'Birds Pound Three Homers, Blank 'Claws
LAKEWOOD, NJ - The Delmarva Shorebirds rode a trio of home runs and overpowering strikeout pitching to notch their 17th shutout win of the season, blanking the Lakewood BlueClaws 5-0 on Friday night at FirstEnergy Park.After Grayson Rodriguez got things rolling with six strikeouts over three perfect innings, Nick Vespi
LAKEWOOD, NJ - The Delmarva Shorebirds rode a trio of home runs and overpowering strikeout pitching to notch their 17th shutout win of the season, blanking the Lakewood BlueClaws 5-0 on Friday night at FirstEnergy Park.
After
Delmarva got the ball rolling offensively in the top of the second. Shayne Fontana led off with a double to right center, and
From there the Shorebirds flexed their power at the plate. Johnny Rizer led off the third with a scorching line drive homer to right, his first in a Delmarva uniform and fourth of the season. In the fourth, Nick Horvath went yard to left for his third solo blast in four games, and three batters later Jean Carlos Encarnacion cranked a towering solo home run all the way above the picnic grass in left field, his ninth of the year, giving the Shorebirds a 5-0 lead.
Lakewood's only true rally came in the bottom of the seventh. McCarthy Tatum led off with a walk, then after a fielder's choice
With nine in a row retired in his abbreviated start, Rodriguez has now tossed eight straight no-hit innings dating back to his five frames of no-hit ball on August 10 against Kannapolis. Over his last eight innings the Orioles' No. 2 prospect has fanned 16 batters and allowed just two baserunners on walks.
Delmarva's 82nd win is their most ever in one season as a Baltimore Orioles affiliate. The Shorebirds are one win away from matching the inaugural 1996 Shorebirds for most wins in single-season franchise history; the '96 team went 83-59 in their one season under the Montreal Expos umbrella.
The Shorebirds aim to make history against the BlueClaws on Saturday night.