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Wilmington Blue Rocks

Sloppy Rocks Drop First Game One, But Big First Inning In Game Two Earns Split

May 22, 2016 - Carolina League (CarL1)
Wilmington Blue Rocks News Release


Wilmington, DE - The rain finally cleared enough for the Wilmington Blue Rocks (13-29) and Carolina Mudcats (17-25) to continue their four game series and the two teams both grabbed a win and split their doubleheader on Sunday. The Rocks' five errors in Game One of the doubleheader doomed them as they fell 5-1, but they came back to score five runs in the bottom of the first inning of Game Two en route to a 6-4 victory to earn the split.

The Blue Crew scored the first run of Game One when they had runners at the corners with one out and Alfredo Escalera took off for second base. The throw was towards the first base side of the bag and bounced, skipping off of the second basemen's glove. Robert Pehl broke for home when he saw the ball rolling away and scored while crashing into the catcher to put the Rocks up 1-0. However, the Mudcats came back in the fifth inning and scored four runs highlighted by three Wander Franco errors. They added another run in the sixth on yet another miscue by Franco to take the 5-1 lead, which is how the game would end.

Foster Griffin started the game for the boys from Frawley and took a no hitter into the fifth frame before the defense betrayed him. Griffin was saddled with the tough luck loss to move to 0-2, and Max Povse got the win for the Mudcats while tossing five innings and allowing one unearned run in the first game.

Game Two took off on the wrong foot for the Rocks as starter Derek Gordon allowed a pair of runs in the top of the first. However, the offense sent nine men to the plate in the bottom of the frame to take a 5-2 lead. Escalera began the frame with a double to left and moved to third on a productive groundout by Roman Collins. After a walk by Corey Toups, Brandon Downes cut the deficit to 2-1 with a single up the middle to plate Escalera. Franco rectified his poor Game One with a single by the second base bag to tie the game at 2-2. Elier Hernandez walked to load the bases and Austin Bailey's double down the left field line gave the Rocks the lead at 4-2 and Luis Villegas' groundball to first pushed the advantage to 5-2.

The Mudcats tried to climb back into the game with single runs in the second and third, but the Blue Crew once again got contributions from Bailey and Escalera to bump the lead. Bailey singled with one out and after a Villegas strikeout, Joshua Banuelos went opposite field with a single to put men at first and second and two outs. Escalera came to the plate next and roped a single to left center to provide some breathing room and put the Rocks up 6-4. Luis Rico took over for Gordon in the middle innings and shut down the Mudcats through 2.1 innings, picking up the win in his first appearance of the year. Matt Alvarez followed out of the pen and went the final two innings for his first save of the year, finishing off the 6-4 win for Wilmington

The two teams finish the four game set on Monday with the first pitch scheduled for 6:35 p.m. RHP Zach Lovvorn (0-5, 3.60) will be on the mound for the Rocks while RHP Enderson Franco (3-2, 6.00) will have the ball for the Mudcats. Fans interested in seeing the game live can contact the ticket office at 302-888-BLUE or get their tickets online at BlueRocks.com. Those interested in listening to the game can tune in to WGLS-FM 89.7 or go to BlueRocks.com for all the game action.

Pebbles of Knowledge

The Wilmington Blue Rocks dropped game one of the doubleheader 5-1 and it was all on the defense. All five runs scored by the Mudcats in the first game were unearned as the Rocks committed five errors in the game. The five miscues were the second most errors by a Blue Crew team in franchise history, one shy of the team mark, which was done twice. The last time the team committed six errors was back on April 7, 2000.

Forest Griffin has looked impressive in his two starts with the Rocks, but is 0-2 in the outings. Run support and defense has been the issue thus far. The offense has provided just one run a piece in each of his first two starts, losing games by scores of 3-1 and 5-1. In Game One of the doubleheader on Sunday, the defense committed five errors behind him while Griffin went five innings and allowed just two hits and two walks while striking out six.

