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Wilmington Blue Rocks

Wilmington Stunned in Extra-Inning Loss

May 1, 2017 - Carolina League (CarL1)
Wilmington Blue Rocks News Release


Wilmington, DE - The Wilmington Blue Rocks (8-16) had a one-run lead go by the wayside in the ninth inning and eventually lost in a 4-3 extra-inning affair to the Salem Red Sox (15-9) on Monday night at Frawley Stadium. It was the third time in the head-to-head matchup the Red Sox rallied and scored in the final inning to snatch a victory from the Blue Rocks.

Salem pushed across the go-ahead run in the top of the tenth inning. Denier Lopez doubled on a ball that rattled off Blue Rocks reliever Andres Machado 's leg with one out before Tate Matheny threaded a double just in fair territory down the left field line to take the 4-3 lead that the Rocks were unable to come back from. However, throughout the game, the Rocks battled their way to multiple leads.

In the seventh inning, tied at two runs apiece, Nicky Lopez laced a go-ahead RBI single to right field to score Cody Jones, who pinch ran for Tanner Stanley, to give the Blue Rocks a 3-2 lead. Stanley led the inning off with a walk to set the inning. The daunting Red Sox offense rallied with two outs in the ninth to tie the game up on Jose Sermo's RBI single to tie the game at 3-3.

The Rocks dented the scoreboard initially in the fourth inning. Elier Hernandez belted a lead-off double before Chase Vallot smashed a double of his own to put Wilmington up 1-0. However, the Red Sox knotted the game and threatened to break the game open in the sixth inning. Wilmington starter RHP A.J. Puckett worked his way out of a bases loaded, nobody out jam and yielded just one run on a Josh Ockimey game-tying RBI single to make it 1-1.

The Blue Crew quickly regained the lead in their half of the sixth when Wander Franco roped a two-out RBI double down the third base line to score Hernandez who set the inning with a single to take a 2-1 advantage. The Salem Red Sox again scratched their way back in the top of the seventh inning on a Michael Chavis two-out single to knot the game at 2-2.

Puckett worked six solid innings, scattered six hits, allowed just the one run and struck out six batters in a no-decision.

Wilmington takes on the Salem Red Sox in the second game of the series on Tuesday, May 2 at Frawley Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 p.m. with LHP Cristian Castillo (0-2, 4.15 ERA) getting the start for the Blue Rocks. The Red Sox counter with LHP Dedgar Jimenez (3-0, 4.95 ERA). Fans can listen to the game as Matt Janus and Cory Nidoh will have the call on 89.7 WGLS-FM.

Pebbles of Knowledge

The one-run loss added to Wilmington's total of one-run games played in which is now up to 14 which continues to lead Carolina League. Unfortunately, the Blue Rocks are 4-10 in such affairs and have lost their last three one-run games. Their last victory in a game that was decided by a run was back on April 20 against the Winston-Salem Dash when the Rocks won 1-0. It also marked the fifth extra-inning game of the season for the Blue Crew and they are now 1-4 in such games.

The Rocks starters continued to shine as they headed back to Frawley Stadium. In their last four games, The Blue Rocks starting pitching has worked 24 2/3 innings, allowed four earned runs, 15 hits, 12 walks and have stuck out 21 batters. However, the combination of Puckett, Emilo Ogando, Foster Griffin and Scott Blewett are a combined 0-2 through that stretch. On Monday, Puckett did not factor in the decision despite six innings of solid work. Sunday, Ogando continued the trend and worked six innings, allowed just one run on three hits in a no-decision. Griffin, who started the opener of the series in Buies Creek and Blewett both tuned in quality starts.

Lopez again delivered a clutch hit for the Rocks. The shortstop posted his fifth multi-hit game of the season which is the second most on the team. Lopez has hit safely 19 of 23 games and has reached base in all but two games this year. After hitting .238 through his first ten games, he now paces the club with his .306 batting average thanks to a .357 (20-for-56) contact clip over his last 13 games.

Anderson Miller extended his on-base streak to 16 games which ties his career-high that he set last year with the Low-A Lexington Legends. It marks the longest on-base streak of a Blue Rock hitter since Hunter Dozier reached 18 games in 2014. Roman Collins and D.J. Burt both set an early 13-game on-base streak in the opening month of the season, but both had their streaks snapped in the same game back on April 20 against Winston-Salem.

They Said It: Jamie Quirk

"We played well. (AJ) Puckett battled, he had that great inning where he got in trouble. Bases were loaded with no outs and he got out of it, that was a huge boost for him and the team. He got six innings in and it looked like he might not go that long so it was a great outing on his part. We took a lead on one of the best hitting teams in the league. We scratched and clawed and got ahead but couldn't hold it. We were close, (Richard) Lovelady did well but then with two outs and no one on, they ended up getting that tying run that deflated everybody. Nicky Lopez got a big hit to drive in the go ahead run. Good things happen but yet, we can't seem to finish them off."

On Puckett staying in bases loaded jam: "It was his to get out of, that's development, that's part of minor league baseball. I had a guy warming up, (Franco) Terrero was throwing, but Puckett wasn't going to come out until he gave up the lead. It was great on his part that I didn't have to go get him. I had no intentions of grabbing him until he gave up the lead and that's the part of the game that they learn from, they grow from, and they get better from and he did a great job. It would have been easy to go pull him but I did not want to have the next guy give up those runs. That was him, he said I got it, he got through it and he will be better for it."

"The clutch hits are a comforting sign for us. It is May 1st, and you see those signs and you hope that they continue to get better and grow in those situations because we haven't been good in them so far, that's why our record in one-run-games is what it is. It is usually one execution here and one execution there and we scratched a run across a couple of times today. We haven't been doing that, so that's a good sign and hopefully we continue to do that."

On Salem: "They are a very confident offensive club and I'm sure they feel they are never out of it. When you look at these batting averages over there they definitely feel confident. That's the third one they have stolen from us, they had back-to-back walk offs in Salem. We pitched them well tonight and we have to get that feeling of this game is ours, not what are we going to do tonight to lose. We have to get that out of our mind and finish these games that we are winning late or tied late and get that big hit or big out and go from there."

"Chase (Vallot) played a great game. It was nice seeing him get two hits and a big RBI. He threw two guys out and did a very nice job. He got banged up tonight a couple of times and as an ex-catcher, I know how he feels. He is bruising all over today, but that's part of learning how to play every day, go back out there, get your bumps and bruises. It's a long year and this is what these kids are learning in a 140 game season."

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