GREENSBORO, NC – After a crushing loss and an early 2-0 lead, the Lakewood BlueClaws, with the help of their bats and poor defense by the Greensboro Grasshoppers, storm back to win their fifth gave out of six, 11-6.
The Grasshoppers (26-25) got out to an early lead on starter Jon Velasquez and the BlueClaws (30-20) as Ben Lasater led off the second inning with his ninth home run of the season, a solo shot and a 1-0 lead. A Justin Jacobs sacrifice fly later in the inning, scoring Jake Smolinski made it a 2-0 lead before the BlueClaws bat came alive and the Grasshoppers defense fell asleep.
It took until the fifth, but the BlueClaws got to spot starter Wade Korpi as Harold Garcia reached on an error before Anthony Gose was hit by a pitch and Travis d’Arnaud hit his third home run in as many games. The home run made it 3-2 but the BlueClaws were not done yet. Jim Murphy walked, Korpi was relieved by Andy Loomis before Jeremy Hamilton singled and advanced to third on another error before Travis Mattair reached on a third error to score Murphy. The BlueClaws scored four in the fifth.
The BlueClaws added to their lead in the sixth as Garcia singled and then scored on a Gose double, who then scored on a single by d’Arnaud. Murphy singled for the fourth straight hit before another error allowed d’Arnaud to take third. The next batter Hamilton hit a sacrifice fly to give the BlueClaws a five-run lead at 7-2.
The Grasshoppers struck back for two in the sixth however, and left men on base to make it a 7-4 game, and potentially more, but the inning ended with just two runs scoring.
In the three-run game, the BlueClaws scored again in the seventh, as Troy Hanzawa Walked and Korby Mintken singled and they both scored on a double by Gose. The lead was five and would stay at five as the BlueClaws scored for their fourth straight inning getting one in the eighth, equaling the total the Grasshoppers scored in the bottom of the seventh.
The BlueClaws scored another run in the ninth, their fifth straight inning with a run as Korby Mintken added run number 11, tying for the most the BlueClaws have scored in a single game this season.
Velasquez (7-2) picked up his seventh win of the season as he went 5.1 innings, allowing five hits and three runs. He continues to get tremendous run support when he is on the mound. Santo Hernandez finished the sixth and pitched the seventh and allowed two runs, one earned, his first earned run allowed in 13 innings. Ryan Airail pitched a clean eighth and ninth and allowed a run in the ninth.
Korpi (1-2) made the spot start for the Grasshoppers, who were in need of help after having a doubleheader over the weekend. He went 4.1 and allowed four runs, two earned. Loimis then allowed four runs, three earned before Dan Jennings couldn’t stop the BlueClaws as he allowed three runs to end the game.
The Grasshoppers made six errors in the game, accounting for four BlueClaws runs, one less than the margin of victory.
With the win and a loss by the Delmarva Shorebirds, the BlueClaws erase the dreadful loss from Sunday and are back at 2.5 games ahead of second place. They have won five of their last six games.
The BlueClaws and Grasshoppers will play their final game of a four-game series at 12:35pm on Tuesday and it will be a battle of top pitchers in the South Atlantic League. Tyler Cloyd (5-2) who has been the BlueClaws best starter will be opposed by Johnny Dorn (6-1) the best pitcher for the Grasshoppers. The BlueClaws will look to win the series, while the Grasshoppers will look for a split.