CarL1 Myrtle Beach Pelicans

Birds Rock Wilmington to Complete Sweep

Published on May 29, 2011 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Myrtle Beach Pelicans News Release


MYRTLE BEACH, SC - The Wilmington Blue Rocks swept the Myrtle Beach Pelicans at home last weekend, but today it was time to return the favor. Santiago Chirino's first career home run sparked a nine-run effort in Justin Grimm's Pelicans' debut as the Birds rolled to a 9-3 win to earn a three-game sweep of the Blue Rocks. The Pelicans lead the Southern Division by five and a half games.

Just called up from low-A Hickory to fill in for Robbie Erlin, who won his Double-A debut this afternoon for Frisco, Grimm was superb for in his first Advanced-A start. The right-hander held Wilmington to one run on five hits in six innings, walking one and striking out five.

Grimm (1-0) allowed a first-inning run when Whit Merrifield led off the game with a single, stole second and third, and scored on a Carlo Testa groundout.

The Pelicans took the lead in the bottom of the second off Blue Rocks starter Elisaul Pimentel. Mike Olt led off with a walk and Zach Zaneski singled and three batters later, Santiago Chirino socked the first home run of his professional career to turn a 1-0 deficit into a 3-1 lead. Chirino had not homered in his first 147 games over his first two-plus seasons in the Rangers system. The blast was the first of his three hits, the second baseman now leads the club with four three-hit games.

Myrtle Beach broke it open in the third as they scored six runs while sending ten men to the plate. Jared Hoying singled before walks to Ryan Strausborger, Mike Olt and Zach Zaneski that brought home Hoying. With two outs and the bases still loaded, Mitch Hilligoss singled in two and Chirino added an RBI single to make it 7-1 and knock out Pimentel. Bryan Paukovits came on and was greeted on the first pitch by a Leury Garcia two-run double that increased the lead to 9-1.

Pimentel (3-3) was charged with nine runs while allowing only five hits in two and two-thirds innings. The right-hander walked four and struck out one. The Blue Rocks got two good performances out of the bullpen though as Paukovits worked three and a third shutout frames before Glenn Gibson pitched a scoreless seventh and eighth.

Kennil Gomez allowed two unearned runs in the seventh and worked a scoreless eighth before turning the game over to Trevor Hurley who shook off a two-out single in the ninth to strike out Whit Merrifield swinging to end the game. The Birds have won five straight games and moved to five and a half games up on Salem and Kinston in the Southern Division. The reeling Red Sox have dropped 17 of 21 to fall into a second-place tie with the red-hot Indians.

The Pelicans hit the road tonight and will begin a seven-game road trip tomorrow in Frederick. The four-game set with the Keys begins with a Memorial Day matinee at Harry Grove Stadium at 4:00 p.m. After a three-game weekend series in Lynchburg, the Pelicans return on Monday, June 6 for a four-game series with the Winston-Salem Dash. Tickets for all Pelicans home games are available at the BB&T Coastal Field box office, MyrtleBeachPelicans.com, and by phone at 843-918-6000 or 877-918-TIXX.

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Carolina League Stories from May 29, 2011


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