Jarrett, Gomez Headed To The DL

The 'Sharks announced today they have placed pitchers Sean Jarrett and Mariano Gomez on the disabled list. The news is undoubtedly bad for an already beat up pitching staff, who now have to deal with a four man rotation and the loss of a key lefty in the bullpen. This is Jarrett's second stint on the DL, after being out for two weeks with a forearm injury just last month. Eddy Camacho or newly acquired James Houser might be forced into a starting spot, but odds are good we'll be seeing some new faces pitching for Camden in the very near future.

Camden Riversharks in the ABL

The Riversharks have the unique distinction of having four players who started 2012 playing in the Australian Baseball League. Pitcher Mike McGuire and first baseman Brian Burgamy spent time with the Canberra Cavalry, pitcher Kevin Reese with the Melbourne Aces, and pitcher Sean Jarrett with the Brisbane Bandits. Here's a great video in which all four describe their experiences playing down under:

Here Comes Jarrett Singing Oldies, Goldies

Sean Jarrett's first start of the second half was a short one.

The 'Sharks righty returned from the DL tonight against the Lancaster Barnstormers and lasted just three innings, giving up three runs on four hits while striking out one. But his wasn't the most troubling line of the night.

For the first time in a long time, Camden's bullpen basically imploded in a 5-2 loss at Clipper Magazine Stadium. After Jarrett's departure, Blake King and Spencer Steedley just couldn't find the strike zone, combining to walk SEVEN 'Stormers in two and two thirds innings of relief.

Amazingly, Lancaster only scored twice as a result, but those five runs proved too much for the 'Sharks to overcome. Camden's only offense came in the form of the long ball, with solo homers from Patty Matera in the sixth, and Brian Burgamy in the eighth.

A note on BB's homer:

Burgamy absolutely CRUSHED a 3-2 fastball from 'Stormers reliever Beau Vaughn over the right field wall. It cleared the fence, it cleared the picnic area tents, it may well have hit the warehouse across the street from Clipper Magazine Stadium. I have NEVER seen a bigger home run, and neither had the 'Stormers fans sitting directly behind me. It was a thing of absolute beauty.

The game ended when Steve Doetsch smoked a ball to left field, only to be robbed of extra bases by Lancaster outfielder Blake Gailen, who made a remarkable catch on the run for the third out.

Sean Jarrett Just Had His Best Start Of 2012, 'Sharks Win 4-1

Sean Jarrett threw seven strong innings in a 4-1 victory over the Somerset Patriots this afternoon at Campbell's Field. Jarrett allowed one run on four hits, while striking out five. He retired the first eight batters he faced.

Camden got on the board in the bottom of the fourth when a Drew Macias sacrifice fly scored Marquez Smith, who had doubled to lead off the inning.  Later, a Steve Doetsch RBI double scored Eduardo Perez to make it 2-0 'Sharks.

In the fifth, Macias crushed a bases loaded double that scored Lloyd Turner and Smith and made it 4-0.

Somerset's lone run came in the seventh when Yusef Carter grounded into a fielder's choice that scored Jesse Hoorelbeke.

In relief of Jarrett, Jason Bergmann and John Lujan shut the door on any Pats rally, allowing no hits and striking out two. Lujan picked up his seventh save of 2012.

Sharks Rally Past Pats, 4-3

Drew Macias had a huge day at the plate, going 3 for 4 and hitting what turned out to be the game winning home run in the top of the 9th inning, as the Camden Riversharks came from behind to defeat the Somerset Patriots 4-3 at TD Bank Park.

Starter Sean Jarrett struggled with his control at times, but was helped by some excellent defensive plays by the 'Sharks in his 5 innings of work.

Somerset would strike first, however. In the 4th, Pats left fielder Aaron Mathews stroked a single to left that scored both Freddie Bynum and Freddy Sandoval.

The Patriots added one more run in the 5th when a Jesse Hoorelbeke single to right scored Bynum to make it 3-0.

But the 'Sharks tied the game with back-to back RBI singles in the 8th by Colin Roberson and Scott Knazek, and Macias' late-inning heroics put Camden up to stay.

In relief of Jarrett, the bullpen combo of Joe D'Allessandro, Mike Mehlich and John Lujan were absolutely superb over the course of four shutout innings, striking out eight Patriots between them and not allowing any hits. Mehlich gets the win, his first, and Lujan notches his fifth save.

Sharks Snap Skid, Score Seven, Subdue 'Stormers

Felix Pie extends his hitting streak to ten games with a three-for-four night, including a three-run double, to help the Camden Riversharks snap their three-game losing streak with a 7-4 victory over the Lancaster Barnstormers Monday night. 

The Riversharks (5-6) wasted no time getting on the scoreboard, with a two-run double from Brian Burgamy in the top of the first to grab the early lead. Lloyd Turner would then make it 3-0 with a solo homerun in the third. 

The Barnstormers (5-6) would use the long ball to strike back in the bottom of the frame, with solo shots from Emerson Frostad and Terry Tiffee off Riversharks starter Sean Jarrett (2-1). Jarrett went six plus innings allowing four earned runs on seven hits while striking out three to pick up the win. 

Camden responded with four runs in the top of the fourth, capped by Pie’s three-run double, to open a 7-2 lead off Lancaster’s J.D. Durbin (0-1). Durbin allowed seven runs, although only three were earned, on nine hits through six innings. 

