May 22, 2013
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Blue Rocks Game Notes

July 4, 2012 - Carolina League (CarL) Wilmington Blue Rocks

ABOUT LAST NIGHT: A night removed from their longest game in six years, the Wilmington Blue Rocks would have loved a quick series finale. The host Frederick Keys (33-50, 6-7) and the fates had other plans. The tarp came on the field shortly before the game's scheduled start with no rain falling. But the storm came, both literally and figuratively. After a one hour and 19 minute delay, the game itself took another three hours and 19 minutes as the Blue Rocks blew three separate leads and failed in their quest to sweep the defending champs, 12-8.

SECOND-HALF SURGE: In the first half, the Blue Rocks scored just 227 runs for a league-low 3.2 runs/game average. Despite playing two seven-inning games and posting a sum of one run between the bookend games of last week, Wilmington has scored 76 runs over its first 13 games of the second stanza for an average of 5.8 runs/game. The team that hit 31 home runs over the 70-game first half, the second-lowest total in the league, has bashed 13 early in the second. The Blue Crew hit a league-worst .231 in the first half, but owns a .276 (125-for-453) contact clip so far this half.

HOW I LEARNED TO STOP WORRYING & LOVE THE BOMB: With Matt Fields' third homer in as many days and Jose Bonilla's third of the season, the Rocks' home-road home run split widened all the more. An amazing 39 (89%) of the team's 44 homers have come away from Frawley Stadium.

DON JUAN: Third-year C/1B Juan Graterol is enjoying his best season since 2009 when he split the year with Rookie-Advance Idaho Falls (PIO) and Low-A Burlington (MWL). After going 3-for-3 last night, he lifted his average to .312. The man who entered 2012 with a .256 lifetime average has hit safely in 14 of his last 17 games with an at-bat, going 20-for-50 (.400) with only four strikeouts.

NORTHERN EXPOSURE: The Blue Rocks are in the midst of facing only divisional foes over a stretch of 13 straight and 17 of 20. The Rocks are 17-34 against Southern squads and 18-14 against their brothers in the North. The Blue Crew has a non-losing record against every team in the North, but has lost more than it has won against all four teams in the South.

GOING TO EXTREMES: A night after setting positive season-high marks for hits and runs in a game, the Blue Rocks tied their season-worst total of runs allowed in a game. It previously occurred in their most lopsided loss of the season, a 12-1 setback against Carolina on June 7.

FOR THREE!: The Blue Crew came up short in its quest to notch a third straight road win. It has not done so since last year when it swept Salem in a four-game set at Memorial Stadium from May 16-19.

IF YOU AIN'T FIRST: With their win last night and some help out of town, the Blue Rocks worked their way into a three-way tie for first place in the North at 6-6 entering yesterday. Outside of starting each half this season at 0-0, the Blue Crew had not owned even a piece of the penthouse since June 29 of last year. However, the Rocks currently sit in first and last place at the same time. Lynchburg leads the division at 7-6, but is already playoff bound. So in the three-team wildcard chase there is a three-way tie between Wilmington, Frederick and Potomac. Since those are the only remaining teams in the division, the Rocks are cellar dwellers and summit survivors at the same time.

LET'S GET SERIESOUS: The Blue Rocks have won consecutive series for the second time all season and the first time since May 18-23 (Myrtle Beach/Potomac). The Rocks have not won three straight sets since May 16-25, 2011 (Salem/Myrtle Beach/Frederick). The recently-completed Frederick set saw the two teams combine for 53 runs on 84 hits, 33 walks, seven errors and 13 home runs. During that time, Wilmington hit .344 (44-for-128) with 14 extra-base hits including six homers. However, its pitchers allowed 24 earned runs in 30 innings for a 7.20 ERA.

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Carolina League Stories from July 4, 2012


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