Long Ball Dooms Lakewood in Loss to Shorebirds

The Delmarva (Md.) Shorebirds hit three home runs, including a league-leading 11th of the season by Alex Murphy, in their 5-3 win over the Lakewood BlueClaws in South Atlantic League play Sunday.
Delmarva (35-26), the Baltimore Orioles’ low Class A farm club, took three of four games in the series from the visiting BlueClaws (24-38). Delmarva is 8-4 against Lakewood, a Philadelphia Phillies affiliate.

Delmarva opened the scoring with homers off starter Tyler Gilbert in the second inning. Gerrion Grim hit his first of the year. Steve Laurino followed with his fourth as Delmarva took a 2-0 lead.

Lakewood tied the game at two in the third when Jiandido Tromp slugged his ninth homer of the season, a two-run shot, and third of the series.

The Shorebirds swung ahead 4-2 with two runs in their half of the third. Ryan Mountastle plated the first run with an RBI double and Murphy delivered a run with a groundout.

Lakewood loaded the bases in the fifth, scoring on a bases-loaded walk to Tromp. Josh Tobias and Jose Pujols, named SAL mid-season All-Stars, struck out to end the inning.

Murphy capped Delmarva’s scoring with his homer.

Gilbert (3-6) allowed five runs through 4 1/3 innings. Winner Cristian Alvarado (4-4) surrendered three runs through five innings.

Lakewood loaded the bases with none out in the sixth and failed to score. The BlueClaws left a runner on first base in the seventh and stranded two in the eighth and failed to plate a run.

Lakewood left 10 runners on base overall and was 2-for-11 with BlueClaws in scoring position.

Lakewood returns home Monday night to go against the Hagerstown (Md.) Suns. Righty Luke Leftwich (5-3) will start for Lakewood against right-hander James Borque (0-1, 15.00 earned run average) at FirstEnergy Park.