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Wilmington Blue Rocks

Wilmington Begins Six-Game Home Stand with Two Losses against Nationals

August 18, 2015 - Carolina League (CarL1)
Wilmington Blue Rocks News Release


WILMINGTON, Del. - Fresh off their first winning streak in over a month, the Blue Rocks dropped two games against Potomac on Tuesday by scores of 5-0 and 4-2. The losses brought Wilmington to 55-66 overall, and 17-34 in the season's second half. Carlos Garcia tallied three hits between the two contests to lead the way offensively, but could not get much support from the rest of his offense.

In the front end of the doubleheader, Potomac opened up the scoring in the top of the third. Rafael Bautista reached on a single off Matthew Strahm to begin the inning, but was erased on a double play off the bat of Narciso Mesa. With the bases empty and two down, big league-rehabber Reed Johnson smoked a solo home run over the left field fence. The long ball was his first in the Carolina League this season, and it gave Potomac a 1-0 lead.

The Nationals doubled their lead with a run in the fifth. Zach Wright got the inning started by drawing a walk, then moved to second base on a ground out by David Masters. Bautista would follow with a single, and Mesa redeemed himself with a squeeze bunt that plated Wright, handing the P-Nats a 2-0 edge.

Potomac would put the game out of reach with a three-run seventh inning. With Robinson Yambati into the contest, the first run of the frame came across when Masters produced a sacrifice fly that scored Khayyan Norfork. Mesa drove in another run later in the inning with a triple, then capped the scoring by sprinting home on a wild pitch to end the game at 5-0.

During the nightcap, Potomac jumped on the board first with a couple of early runs. In the top of the first, Bautista led off the game with a single, then came around to score on Grant DeBruin's two-out double. In the next frame, Craig Manuel produced a two-bagger with one down, and then was chased home on a single by Masters, giving the P-Nats a 2-0 edge.

The Rocks finally cracked the scoreboard on Tuesday with a tally in the bottom of the third. Wilmington put runners on second and third with one out thanks to a single from Dominique Taylor and a double by Carlos Garcia. Taylor would come home on a ground out by Humberto Arteaga. Garcia would advance to third on the play, but was stranded there, as the Rocks trailed 2-1 at the end of the inning.

Potomac added two more tallies in the fourth inning when Norfork cranked his second home run of the season, making it 4-1 Nats. Wilmington got one more back in the seventh when Santiago Nessy brought in a run with a ground out, but couldn't get any closer, as the game ended with a 4-2 score.

The Blue Rocks and Nationals continue their series on Wednesday with game three of their four-game series. First pitch from Frawley Stadium is scheduled for 6:35 p.m., and fans can listen to the broadcast on 89.7 WGLS-FM.

PEBBLES OF KNOWLEDGE:

For the second time this season, the Blue Rocks are in the midst of a "home-and-home" series, with Tuesday opening up the second portion of the set. Wilmington just returned home from a three-game road trip against the Potomac Nationals, and after an off-day on Monday, the Rocks and Nats played two more at Frawley Stadium on Tuesday, with two more contests to come over the next two days. Thus far, the Rocks have won two of the five games in the home-and-home. From June 12 through June 17, the Blue Crew played six games in a row against the Salem Red Sox, with the first three coming in Salem and the latter trio of contests being played in Wilmington. The Blue Rocks only won a single game over that stretch.

Game one of the double-dip saw the Blue Rocks suffer their 15th shutout loss of the season. Wilmington's offense has struggled lately, as Tuesday marked the third time in six contests the Rocks were held off the scoreboard. Wilmington has enjoyed eight shutout victories in 2015, though none in just about a month. The last time the Blue Crew kept an opponent from scoring was back on July 19. The Rocks won 3-0 at Carolina that day, as Zach Lovvorn and Estarlin Cordero combined for the scoreless effort. As for their performances in doubleheaders, Tuesday was the fourth time this season the Rocks were swept in a twin-bill. Wilmington has swept one doubleheader of their own, and they have also split one.

Carlos Garcia did all he could to provide some offense on Tuesday, but the rest of the offense could not cash in on Garcia's exploits. In game one, the Venezuelan native reached third base with one out in the first inning, but was stranded there. He would reach third again in the third frame, but his teammates left him 90 feet short of scoring once again. During the nightcap, Garcia singled in the first inning, then worked his way to third with two down. He suffered the same fate as the first game, however, as Ryan O'Hearn struck out to end the inning. Combined between the two games, Garcia went 3-for6 with a double.

It has been a struggle for Santiago Nessy at the dish recently. Entering Tuesday, the Venezuelan was hitless in his last 25 at-bats, a cold spell which spanned his last nine games played. His most recent hit prior to the doubleheader occurred almost a month ago, on July 24 at Salem. Nessy took the front end of the twin-bill off on Tuesday, but started in the nightcap, where he put together a 0-for-3 performance. Nessy was batting .262 after that July 24 game, but has since seen his average drop to .207.

THEY SAID IT:

Manager Brian Buchanan:

"(The offense) wasn't really good. I don't think we're being aggressive and, at times, we're being over-aggressive. It's kind of a mix between the two. We've just got to keep working and string some wins together and push some runs across. Especially after what we did this weekend. We got some wins and put some runs on the board and got big hits. That's baseball. We'll keep going."

"I'm not sure (why we've struggled in double-headers. I can't explain it. Maybe they think it's going to be a long day and they don't try as hard. There's no real explanation for it."

"When they're over-aggressive, they're swinging at sliders that they shouldn't swing at. When they're not being aggressive they're taking fastballs they should probably swing at. It's the same approach, you've just got to stay on the fastball and when you get it you've got to swing at it."

"I though (Matthew) Strahm did okay. He threw some good curveballs. With (Jakob) Junis, I don't think he was as crisp as he could have been. It wasn't one of his better outings but he kept us in the game for six innings and gave us a shot. He was missing up a little too much and wasn't as crisp as he could've been."

Infielder Carlos Garcia:

"It was hard when I first got here. I just have to keep doing the little things, let the big guys like Mauricio (Ramos) and (Ryan) O'Hearn do their job. I've got to get on base. I see a good pitch and I try to put the ball in play. I've been feeling really (good) at home plate."

"It was tough. We were facing good pitchers today. (Reynaldo) Lopez was trying really hard. The breaking ball was there and his stuff...when you see a pitcher like that who throws really hard, the off-speed pitches around the plate are really tough. He didn't want to throw any balls down the middle of the plate to (the middle of the order) and give-up a run."

"(Lopez) was trying to crowd me inside and surprise me with curveballs on the outside, but I had to stay (on the fastball). I have to stay doing the same thing, try to put the ball in play."

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