 of 23)

Last Game Recap…The Lakewood BlueClaws used another six run inning to take down the Greensboro Grasshoppers 9-4 Saturday night at NewBridge Bank Park…Alejandro Villalobos singled home the first run of the game in the third and Brian Pointer put the second on the board with an RBI single as well…Art Charles finished off the inning with a sacrifice fly that made it 3-0…Greensboro responded with two runs in the bottom half of the inning off of Miguel Nunez…In the fourth it was Zach Taylor with a two-run homer and Art Charles with a two-run blast to cap off the 6 run fourth…Nunez earned the win (4-0) with the 9-4 victory…

Hopping to Greensboro…The Lakewood BlueClaws travel to Greensboro, North Carolina to take on the Grasshoppers (Marlins) in a four game series…GBO is the only stop on the road trip for Lakewood before they return home for seven more games on Monday…This series marks the second time the BlueClaws visit NewBridge Bank Park in 2013…The first visit went 3-1 in favor of the hometown ‘Hoppers (4/11-14).

Got That Wood Right Here…BlueClaws had just eight home runs through the first 32 games of the season, but have recorded six in the last two games in Greensboro…Art Charles leads the team with five homers…Roman Quinn is second on the squad with three and Numata, Pointer, and Taylor all have two each…Numata has the lone grand slam of the season (5/10 at GBO)…

Newest BlueClaw…C Justin Dalles has joined the BlueClaws from extended spring training…He was signed by the Phillies in December after spending four years in the Orioles system (was a 6th round pick in 2009 by the Orioles out of the University of South Carolina)…Last year, Dalles hit .329 in 20 games with Delmarva and .234 in 41 games with Hi-A Frederick)…Through 2012, he hit .229 in 225 career games with 15 home runs…Born in Brooklyn, he moved to Boynton Beach at age eight.

State of the Clubs…Lakewood enters the game won three out their last four games and come in with an 12-22 record…The BlueClaws are 11-13 after starting the season 1-9…They are currently 10-games under .500 and 8.5 games out of first place…They won just one of four from Lexington in their most recent series…Greensboro lost to Kannapolis the finale of their rain shortened series, but took two of three from the Intimidators…Over the last 10 games the Grasshoppers have dropped six of them…

Handsome Hanson…Nicholas Hanson has made two starts in the 2013 for the Lakewood BlueClaws and has delivered a total of 11 scoreless innings…Opponents have tallied just five hits and five walks against the 6’7” righty who has fanned eight over his two starts…In 2012 Hanson made three starts with the Williamsport Crosscutters and took two losses…In 10 innings he allowed 16 earned runs on 21 hits.

Nunez Keeps Rolling…RHP Miguel Nunez has been the BlueClaws best pitcher this season…With the win Saturday the righty improved to 4-0 on the season and lowered his ERA to 2.76…Whether out of the bullpen or the starting role Nunez has delivered… In 32.2 innings this season the Dominican righty has allowed 13 runs, 10 earned, on30 hits; he has walked 11 and struck out 17…

Hawaiian Punch…Chace Numata has been a pleasant surprise for the Lakewood BlueClaws in all facets this season…At the plate the switch hitter is batting .315 (28-for- 89) with two home runs and 16 RBI…He hit his first career grand slam on Friday night (5/10) and has reached base safely in 16 straight games…Against lefties he is hitting 8-for-16 (.500) with a home run and nine RBI…

Today’s Notes

Game #33: Lakewood BlueClaws (10-22) at Greensboro Grasshoppers (15-17)

RHP Shane Watson (1-3, 6.11) vs RHP Scott Lyman (1-2, 5.33)

                       Series: Meeting 2 of 4 (Greensboro leads season series 4-1 of 23)

Last Game Recap…The Lakewood BlueClaws scored first with a run in the top of the second inning, but could not hold the lead as Greensboro notched a run in the bottom of the frame and two more in the third. The BlueClaws made a couple of runs late, but ultimately fell 5-4…In the seventh Art Charles plated a run on a sacrifice fly and in the eighth Roman Quinn hit a single that scored two and cut the deficit to one, but that was as close as they could get.

Hopping to Greensboro…The Lakewood BlueClaws travel to Greensboro, North Carolina to take on the Grasshoppers (Marlins) in a four game series…GBO is the only stop on the road trip for Lakewood before they return home for seven more games on Monday…This series marks the second time the BlueClaws visit NewBridge Bank Park in 2013…The first visit went 3-1 in favor of the hometown ‘Hoppers (4/11-14).

Goose-eggs…The BlueClaws have been shutout three of their last five games including on Monday night, and five times overall this year… In addition, they have pitched two shutouts in their last two wins… Charleston has also been shutout five times and Greenville leads the league in that category at six…The BlueClaws were shutout eight times last year and eight times in 2011…The BlueClaws have scored 109 runs in 31 games, the fewest total in the league.

