Taking 2nd half seriously

Blue Crabs split 4-game series in Camden

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

"We're going to get back at it [in the second half]," promised Blue Crabs designated hitter Matt Craig, who led the team with a league second-best .335 batting average entering Tuesday's action, which finished too late for inclusion into this edition. "Hopefully, we'll have the best [overall] record in the league [by the end of the second half].

"You're going to lose ballgames. Good teams lose then get back on a winning streak. They don't lose multiple games in a row."

The Blue Crabs took Craig's words to heart Sunday in a 4-1 win, salvaging a split in a four-game series at Camden to kick off the second half.

Blue Crabs pitcher Dan Reichert boasted a stellar start, going seven innings with just the one earned run allowed on six hits for the win. His 9-6 record tied him atop the league with the most wins entering Tuesday, and his 3.35 ERA was fourth best.

In taking the series finale, the Blue Crabs (2-2 second half, 43-31 overall) avoided their first three-game losing streak since May 22, when they previously visited their New Jersey-based divisional opponent. Camden (2-2, 41-33) happened to sweep that three-game series.

But that seems like many moons ago for the Blue Crabs, who have been the league's best team since the calendar flipped to June. And they have not lost a series since May 30 — an impressive run of 11 straight series, winning seven while splitting the others.

None of the Blue Crabs' series was more important than a four-game split with Camden, culminating on July 4 at Waldorf's Regency Furniture Stadium, to end the first half.

The Blue Crabs claimed the first two games to clinch the first-half division title in a neck-and-neck race with Camden, which held down first place most of the way until the Southern Marylanders emerged in front in later June.

Following the three-day All-Star break, the two teams were at it again for their most recent encounter — just with far less on the line.

The Blue Crabs savored victory Thursday in a masterful pitcher's duel as they were no-hit through 8 1/3 innings and still pulled out the 4-0 shutout in 10 innings.

Camden's pitching remained in quality form Friday and Saturday in 7-2 and 8-4 wins, while its bats clicked against the two Blue Crabs pitchers responsible for tossing gems the week before in eliminating Camden from the first-half division title.

Friday, Camden applied the first blemish to Blue Crabs lefty Craig Anderson since he arrived to Southern Maryland in early June. The normally stingy Anderson dropped to 4-1 and saw his ERA increase to 2.59 after he was tagged for five earned runs on nine hits in just three innings.

In his previous five starts with the Blue Crabs, Anderson had allowed just four runs combined — blanking Camden at home on July 1 through six innings for his most recent win.

Saturday, Connor Robertson absorbed the loss on the mound for the Blue Crabs after lasting only 3 1/3 innings, surrendering five earned runs on eight hits. It was nearly a polar opposite showing for Robertson from his July 2 victory against Camden that clinched the Blue Crabs' first-half title, pitching seven innings of shutout ball.

Camden pitcher Ben Davis was within two outs of a no-hitter Thursday in the ninth — facing just one batter more than the minimum to that point — when Blue Crabs catcher Christian Lopez singled.

The game remained scoreless until the Blue Crabs exploded for all of their runs in the 10th against Camden reliever Tracy Thorpe, sparked by a Craig leadoff single and highlighted by Travis Garcia's two-run double.

A Camden error and another Lopez single accounted for the Blue Crabs' other two runs in the additional frame.

Davis got the hard-luck no-decision, allowing just the one hit in his nine innings with five strikeouts and a walk.

Not to be overlooked, Blue Crabs starter Jarrett Santos was also mighty on the mound in his no-decision, yielding just two hits in his eight innings to lower his ERA to a league-best 2.71 entering Tuesday.

Both clubs managed just four hits each in Thursday's contest.

"Camden's good. They're very good," said Blue Crabs manager Butch Hobson, whose club is 7-7 against the Riversharks this season. "Now, we come home and play [a three-game series with Lancaster]."

"A lot of that [mindset] starts with Butch," Craig added about how his manager is not about to let the team lie down in the second half.

The Blue Crabs began their series hosting Lancaster on Tuesday looking to cool down the league's hottest team. Lancaster is coming off a four-game sweep of reigning league champion Somerset and was the only undefeated team in the second half entering Tuesday.

The series continues at 7:05 tonight and at 11:05 a.m. Thursday.

dcogle@somdnews.com

CrustaceaNotes

By protecting both wins in the series at Camden, Blue Crabs closer Jim Ed Warden had 13 saves on the season entering Tuesday. That tied him with Bridgeport's Jorge Julio for second in the league, three behind Somerset closer Ryan Houston.

The Blue Crabs pitching staff continues to lead the league by a long shot with a collective 3.23 ERA entering Tuesday. The next-closest team was Bridgeport with a 4.04 ERA.

Blue Crabs pitching is also tops or tied for first in the league in best opposing slugging percentage, runs allowed, hits allowed, walks allowed and complete games.

As the first-half division champions, the Blue Crabs earn the right to host Games 1 and 2 of the Divisional Series Sept. 22 and 23. Should the best-of-five series reach a deciding fifth game, the Blue Crabs would also host that affair Sept. 26.

Last year, the playoff format was slightly different as the Blue Crabs' first-half title only guaranteed them hosting rights in the divisional series for either Games 1 and 2 or 3 through 5. They chose to take home-field advantage in the first two games with only one of the final three contests guaranteed. That series however went the distance, causing the Blue Crabs to garner a win on the road in Game 5 at Long Island.

Dallas Cogle

Atlantic League standings (Standings through Monday)

Liberty Division W L Pct. GB Streak Last 10 1st half

Bridgeport 3 1 .750 ---- W-2 3-1 36-34

*Southern Maryland 2 2 .500 1.0 W-1 2-2 41-29

Camden 2 2 .500 1.0 L-1 2-2 39-31

Long Island 2 2 .500 1.0 W-2 2-2 36-34

Freedom Division W L Pct. GB Streak Last 10 1st half

Lancaster 4 0 1.000 ---- W-4 4-0 31-39

Newark 2 2 .500 2.0 L-2 2-2 21-49

*York 1 3 .250 3.0 L-2 1-3 40-30

Somerset 0 4 .000 4.0 L-4 0-4 36-34

First-half division winner