Skip to main content

BlueClaws Quotables: Shawn Williams talks Casimiro & team's success

Shawn-Williams
Shawn Williams, image- Jay Floyd
The Class A BlueClaws are 10-3 in their last 13 games and have won 13 of their last 18 contests. Currently, Lakewood sits in 2nd place in the South Atlantic League's Northern Division, two games behind the first place West Virginia Power (Pirates affiliate).

Following Lakewood's 4-0 victory over the Power on Wednesday, team manager Shawn Williams spoke with Phillies Nation about a pair of the game's winning pitcher, some of the standout offensive contributors as well as the team's recent success following some roster turnover.

I asked Williams about right-handed hurler Ranfi Casimiro, who notched the win with 7 2/3 scoreless innings on three hits, while striking out six and walking two...

He was awesome. He threw the ball really well. He's been throwing like that all year, but he put together 7 2/3 (innings) and I'm really impressed with his outing. The slider was really good. His change up is always good, but his slider was what really impressed me and over all, stuff wise and challenging the zone, he was outstanding.

Williams spoke on if the wall Casimiro hit at the end of his outing, where he allowed the last three batters he faced to reach base with a hit batter and the two base on balls he issued, could be discouraging and possibly ruin the good outing overall...

I don't think so at all. I just think he ran out of gas a little bit. It just happens. He's pitched late into the game a lot this year, but I don't think, just overall, we'll look at the whole outings and I know he is and overall it was awesome and I thought he threw the ball very well.


Williams also spoke on a big three run inning in the 7th, where three consecutive batters (Deivi Grullon RBI triple, sacrifice fly by Gustavo Martinez, solo homer from Herlis Rodriguez) plated runs for the BlueClaws...

Herlis has got some power and he's shown it this year and that was a big time swing for us to give us that fourth run. But, overall there were really good at bats that whole inning. I thought Grullon with the triple and then Gustavo had a heck of an at bat with the first pitch to get that third run in with a sac fly and hit that ball well. But just good at bats that whole inning, but it was capped off by that home run from Herlis.

Lastly, Williams commented on the team's success since losing the likes of Carlos Tocci, Malquin Canelo, Rhys Hoskins to promotions and others to a trade...

It's just guys stepping up and Sandberg's stepped up and helped us big time. He's been swinging the bat very well over the past moth. Trompy's getting it going here and he's- defensively and everything. Just a lot of guys are stepping up and for me we're doing a very good job with situational hitting, especially on that road trip, we're just getting guys over, getting them in...to me that's how you win ball games. It's just a good atmosphere here. Guys are expecting to win.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

PhoulBallz Interview: Reading second baseman Jesmuel Valentin

Jesmuel Valentin, image- Jay Floyd Switch-hitting infielder Jesmuel Valentin has been a bit of an underrated contributor with the Double-A Reading Fightins. Heading into action on Friday, Valentin was batting .339 over his last 14 games. Overall this season, the 22-year-old is batting .282 with four home runs and 35 RBI in 64 games. Valentin, who plays mostly second base, but dabbles at shortstop a bit also, is the son of former big leaguer Jose Valentin . The Puerto Rico native was a supplementary round pick (51st overall) of the Dodgers in 2012. He was acquired by the Phils as part of the Roberto Hernandez trade in 2014. Recently, I spoke with Jesmuel about his team's success, growing up around the game and more. Read ahead for that full interview. -The Reading team has been great and you've contributed very nicely to the club's success. What are your thoughts on competition in the Eastern League this year? I just came here with the mindset that...

Q&A with Justin De Fratus

Justin De Fratus is a 21 year old right handed relief pitcher with the Lakewood BlueClaws. An 11th round draft choice in 2007, Justin had been a starter in his first two seasons in the Phillies organization. Informed this spring that he'd be switched from the rotation to the bullpen, Justin has excelled and become one of the most reliable pitchers on the Lakewood staff. In 19 games this season, Justin is 2-0, with a 1.83 ERA and 0.89 WHIP over 39 1/3 innings pitched. PhoulBallz.com spoke with Justin De Fratus just last night. Here's how that went down... Justin, South Atlantic League all star selections were announced this week, and you were named to the team. Can I get your reaction to that? How excited were you? Very excited about it. Well, especially this year because I just got moved to the bullpen, so this is a new role for me. So, if anything, it's reassuring that I'm doing my job. It's the first time in my pro career that I've been selected as an all star...

Catching prospect O'Hoppe tabbed to join Phillies

Logan O'Hoppe, image- Jay Floyd Please consider supporting my work and via my Patreon page .  For a small monthly fee, your patronage will get you exclusive interviews and other prospect related material as well as early access to all of my other content such as this feature.  Thank you.   On Friday, the Phillies added a pair of catchers to their 2020 player pool.  Minor leaguers Logan O'Hoppe (pronounced Oh-HOP-ee) and Henri Lartigue arrived in Philadelphia to help catch bullpen sessions for the team's collection of approximately 30 pitchers. The call to O'Hoppe was extremely welcome as the 20-year-old had been staying as active as he possibly could, working out with other players that have been been waiting out quarantine due to the current pandemic at his home on Long Island.  However, he had been very eager to step back onto an actual baseball field. "I just hope I can play soon.  Where ever that is or whatever form that is, that'd be aw...