LAKEWOOD, N.J. - For the second time in four days, the Hagerstown Suns (22-19, 60-50) fell in walk-off fashion along the Jersey Shore after Raul Rivas lined an RBI single to left field for the Lakewood BlueClaws (20-23, 60-53) in the bottom of the tenth inning to hand the Suns
LAKEWOOD, N.J. - For the second time in four days, the Hagerstown Suns (22-19, 60-50) fell in walk-off fashion along the Jersey Shore after Raul Rivas lined an RBI single to left field for the Lakewood BlueClaws (20-23, 60-53) in the bottom of the tenth inning to hand the Suns a 3-2 defeat on Sunday afternoon.
The Suns lost three of four games in the series against their South Atlantic League Northern Division rivals. With 27 games remaining in the regular season, Hagerstown sits second in the division, a half game behind the first-place Hickory Crawdads. All seven teams in the SAL Northern standings are separated by four games or less.
A.J. Bogucki (Loss, 2-2) recorded an out in the tenth before he hit Jesus Alastre with a pitch. Jake Barnett entered from the bullpen and induced a foul out but the two-out base hit by Rivas scored Alastre from first and handed the Suns their seventh walk-off loss in 2017. The BlueClaws also walked off in the series opener last Thursday on a three-run, bases-loaded triple by Daniel Brito in the bottom of the ninth for a 5-4 Lakewood triumph.
Rivas led the BlueClaws with three hits including a bunt single against Hagerstown starter James Bourque in the first inning. Bourque allowed only two hits through the first six frames before Mickey Moniak, last year's first overall pick in the MLB Draft, led off with a single and scored on a triple by Austin Listi. Bourque left the game one batter later after issuing his lone walk and finished with 6 1/3 innings, two earned runs on four hits, and four strikeouts.
Bogucki relieved Bourque with two outs in the seventh and David Martinelli gave the BlueClaws their first lead, 2-1, on a sacrifice fly to center field that scored Listi, but the inning ended moments later on the same play when Blake Perkins threw the ball in from center and Bogucki connected with Angelo La Bruna at second base to erase Gregori Rivero.
Jake Noll drove in both runs for Hagerstown on Sunday. The 23-year-old Florida Gulf Coast alum went deep in the top of the fourth on a solo homer to left against Lakewood starter Adonis Medina, who took the no-decision after six innings, three hits, three walks, and seven strikeouts.
In the eighth, Noll tied the game at 2-2 with an RBI single to center after La Bruna led off with a walk and navigated around the bases following a sac bunt by Perkins and a groundout by Telmito Agustin . Noll leads the active Suns roster with 14 home runs and 60 runs batted in this season. He finished 2-for-5 at the plate on Sunday. Oliver Ortiz and La Bruna both added two base hits of their own as the other six Suns batters went hitless.
Ismael Cabrera (Win, 7-5) picked up the victory for Lakewood after pitching one frame with a perfect top of the tenth inning.
On Monday, the Suns continue their week-long road trip during the first of three games at Delmarva with first pitch at 7:05 p.m. Left-handed Ben Braymer (1-0, 1.50) will make his second start in a Suns uniform against Shorebirds righty Matthias Dietz (2-8, 4.64). Baseball returns to Hagerstown Municipal Stadium with Thirsty Thursday on August 10 for a four-game homestand between the Suns and West Virginia Power. For tickets, call (301) 791-6266 or visit hagerstownsuns.com.
