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Wilmington Blue Rocks

One Comeback Not Enough, Blue Rocks Falter 6-4, Lose 12th Straight

May 5, 2016 - Carolina League (CarL1)
Wilmington Blue Rocks News Release


Wilmington, DE - The top of the lineup tried its hardest to halt the Wilmington Blue Rocks (6-19) eleven game slide, but after clawing back from an early 4-0 hole, the Rocks were unable to muster a second rally eventually falling 6-4 to the Frederick Keys (11-16) for their 12th straight loss. Corey Toups and Alfredo Escalera once again collected multiple hits to put a jolt into the top of the lineup, but the other seven batters managed just four hits. The Blue Crew is now just two games away from tying their franchise long 14 game losing streak from last season.

The Rocks battled after falling behind 4-0 through an inning and a half, but showed some resiliency for the second straight night. Chad Johnson put the boys from Frawley on the board in the second inning with a two out double and the swing seemed to galvanize the Blue and White. They tacked on two more runs in the third on a fielder's choice groundout by Elier Hernandez and a two out double by Roman Collins to continue the theme of the two-out lighting. Toups and Escalera then did their best impression of the doubles duo when the pair smashed back-to-back two baggers down the left field line to knot the game at four a piece.

The lead was short lived though as Colin Rodgers (1-3), who relieved starter Josh Staumont after just 1.2 innings pitched, ceded three straight singles to begin the fifth. Consecutive potential double play balls turned into fielder's choices on some shaky defense by the Rocks and the Keys were able to regain the lead at 6-4. While Rodgers and fellow reliever Evan Beal kept the deficit to two the rest of the affair, the Rocks offense fizzled out, leading to loss No. 12 of the streak.

Rodgers took the loss and dropped to 1-3 on the year while Max Schuh was credited with the win for 1.1 innings of shutout baseball and Michael Zouzalik registered save number three. The Rocks wiil welcome the Myrtle Beach Pelicans for a four game set starting tomorrow night with first pitch coming at 6:35 p.m. The Rocks will toss Ashton Goudeau (1-2, 6.11) out on the mound against Trevor Clifton (0-2, 4.00) of the Pelicans. Fans interested in listening to the game can tune to 89.7 WGLS-FM to hear Matt Janus' call of the game on Rowan Radio.

Pebbles of Knowledge

There must be something down in the water at Sam Houston State University. Ryan O'Hearn led the entire Carolina League in extra base hits and home runs in his stay with the Rocks, and after his promotion to AA, it looks like former college teammate Corey Toups is trying to pick up the mantle. After another triple tonight (and a double for good measure), Toups has now doubled in three straight games and every game in the Frederick series. During the three game set, Toups has reached base safely at least twice in every game and has three triples, a home run and a double while scoring five runs. The second basemen leads the teams in triples with five (the rest of the team has two) and is tied for the team lead in doubles with Brandon Downes as the two have collected eight two-baggers on the year.

Sometimes all it takes is a move up in the lineup to jumpstart a batter's confidence. Alfredo Escalera had been struggling over the last couple of weeks, but Rocks manager Jamie Quirk took a chance and inserted him into the two spot of the lineup in the Blue Crew's game on Tuesday evening. He responded on Tuesday with three hits, two runs scored and an RBI and did not stop that momentum on Wednesday. The outfielder reached base safely on four separate occasions for the second game in a row, this time chipping in a double while scoring and driving in another run. He is now 5-for-7 in his last two games with three walks, three runs scored and a pair of RBI.

Walks and bad starts continue to plague the boys from Frawley. Josh Staumont, the starter tonight for the Blue Crew, went just 1.2 innings pitched and gave up four runs and walked five batters. It was the shortest walk of the season from a Rock starter and the most walks surrendered by any man that began the game out on the mound. After the franchise record 16 walks issued on Tuesday night, the hurlers in Blue and White gave away eight free passes and hit another batter. The wildness has cost them dearly as the pitching staff forced in three runs in the last two games and out of the 24 walks, seven of them have come around to score.

What makes matters even more frustrating for the Blue Rocks is that they were able to get men on base during Wednesday's game after struggling to do so early in the losing streak. Getting them in though turned out to be the Achilles heel. The Blue Crew went 3-for-12 with runners in scoring position, which brings their season total to 53-for-213 (a .249 batting average). The squad was as high as .290 after the very first game of the 12 game slide, but have dropped 41 points in the category over their last eleven games. They left ten men total on the base paths in the series finale against Frederick, but eight of those were in scoring position.

They Said It

Blue Rocks Manager Jamie Quirk

"That was huge from Colin (Rodgers). He was scheduled to come in and finish the game after (Josh) Staumont completed his allotted amount. We didn't anticipate it being that early, but he did a great job. He really saved us. He's been starting and he's been doing well and it was the perfect time. Him giving us 5.1 innings was huge right there."

"(Corey Toups) Toupsy has been on a triple roll, he's got three in three days and has been swinging the bat good with a homer the other day. And (Alfredo) Escalera got three Tuesday night and a couple more Wednesday. That was just a change for him. I just wanted to change things up and give some guys a different look so I put him in the two hole and he's responded so it's been nice and I'm hoping he can settle in there and continue on what he's been doing. It's been good for him."

"I wish it was that easy to help a guy out, simply moving him into the right spot in the lineup. Sometimes when you move a guy in the order he feels good about himself and he responds. Escalera is responding, which has been nice. It doesn't always work that way, but of course you wish it would. That's why you move guys. Sometimes you move them down to take pressure off of them, sometimes you move them up to give them confidence. I just wanted to move him up as a way to tell him, you're better than whatever your average was and give him some confidence. When Ryan (O'Hearn) left we had to move some guys around. So far so good with Escalera in the two hole."

"(Evan) Beal has been good since day one. He's the kind of guy you would like to save and pitch in games in which you are ahead, but in A ball you don't always have that luxury. You have certain restrictions on guys and unfortunately we haven't been ahead a whole lot, but he's taken the ball and he's done his thing and he's done it very well. He'll be down now for a couple of days just cause he went two. Tomorrow we might be ahead in the eighth and ninth and wish we had him, but we won't. The bottom line is when you're called up and you've got the ball in your hand you have to do your job and execute and he's done that very well."

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