(Waldorf, MD., Apr. 28, 2017) – The Southern Maryland Blue Crabs (4-4) struggled at the plate, as they fell 2-0 against the Bridgeport Bluefish (5-3), in their first road game of their 10th Anniversary Season.
Pitching was on display for both teams, as starter Daryl Thompson (1-1) for Southern Maryland battled pitch-for-pitch throughout the day with Jonathon Albaladejo (2-0), the starter for the Bluefish today in their home opener. Albaladejo, the defending Atlantic League Pitcher of the Year, threw eight scoreless innings, giving up just four hits and striking out seven.
Thompson was perfect through 3.2 innings, before giving up a single to Alberto Callaspo. He stayed out of trouble most of the day, allowing just one leadoff runner to reach base on a double to Jose Gil in the fifth. He struck out the next two batters, before getting Yefry Reyes to fly out to left, pitching around the leadoff double and keeping the score at 0-0.
The game remained scoreless all the way through six and a half innings until the Bluefish came to bat in the bottom of the seventh. The second hitter in the inning, Sean Burroughs, singled off of Thompson. Gil followed him, reaching base on a single as well, to put men on first and second with no outs for the lefty Daniel Fields. Fields ripped a line drive into the opposite field gap, splitting the outfielders for Southern Maryland and scoring both runners to put Bridgeport up 2-0. Thompson finished the inning and closed his line, throwing seven innings, giving up just the two runs on five hits, as well as recording five strikeouts.
The Blue Crabs were unable to figure out Albaladejo, never having multiple runners reach base in an inning against the Bluefish starter. The Blue Crabs were able to threaten Brdigeport in the 9th inning, with the first two batters reaching on an error by the shortstop Reyes and HBP from closer David Carpenter (S,2). The hard-throwing righty then had to face the Blue Crabs RBI leader last season, Zach Wilson, with two runners on and nobody out. Wilson grounded out to third baseman Jose Cuevas, who tagged third and threw on to first to record a double play. Clean-up hitter Michael Snyder rolled out to third to end the game, finalizing Albaladejo’s second win of the season and Carpenter’s second save.
The Blue Crabs road-trip continues tomorrow, as they will face Bridgeport in game two of this three-game weekend series. The Blue Crabs will send veteran RHP Brian Grening (0-0, 3.00 ERA) to the mound to face LHP Chris Rearick (0-1, 14.73 ERA) for Bridgeport. First pitch is scheduled for 6:12 at The Ballpark at Harbor Yard.
For more information on the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs, or to reserve your seat today for any of the Blue Crabs upcoming home games, please visit our website at somdbluecrabs.com or call us at 301-638-9788.
