MLN Newswire - www.mlntherawfeed.com - HAGERSTOWN, MD - The BlueClaws dropped a critical doubleheader with the Hagerstown Suns on a rainy Tuesday night at Municipal Stadium, falling in game one, 5-2, before a disastrous game two 4-3 loss.
The pair of losses likely ends the BlueClaws (35-30) slim hopes of a first half title. Lakewood fell to 4.5 games behind Lake County with five first half games left to be played. The Captains swept a doubleheader with Delmarva on Tuesday night.
Lakewood held down the Suns in the second game of the doubleheader for six innings, before the Suns rallied for four runs against closer Jared Simon. Chris Kissock and Sergio Escalona combined to limit the Suns to five hits and no runs in the first six innings of the seven-inning contest. But Simon (5-2) allowed four runs in the seventh while getting just one out, including a walk-off three-run home run to Bill Rhinehart.
Rhinehart turned a 3-1 deficit into a 4-3 win with a home run to the deepest part of centerfield. Rhinehart, who is headed to the All Star Game next week, had two home runs in the doubleheader, driving in five runs.
The BlueClaws did a majority of their offensive damage in the fifth inning, picking up a pair of runs against Suns starter Erik Arnesen. Jesus Sanchez and Dominic Brown each picked up RBI hits in the two- run inning. Michael Taylor remained red-hot at the plate, finishing the second game 2-for-2 with a walk. He was 3-for-4, while drawing two free passes overall, extending his road hitting streak to a South Atlantic League-best 21 games.
The BlueClaws needed a stronger effort in game two, after squandering a Drew Naylor start in game one. Naylor (5-3), who was forced to battle frequent rain showers, was far from his best, giving up five runs on nine hits in just 4 2/3 innings.
Lakweood took a 2-1 lead into the bottom of the fifth when a strong rain started to fall. Naylor retired the first two batters of the inning in wet conditions, before giving up three straight hits, including a Dan Lyons double that gave the Suns a 3-2 lead. The game was then delayed for 30 minutes before Naylor retuned and promptly gave up a two-run home run to Bill Rhinehart.
The 'Claws could not rally against reliever Dan Leatherman, who was dominant in retiring six of the seven hitters he faced. The BlueClaws did not have a hit after Karl Bolt's single to leadoff the fourth.
The BlueClaws had taken an early 2-0 lead over the Suns with a pair of runs against southpaw Justin Jones (1-0). The top of the order combined for three hits and used a pair of Hagerstown errors to push the runs across. Taylor had the only RBI of the rally, his 46th of the season.
Hagerstown (32-32), who is officially eliminated from the first half race, may have been successful in their spoiler role. They have won three straight over the BlueClaws to start the four game series. Lakewood will need plenty of help to catch the Captains, who have won five of the past six games.
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Wednesday, June 11, 2008 at 12:23PM 
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