Alfredo Escalera continues to produce from the leadoff spot and did so yet again on Saturday night. Escalera went 1-for-3 in the first game of the doubleheader and followed with an impressive 3-for-4 performance in Game Two with a double, an RBI and a run scored. He finished the doubleheader 4-for-7 with a double, an RBI, the run scored and two stolen bases. He is now batting 107 points higher in the leadoff spot than his season average (.375 versus .268). The outfielder has three doubles, a triple, three walks, three hit by pitches and most importantly has scored nine times while setting the table for the offense.

After a half inning of play in Game Two of the doubleheader, the Rocks were down 2-0. They immediately scored five runs in the bottom of the first inning and held on to win by a 6-4 score. The two-run comeback tied the longest comeback of the year for the Blue Crew. The last time they rallied from a two-run deficit was on May 18 when they scored three runs in the bottom of the ninth inning against Myrtle Beach to win 3-2. It was just the third time this season that the boys from Frawley came back after falling behind early and the second time they have done so against the Mudcats.

They Said It

Blue Rocks Manager Jamie Quirk

"It was huge to score those five runs in the first inning of Game Two, especially after they scored two. We played a terrible game in the first game. Then they come out and score two, the morale could have been terrible, but these guys, they shower well. They came back out and they could have quit, but they come right back in the bottom of the first and get five. It showed great character. It could've been a long long day, but they turn around and get five in the first and get some momentum going, it was great."

"Some of the things we've preached is the fact this game just keeps coming at you. You can let it beat you, or you can beat it. And (Brandon Downes) Downesy, and Wander (Franco) too got big hits in the first inning of the second game after terrible first games. It shows what those guys are made out of and its huge they can wash it off and keep playing."

"I'd never seen Luis Rico pitch before and it was great. Obviously he was hurt to begin the season. I know he pitched here last season and guys were familiar with him. He did a great job for us and he did exactly what we needed. Gordo (Alex Gordon) gave us a spot start and he pitched OK. Then he got to that part of the order and he gave up another run and they had the lefties coming up and we brought Rico in and he went two plus and that was huge."

"I spoke to Wander (Franco) very briefly in between the two games. I actually gave him the lineup card to take up to the umpires, which is something I like to do, it's a good experience for these guys and I think that kind of shocked him cause he's not a talkative person and just told him, "hey, that game is over with, go out and be the star." You can't read Wander all that well, but he came out and forgot about it and went and played the second game and moved on from it so that was good."

"We had two great plays today from our centerfielders. Elier (Hernandez) in the first game made that great play and that was a great catch and then Downsey did the same thing in the second game. If Downsey doesn't catch that ball it's second and third at least, or a guy at second and a guy in, and who knows what happens. That was a great play. The ball right over his head, that's the toughest one so that's what I mean. This team kind of washes it off and they just keep playing."

"Foster Griffin didn't get much help in that first game. He didn't give up an earned run. I thought he did fine. You have to get a little help. He could've gotten out of that inning two or three times and he had to throw extra pitches. Things didn't happen the way we would have liked it to happen, but I thought he pitched fine and I told him that. Unfortunately, starting pitches get that L or W behind their name, but I told him you did your job, but you didn't get much help today."

Blue Rocks Infielder Austin Bailey

"I'm just trying to get out there and help the team win and do anything I can to produce out there so I'm trying to get a good pitch and do something good with it."

"I'm good wherever Skip puts me in the lineup. Anywhere really, I don't care where he puts me so long as I am in the lineup. If I'm in there I'm hoping I can help the team win and it's all good... the same thing goes when I'm in the field. I'm just trying to get comfortable as possible with every position out there and just fill in where needed and make an impact, a good impact, for the team."

"You just have to be ready for anything when you come to the park every day. Whether it be different spots in the lineup or different spots in the field. You just have to play anywhere and everywhere on the field. Just try to be as positive as possible in those situations."

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