RHP Kenny Rayborn pitched a season high eight innings and allowed just two runs, but it was not enough as the Blue Crabs fell to the Bridgeport Bluefish 2-1 Wednesday night at Regency Furniture Stadium. The Bluefish scored in each of the first two innings, dropping Rayborn to 8-5 on the season. Centerfielder Tike Redman led the game off with a base hit and then scored on first baseman Josh Phelps’s RBI sac fly.
Then in the second, designated hitter Colin Roberson led off with a solo home run, his eighth of the year. The Blue Crabs had opportunities in nearly every inning, but were held scoreless until the eighth. In the sixth, third baseman Patrick Osborn hit a one out single and first baseman Eric Crozier followed with a double to extend his hitting streak to 17 games.
It is the second longest hit streak of the year for Southern Maryland behind Matt Craig’s 19 game streak. With runners at second and third, shortstop Travis Garcia was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Bridgeport LHP Luis Gonzalez was then pulled in favor of RHP Miguel Saladin. Saladin retired the next two batters to end the inning unscathed. The Crabs got on the board in the eighth when designated hitter Matt Craig crushed a leadoff homer to deep leftfield, his 12th of the season.
The homer gave the Blue Crabs a jolt as they loaded the bases again with singles by Osborn, catcher Christian Lopez and rightfielder Jamar Hill. However, Bluefish RHP Antonio Alfonseca got out of the inning as the Blue Crabs stranded the bases loaded for the second time. RHP Jorge Julio pitched the ninth and earned his 17 th save. Gonzalez meanwhile, was credited with the win to improve to 3-3 on the year.
At 55-35, the first place Blue Crabs maintain the best overall record in the Atlantic League, and have the circuit's best second half record at 14-6. The Blue Crabs will be back in action Thursday evening, for the finale of this four-game series with the Bridgeport Bluefish at Regency Furniture Stadium, the eighth game of this 11-game homestand. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m., with RHP Kevin Mannix (8-5, 4.90) on the mound for Bridgeport, against RHP Joe Newby (3-2, 2.27) for Southern Maryland.
