Skip to main content

For BlueClaws, first-half division race coming down to the wire

By
Will Hibbs, image- Jay Floyd
LAKEWOOD, NJ-- The Class A South Atlantic League's Northern Division enters the final weekend of the season's first half with four teams within one game of each other chasing one playoff spot. The Lakewood BlueClaws are among three teams sitting one game behind the Kannapolis Intimidators (White Sox affiliate) for a playoff berth.

In full-season A levels, leagues crown first-half and second-half division champions, with both clubs reaching the playoffs, following the conclusion of the regular season on Labor Day weekend.

Just a couple days ago, the Hagerstown Suns (Nationals affiliate) led the division, but they were swept in double headers on back-to-back days on Wednesday and Thursday, allowing the Intimidators to leapfrog the group and take charge in the chase for a postseason spot.

The BlueClaws put themselves behind the eight-ball, so to speak, with a recent road series in Hagerstown, with the visitors dropping three or four contests last weekend.

BlueClaws players are fully aware of what's on the line and are taking each day as a challenge, hoping to reach the playoffs for the second straight season.

"This is the most important part of our season right now, with four teams separated by a total of one or one-and-a-half games right now. These games are paramount," All-Star reliever Will Hibbs shared prior to the BlueClaws' third straight win on Thursday.

With the team steadily checking the league's scoreboard to see what the other title chasers are up to, the 23-year-old righty asserts that there's a great amount of excitement within the Lakewood locker room of late.

"There's nothing anybody wants more than to win the first half, because once you win the first half and secure that playoff spot, you can take a deep breath and go out with a relaxed focus in the second half and not feel like your back's against the wall, knowing you have a playoff spot at the end of the season," Hibbs added.

Marty Malloy, image- Jay Floyd
Lakewood skipper Marty Malloy feels the importance of taking the BlueClaws to the postseason.

"Obviously, we're here to develop these players, but at the same token, we're here to develop winning players.  So, I'm never going to look at one and say it's okay we lose a game. We're all about winning, while we're developing," Malloy stated.

"It's energy right now...guys understand it. They know what's at stake and the energy- they're upbeat. They know every night that we go out that there's something to play for."

Malloy is in his first year coaching in the Phillies organization after spending the previous three years in player development with the Astros. The 45-year-old reached the big leagues with the Braves and Marlins and was part of the 1998 Atlanta team that won the National League East and lost in the league championship series to the Padres.

With such focus on continuing to win, Malloy and the team seemed a bit superstitious this week when they opted to wear the team's current home white uniform instead of the pinstriped throwback duds they've been sporting for Throwback Thursdays this season.

With a three-game series at home against last place Hickory (Rangers affiliate) from Friday through Sunday this weekend at FirstEnergy Park, Lakewood will need to fully pass each of the other teams in the standings, with Greensboro (Marlins affiliate) also in the mix for the division race. Tie-breakers will not fall in the 'Claws' favor.

From the team, what the BlueClaws need: The BlueClaws cannot break a tie with any of the other contenders (Hagerstown has the head to head tiebreaker and Lakewood's head to head advantage over Greensboro and Kannapolis would be moot as those teams will play 68 games instead of 70 and would have a better winning percentage - for example, 39-29 defeats 40-30 on winning percentage)...Therefore, should the BlueClaws sweep Hickory, they would need two Kannapolis losses, one Greensboro loss, and one Hagerstown loss over the weekend...should the BlueClaws win two of three from Hickory, they would need three Kannapolis losses, two Greensboro losses, and two Hagerstown losses.

Last year's top overall draft selection outfielder Mickey Moniak, fresh off the first four-hit game of his professional career on Wednesday and adding two more safeties on Thursday, realizes that there's still hope even if this weekend doesn't work out for the local nine.

"All we can do right now is do what we're doing and focus on winning ball games and letting the rest play out and if it works out, great! If it doesn't, then we have another half to make a run for it," the 19-year-old said.

Tickets for the BlueClaws' weekend series are available at BlueClaws.com, at the BlueClaws box office or on the phone by calling 732-901-7000.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

World Series Preview: Phillies vs. Astros

By
The Fall Classic is set to get underway on Friday with the Phillies opening on the road to take on the Astros in a best-of-seven series. This year marks 75 years since the first time a World Series was televised and this year each game will be broadcast on the FOX television network.  ESPN will have the radio broadcast and that feed can be streamed by using this link . Game 1 Friday, 8:03pm Eastern....in Houston.  RHP Aaron Nola (11-13, 3.25 ERA) vs. RHP Justin Verlander (18-4, 1.75 ERA).  In 16 road starts during the regular season this year, Nola notched a 5-9 record with a 3.00 ERA.  Nola has struck out 18 and walked three in 17 1/3 innings pitched this postseason.  Earlier this month, Nola tossed 6 2/3 scoreless innings at Houston.  In 15 home starts during the regular season, Verlander sported a 10-1 record with a 1.64 ERA and a 0.88 WHIP.  Verlander has a 5.68 ERA and has not recorded a win in seven career World Series starts.  Verlander has...
Post a Comment
Read more

2019 Phillies Prospects Countdown: #7 LHP JoJo Romero

By
JoJo Romero, image- Jay Floyd With a growing crop of very talented pitching prospects in the Phillies organization, left-hander JoJo Romero is certainly among the standouts. The five-foot-11 200-pounder was the Phils’ 4th round draft selection in 2016. That year he helped Yavapai College, the same school that the Phillies drafted Kenny Giles from in 2011, clinch the JuCo World Series, leading the way with an 11-5 record, a 3.64 ERA and a 10.2 K/9 mark. He also tossed a complete game gem to earn the win in their title game. After signing with the Phillies, Romero made his professional debut as a member of the short-season Class A Williamsport Crosscutters. There, he notched a 2-2 record with a 2.56 ERA while striking out 31 and walking 11 in 45 2/3 innings. In 2017, he got off to a terrific start with the Class A Lakewood BlueClaws. In 13 starts, Romero tallied a 5-1 record with a 2.11 ERA and a 9.3 K/9 mark and was honored as a South Atlantic League mid-season All-Star. R...
Post a Comment
Read more

PhoulBallz Interview: RHP Ben Brown talks TJ recovery, O'Hoppe, cancelled season

By
Image- MiLB.com Out of action since last May when it was determined he required Tommy John surgery, righty pitching prospect Ben Brown is using the downtime of the pandemic hiatus to continue his physical recovery.  A 33rd round draft selection of the Phillies back in 2017, Brown made his professional debut that same year, posting a 2.57 ERA and a 1.43 WHIP in 10 appearances in the rookie level Gulf Coast League.  The following season, Brown began to make a name for himself in the GCL, striking out 16 batters in one July appearance.  He would post a 3.12 ERA and a 1.18 WHIP in 10 games (eight starts) before earning a promotion and finishing the season with a pair of outings with Class A short-season Williamsport. Brown, a Long Island, NY native, opened last year with Class A Lakewood.  In four appearances with the BlueClaws, he struck out 20, walked four and allowed no runs in 13 2/3 innings and looked well on his way to making an impact on betting odds and avai...
Post a Comment
Read more