Claws finish home stand with 3 in a row

After a thrilling game on Sunday, the BlueClaws topped Hickory again Monday night with a 4-3 walk off victory. Lakewood won despite getting just 6 hits, but made them all count. Jim Murphy hit a prodigious 2-run home run to center field in the 1st inning, Travis D'Arnaud belted his 4th dinger to tie it in the 6th and set the stage for the ninth inning heroics.



Lets back up a bit first. Jon Velasquez rebounded from a rough start earlier this week against Kannapolis by giving Lakewood 6 strong innings. He gave up 3 runs, just 2 earned on 5 hits and 2 walks, picking up 5 Ks, and receiving no decision. Santo Hernandez, who has been spectacular this home stand, threw 3 hitless innings in relief, striking out 6 to record the victory. Hernandez had 7 shut out frames in 2 appearances on the home stand.



Back to the ninth inning. After 2 outs, Zack Collier lined a single into right field. With Sebastian Valle batting, Collier took off for second, and when the throw went into the outfield, Zack scurried on over to third. It was the 9th steal for Collier, who has been torrid the last few weeks after a slow start. Then Valle, who has also been struggling, sent a line drive off the right field wall to win it.



Then, on Tuesday, the BlueClaws pulled themselves into a tie for 1st place, winning again 8-3. This time the catalyst was Anthony Gose. Gose had 2 hits, including a 3-run home run from which the team never looked back, scoring twice and stealing 2 more bases to take his league leading total to 21. Dare I say, the man is on pace to break Chris Roberson's team record of 59 steals, which he says is his goal. That is Gose in the picture with me from Sunday's charity auction.