Newest BlueClaw…C Justin Dalles has joined the BlueClaws from extended spring training…He was signed by the Phillies in December after spending four years in the Orioles system (was a 6th round pick in 2009 by the Orioles out of the University of South Carolina)…Last year, Dalles hit .329 in 20 games with Delmarva and .234 in 41 games with Hi-A Frederick)…Through 2012, he hit .229 in 225 career games with 15 home runs…Born in Brooklyn, he moved to Boynton Beach at age eight.

State of the Clubs…Lakewood enters the game having dropped seven of their last 10 games, and come in with a 10-22 record…The BlueClaws are 9-13 after starting the season 1-9…They are currently 12-games under .500 and 9.5 games out of first place…They won just one of four from Lexington in their most recent series…Greensboro lost to Kannapolis the finale of their rain shortened series, but took two of three from the Intimidators…Over the last 10 games the Grasshoppers have dropped six of them…

Hot Hittin’ Willie C…Willie Carmona is 15-45 over the last 10 games after starting the season 10-55… Hehit in the clean-up spot for Lakewood when Art Charles was injured in the first game of the April 29th double-header at Asheville…His four-hit game on April 26th was the first of his career…Carmona was an 11th round pick from Stony Brook and helped the Seawolves reach the College World Series.

Handsome Hanson…Nicholas Hanson has made two starts in the 2013 for the Lakewood BlueClaws and has delivered a total of 11 scoreless innings…Opponents have tallied just five hits and five walks against the 6’7” righty who has fanned eight over his two starts…In 2012 Hanson made three starts with the Williamsport Crosscutters and took two losses…In 10 innings he allowed 16 earned runs on 21 hits.

No, No, No, Not Today…The Lakewood BlueClaws catchers have thrown out 24 of 81 attempted base stealers (29.6%) this season, which ranks 7th among teams in the Sally League…Chace Numata threw out three runners on Tuesday against Lexington, and has earned the 5th spot in the league in throwing out baserunners with 19-of-61 cut down trying to steal…

Speed Machine…Roman Quinn picked up four stolen bases on the last homestand and is 14-16 on the season, tying him for fourth in the league, 11 behind Kannapolis’ Micah Johnson…Quinn stole 30 bases last year with Williamsport, leading the NY-Penn League…On two occasions, Quinn has stolen second and third base in the same sequence.

Today’s Notes

Just back from the clubhouse. We have some interviews for you and photos too. Check back later tonight. But the BlueClaws are going back to the post-season! Hickory is 30 minutes from the start of their game against Greenville, and they know that it is for naught. O well.

Here’s the Catch of the Day program cover for the second homestand. Jiwan James and Michael Taylor featured.

Good morning everyone. Lakewood looks to even this series 2-2 here on getaway day in Greensboro.

Listen Live (10:45)

LAK: RHP Jonathan Pettibone (1-0, 5.52)
GBO: RHP Curtis Petersen (0-2, 9.72)

Walk This Way…The BlueClaws are third in the league in walks, having walked 74 times in their first 19 games. Jeremy Barnes is 4th in the league with 12, but Domingo Santana and Darin Ruf have drawn 11 and Adam Buschini 10 walks on the year.

One More Hit…The BlueClaws lead the league with a .299 average as a team this year. Four regulars (Ruf .338, Castro .329, Barnes .329 and Buschini .323) are hitting over .300. Ruf is 10th in the league to this point.

Just Grand…The BlueClaws did not hit a grand slam in 2009, and Adam Bushini’s grand slam on Monday was their first of the season. It was Buschini’s third home run of the year and just Lakewood’s second home run in the last 12 games.

Boosh the Bat…Adam Buschini has hit in seven straight games (13-30) over that stretch and hit a grand slam on Monday night. He began the year 8-35 before his current hot streak…He was a 4th round pick last year out of Cal-Poly.

One More Hit Streak…Jeremy Barnes is also on a seven-game hitting streak (12-29)…The two seven game hitting streaks are the longest of the season for the BlueClaws. Travis d’Arnaud had a 15-game hitting streak last year, but the team record is Ambiorix Reyes, who hit in 21 straight in 2001.

Dusty Wathan was featured in an article in the Buffalo News that ran today (read here). Wathan was a very popular player in Buffalo, where he played for three seasons, including a three home run game in 2005.

That promoted then Toldeo manager Larry Parrish to say: ”When he hits three, you’ve got to start buying lottery tickets.”

But the best line belonged to Wathan, who went 3-5 in the big leagues back in 2002 with Kansas City.

“I’m probably the only baseball player you’ll ever talk to who would have wanted a chance to lower his career batting average.”

Wathan is now managing Clearwater.

I did a quick research project today, looking at the youngest BlueClaws in team history, and came up with some interesting stuff.

In the team’s first seven years, the team never had an 18-year old on the Opening Day roster.

