Suns open final regular season series with 10-4 win
HAGERSTOWN, MD - The Hagerstown Suns (42-25, 86-51) began their final series of the regular season on Friday night with a 10-4 win over the Lakewood BlueClaws (24-41, 51-83) in front of 1,778 at Municipal Stadium. The win improved Hagerstown's record against Lakewood this year to 16-8.
The Suns scored seven of their 10 runs in the first two innings, with the four-run second inning breaking the game open. In that second frame Hagerstown used the long ball to turn a one-run game into a comfortable five-run lead. The first dinger of the frame came off the bat of 3B Austin Davidson, who was making his Suns debut. With runners at first and second and one out Davidson sent a ball into the visitors bullpen beyond the center field wall for his third professional homerun. Later in the inning 1B Jimmy Yezzo lifted a ball out of the park to nearly the same spot, giving Hagerstown its 20th multi-homerun game of the season.
The Suns went into the bottom of the first inning trailing by two runs, but the offense quickly responded. Hagerstown managed to load the bases with no one out, and then a wild pitch brought RF Rafael Bautista home from third. The wild pitch occurred with Yezzo at the plate, and later in the at-bat he hit a double to center field, which brought in two more runs to make it 3-2 Suns.
In the top of the first inning it was a two-out rally that got the BlueClaws on the scoreboard. Catcher Andrew Knapp began the rally by smacking a double to right. Left fielder Dylan Cozens followed with a single to center field, driving in Knapp to make it 1-0. Cozens then stole second, and he scored from second on a single that ricocheted off the mitt of Yezzo at first.
The other two Lakewood runs crossed the plate in the fourth. With the bases loaded and no outs, 2B Andrew Pullin grounded into a force out at second, which brought home one run. Following the force out at second, 2B Brennan Middleton threw to first to try and turn the double play, but the throw sailed wide, which allowed a second run to cross the plate and the BlueClaws to cut their deficit to three.
The deficit remained three for Lakewood until the bottom of the eighth, when their deficit doubled. With a runner at third and one out Middleton hit a ground ball single to left to bring home the first run of the frame. A double by Bautista followed, which scored Middleton. Bautista then went to third on a wild pitch, and crossed the plate for the final run of the game thanks to another wild pitch.
RHP Phillips Valdez (2-0) wound up with the win for Hagerstown. He threw three innings in relief without giving up a hit or a run. RHP Robbie Dickey started for the Suns and tossed four innings, surrendering four runs (three earned) on six hits and five walks while striking out two. LHP David Napoli pitched the final two innings for Hagerstown for his seventh save of the season. RHP Yacksel Rios (6-2) started for the BlueClaws and got tagged with the loss. He went just 1.2 innings, giving up seven runs (five earned) on eight hits and one walk while striking out two.
These two teams continue their four-game series at Municipal Stadium on Saturday August 30. The Suns will send RHP Reynaldo Lopez (4-1) to the mound for his ninth start and appearance of the year. He will square off against RHP Ranfi Casimiro (5-9) for Lakewood. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05pm.