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Wilmington Blue Rocks

Rocks Cannot Cash in on Opportunities to Complete

August 31, 2016 - Carolina League (CarL1)
Wilmington Blue Rocks News Release


ZEBULON, NC -- Matt Withrow struck out 11 Blue Rocks on Wednesday and Wilmington went just 2-for-11 with runners in scoring position, as the Carolina Mudcats handed the Blue Crew a 3-2 loss at Five County Stadium. Robert Pehl had two more hits and drove in another run in the losing cause, as the Rocks' brief two-game winning streak came to a close.

Carolina jumped on the board first. The Mudcats got a lead-off double from Keith Curcio in the fourth. He moved to third on a fly ball to deep center from Dylan Moore, and came plateward on Jordan Edgerton's sacrifice fly to left. The Mudcats added two more runs on consecutive doubles by Edgerton and Sean Godfrey in the bottom of the sixth. All three runs came against Wilmington starter Matt Tenuta (7-10), who suffered the loss despite turning in a quality outing.

Wilmington had its chances to pull even. Down by a single score in the top of the sixth, the Rocks loaded the bases with nobody out, but could not get any runs across. After the Mudcats extended the lead to three in the home half of that frame the Blue Crew provided an immediate response.

Chad Johnson jump-started the rally with an opposite-field triple off the wall in left. After Austin Bailey walked, Pehl drove home Johnson and moved Bailey to third with his bloop-single to right. Carlos Diaz then lifted a sacrifice fly to left that pulled the Rocks back to within a single score. But the Rocks stranded the tying-run at second base that frame, something they would do again in the eighth and ninth innings.

Withrow allowed just two runs on four hits in six frames to earn the win. The right-hander fanned a season-high 11 and walked only two.

The Rocks continue their final road trip of the 2016 campaign on Thursday with one last game against the Mudcats. First pitch is slated for 7 p.m. Right-hander Derek Gordon (2-2, 4.63) takes the ball for the Blue Crew and will be opposed by Carolina righty Ryan Clark (1-13, 5.83).

PEBBLES OF KNOWLEDGE:

Despite the narrow loss on Wednesday, Wilmington continues to more than hold its own against the Carolina Mudcats this season. The Rocks' record against the Mudcats is now 11-8 in 2016. Carolina is the only foe the Blue Crew have a winning record against this season. Five County Stadium is also one of only two venues where Wilmington is not under .500. The only other is TicketReturn.com Field in Myrtle Beach. Wilmington is 6-5 on the road against the Mudcats and finished the campaign 4-4 when visiting the Pelicans.

Matt Tenuta has been phenomenal over the past five weeks. Tenuta turned in a quality start on Wednesday, despite taking the tough-luck loss. He allowed three runs on eight hits in six solid frames. In his last six starts, Tenuta is 4-2 with a scant 3.07 ERA with 29 strikeouts and eight free passes in 41 frames. The torrid stretch has lowered his earned run average by more than a full run from 6.32 to 5.26.

Robert Pehl turned in a fantastic doubleheader on Tuesday, going 4-for-6 with two doubles, a walk, five RBI and three runs scored. The Washington native added a walk, two singles and an RBI in Wednesday's game. He is awful sorry to see the month of August end. Pehl batted .371 with nine doubles, 12 RBI and a .464 on-base percentage in the final full month of the campaign. He has reached base safely in 11 consecutive games--the second-longest active streak on the team. Mike Hill has reached in 13 consecutive contests, a streak he extended with his seventh-inning double.

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