In 2008, Freddy

Galvis was 18 for the duration of the season, and did not turn 19 until November 14th.

Then, last year, the BlueClaws opened the year with four 18-year olds: Anthony Gose, Sebastian Valle, Zach Collier, and Jason Knapp.

The reason for this nice little stroll through the record-books? Should Domingo Santana join the BlueClaws in a few weeks, he would be the youngest player in team history.

Santana is just 17 and will not turn 18 until August.

The power-hitting OF was ranked 10th in the system per Baseball America this year, and hit six home runs in 118 at bats with the GCL Phillies last summer.

A native of the Dominican Republic, Santana was born in the Bahamas and signed for $330,000 in 2008.

Last night, the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs lost 4-3 to the Louisville Bats (Reds), but a deeper look into the box score reveals something interesting.

In the ballgame, Kevin Barker hit his 22nd home run of the season, the second most in the International League and he has a connection with the BlueClaws manager. Barker was traded in a one-for-one swap for Dusty Wathan in 2002 when Wathan was a member of the Padres during the 2001 off-season. That’s why its always fun to look a bit deeper into the box score.

Over the past season the Phillies organization has seen some of their top prospects and players get injured and then come back into the fold. Here is a look at some of the guys the Phillies have had go down, and their results from their return (In no order):

Dominic Brown (Broken finger): Out 6/8 – 7/16 – Since return: 5-for-12, 3 RBI
Lou Marson (Bruised right foot): Out 6/12 – 6/18 – Since return: Marson has see his average jump from .232 to .302.
Freddy Galvis (Broken Hand): Out 5/7 – 7/17 – Since return: 3-for-9, 2b
Mike Zagurski (Tommy John Surgery): Out 4/2008 – 4/2009 – Since return: 35 IP, 2.83 ERA with A+ and AA
Scott Mathieson (Tommy John Surgery) Out 9/2/2006 – 6/2009 – Since return:  2-0, 9IP, 0 ER, 10k with GCL and A+
Jason Donald (Knee Surgery) Out since 6/11 – Played four games with GCL Phillies, but has had setback.
Kyle Drabek (Tommy John Surgery) Out 2008 – Start 2009 – Since return: 9-2, 2.83 ERA with A+ and AA
Antonio Bastardo (Left shoulder strain) Out 6/27 – Present
Jason Knapp (Shoulder fatigue) Out 7/11 – Return expected soon
Tuffy Gosewisch (Broken hand) Out 7/16 – Present
Brett Myers (Hip Surgery) Out 5/28 – Present
Raul Ibanez (Groin strain) Out 6/18 – 7/10 – Since return: 7-for-19, 3 2b, 2HR
Brad Lidge (Right knee) Out 6/6 – 6/26 – Since return: 7.1, 5ER, 6 Saves, 1 loss
Carlos Ruiz (Oblique) Out 4/11 – 5/2  – Since return: 37-for-166, back with Phillies

Overall, the guys who have been injured have been strong in return. Here’s to a healthy future.

Of late, former BlueClaws pitchers have had an amazing run of success, making Lakewood a Pitcher’s Paradise. Here are a list of former BlueClaws pitchers and the results just from their last start!:

Kyle Drabek (First start in AA-Reading): 7ip, 0r, 3h, win
JA Happ (MLB-Phillies): 7ip, 0r, 4h, win
Josh Outman (right) (MLB-Oakland): 6.2ip, 2ER, win
Gavin Floyd (MLB-Chiacgo WS): 7ip, 4h, 2ER, 8k
Matt Maloney (AAA-Louisville): 9ip, 0r, 3h, 10ks, win
Antonio Bastardo (MLB Debut-Phillies): 6ip, 4h, 1ER, win
Carlos Carrasco (AAA-Lehigh Valley): 7ip, 6h, 2r, 6k
Kyle Kendrick (AAA-Lehigh Valley): 7ip, 5h, 2r

Congratulations to all these former Claws, making strides to and in the Big Leagues.

Some quick hitters from Sunday…

• Anthony Gose’s four stolen bases give him 35 on the season (in 40 attempts). He has a five stolen base lead on Eric Young, Jr. (Colorado Springs, AAA, Colorado) for the lead in all of MiLB (covering 120 teams).
• Those four steals, however, are not a team record. Javon Moran stole five bases in a game in 2004.
• Lakewood’s six steals (Mattair and Hanzawa each stole a base) are not close to the team record. In the same game when Moran stole five, Lakewood stole five others, for ten.
• Harold Garcia and Travis d’Arnaud homered for Lakewood, the third such game the BlueClaws have hit two home runs in this year.
• d’Arnaud becomes the first BlueClaw to homer on back-to-back days this season.
• Lakewood has hit 19 home runs this year, good for 14th of 16 in the SAL.

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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The BlueClaws have called for Little League teams across the country named the BlueClaws to send us their photo…Here are some BlueClaws from Texas!