CarL1 Myrtle Beach Pelicans

Birds Bite Back, Grimm Leads Way Over Blue Rocks

Published on August 30, 2011 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Myrtle Beach Pelicans News Release


WILMINGTON, DE - Justin Grimm threw six innings of one-run ball, striking out eight, and the Pelicans finally put together a solid offensive display on the road, matching their runs total from their previous five games on this trip in a 6-2 win over the Wilmington Blue Rocks Tuesday night at Frawley Stadium.

Tuesday in Delaware, the Pelicans finally got a look at the full lineup they'll carry into the Carolina League's postseason next week at BB&T Coastal Field with the return of shortstop Leury Garcia. Garcia, who briefly separated his shoulder on August 13 at Potomac and went on the disabled list shortly thereafter, joined third baseman Mike Olt and first baseman Chris McGuiness as Pelicans regulars recently back on the active roster from injuries. Myrtle Beach's floundering offense didn't get a lot of help from Garcia on the night--the shortstop went 0-for-6 in his return--but as a unit, Myrtle Beach looked much improved.

In the top of the third inning, the Birds got their first run and first lead of the series after a Monday night shutout when Mike Olt doubled with two gone to score Travis Adair and put Myrtle Beach in front 1-0. Wilmington responded immediately in the bottom half of the third on Carlo Testa's seventh home run of the season, a solo shot he took to the opposite field off of Grimm for a 1-1 tie.

Testa's homer evidently flipped a switch in Grimm, however, as the righty turned in one of his most dominant efforts of the year after it. The University of Georgia product retired the next 11 men he faced and didn't let a single ball out of the infield, recording seven groundouts, three strikeouts, and one popout. Grimm (5-2) left with breathing room after his six frames.

Myrtle Beach took the lead back in the fourth with another RBI double, this one by Jared Hoying scoring Chris McGuiness, and started to tack on runs from there. In the fifth, the Pelicans chased Wilmington starter Tim Melville from the contest. With two outs and a runner at second base, Vinny DiFazio doubled off the deep left-center field wall to score Andrew Clark. One batter later, Melville (10-10) walked McGuiness and saw his day come to an end. Reliever Jon Keck subsequently walked Santiago Chirino to load the bases and plunked Hoying with them that way to drive in a run and make it a 4-1 Pelicans lead before getting out of the inning.

After adding a run in the sixth and watching Wilmington get one back in the seventh, the Pelicans put their final insurance tally on the board with a DiFazio run-scoring triple plating Clark in the eighth to make it 6-2. Myrtle Beach went to work shutting the night down with the bullpen. After Colby Killian allowed an unearned tally in the seventh, Ryan Kelly pitched two scoreless innings of one-hit relief to close out the game. Myrtle Beach picked up just its second win in six tries on this eight-game road trip to Winston-Salem and Wilmington.

The Pelicans, who have not won a road series since June 26-28 at Salem, can achieve at least a series split and a victory in the season series with Wilmington Wednesday night at Frawley Stadium. Myrtle Beach sends left-hander Chad Bell (3-2, 3.13) against fellow southpaw Justin Marks (7-8, 4.37) with first pitch slated for 6:35 p.m.

Tickets for all Pelicans home games can be purchased by visiting the BB&T Coastal Field box office, the Tickets page at MyrtleBeachPelicans.com, or by calling (843)918-6000 or (877)918-TIXX.

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Carolina League Stories from August 30, 2011


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