Lancaster tried to claw their way back with a run in the fifth and threatened in the seventh, with Jarrett allowing the first two batters to reach base. 

But Mariano Gomez came out of the bullpen, making his first appearance for the ‘Sharks this season, to limit the damage; allowing just one to cross, keeping Camden ahead 7-4. 

Jason Bergman made quick work of the Barnstormers in the eighth, striking out the side in order. Bergman now has eleven strikeouts in 5.1 innings of work this season. 

Riversharks skipper Jeff Scott called on John Lujan in the ninth, who loaded the bases to put the game-winning run at the plate. But Lujan was able to get Tiffee to ground out to second to secure the win. It was the first save by a Riversharks pitcher this season. 

In Which The City Of Bridgeport Conspires To Give Me Hypothermia.

Note to self: Bridgeport in April is a miserable place to watch a baseball game.

Thursday night, the Camden Riversharks began the 2012 season by blowing a four run lead and eventually losing 9-7 to the Bridgeport Bluefish. Starter Mike McGuire surrendered five runs on seven hits in just over 5 innings of work, but the line of the night came from his relief, Mike Mehlich. Lasting 1/3 of an inning, Mehlich gave up 6 runs on 4 hits, walking FOUR BATTERS before being yanked for Zach Hammes.

ABL MVP and all around big deal Brian Burgamy went 3 for 4, and Jake "Von" Eigsti went 2 for 4 with a double, 3 RBI and a run scored. That covers just about all the good news from game one of this series.

It rained off and on for the entire game, making for a miserable night in the stands. Luckily, there were virtually no Bluefish fans to be found. Paid attendance was somewhere around 700, in a stadium that seats over 5,000. It would've been funny if it wasn't so sad. Yeah, I get it, a weekday night, with miserable weather, but this is your HOME OPENER we're talking about, 'Fish.

Game 2, on Friday, wasn't hampered by rain. But it was bloody FREEZING in Bridgeport tonight.

Starter Sean Jarrett went 5 strong innings, and the offense blew up. Felix Pie hit a 2 run dinger in the 5th to put Camden up 4-0, and Drew Macias hit a bases clearing triple in the 7th to make it 7-0 Sharks. Shea Harris plated another run in the 8th with an RBI double.

Macias wasn't done. In the 9th he launched his first homer of the season over the centerfield wall to make the score 9-0. The bullpen combined for four shutout innings and the Sharks have their first win of 2012.

Jarrett's Strong Start Wasted, Sharks Lose 3-1.

In his longest outing of the year, Sean Jarrett pitched effectively through 6 innings, holding the Long Island Ducks to two runs on five hits. But it wasn't enough. The Ducks eeked out a 3-1 victory at Bethpage Ballpark this afternoon.

Long Island scored a run in each of the first two innings. In the first a Lew Ford sac fly scored Kennard Jones, in the second Kraig Binick scored on an error by first baseman Brian Burgamy.

Camden's only run (despite numerous chances, the Sharks offense sputtered today) came in the top of the fifth, when Toby Hall singled in Burgamy to bring the Sharks to within one.

But the Ducks tacked on one more in the seventh when Dan Lyons singled in Tom Pennino to make it 3-1.

Scary moment for the Ducks in the bottom of the fifth when a Sean Jarrett pitch hit Ray Navarette in the helmet. Navarette lay on the ground for several moments before slowly getting to one knee, and eventually being led off the field by the Ducks training staff.

Brian Burgamy Is Kind Of A Big Deal. People Know Him.

Brian Burgamy's 2 out, 2 run double in the bottom of the sixth was the difference tonight, as the Riversharks beat the York Revolution 2-1 at Campbell's Field. Burgamy went 2 for 2 at the plate, and earlier in the sixth made a spectacular sliding catch to rob Jose Herrera of a base hit.

A hot streak from Burgamy is long overdue, he's been struggling at the plate for most of the season. It also couldn't come at a better time for the Sharks, who are only a few games behind the Bridgeport Bluefish for the Liberty Division lead.

Starter Humberto Sanchez 1 hit the Revs over six innings while striking out three. He's got some control issues (as does any pitcher still on an Indy League roster in September, says Adam) but he got the job done. Also, he's kind of built like this guy. He's all shoulders and torso, which make his legs look skinny by comparison. The program has him at 6'6" and 230lbs, but I don't buy it. EDIT: I forgot to mention, he's got an absolutely filthy changeup.

Anyway he pitched effectively, and then Von left it to the bullpen. Sean Jarrett breezed through an inning in relief, allowing no hits and only one baserunner, thanks to a fielding error by shortstop Juan Francia.

Then it was Mike Koplove's turn. He let the first two Revs reach, but thanks to a heads up play by third baseman Danny Richar and an inning ending 4-6-3 double play, the Sharks managed to preserve the 2-0 lead.

John Bale came on in the 9th to try for his 4th save. After getting Herrera to fly out to center, he gave up a double to first baseman Chris Nowak. Left fielder James Shanks hit a ball to the left in the infield, and Bale, trying to get the lead runner, threw wide of second base. Everybody was safe. The Revs scored when second baseman Bryant Nelson hit into a fielder's choice that plated Nowak. The inning and the game ended one batter later, when Bale got Vince Harrison to ground out to short.