CarL1 Wilmington Blue Rocks

Blue Rocks Blanked in Kingston

Published on July 3, 2007 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Wilmington Blue Rocks News Release


Kinston, NC - A battle of the Carolina League's first-place teams in the second half went to the South, as the Kinston Indians took the first of three from the Wilmington Blue Rocks at Grainger Stadium on Tuesday night, 5-0. A pair of Kinston pitchers combined to five-hit Wilmington, sending the Blue Rocks to their seventh shutout loss of season. Wilmington ace Rowdy Hardy (10-2) allowed all five runs over 5.2 innings for his second setback in as many starts against Kinston. The Blue Rocks (30-38, 9-4) have dropped six straight games against the defending league champs, and 10 of the 14 overall meetings this season.

A pair of two-out singles brought in the game's first two runs against Hardy. In the third inning, a lead-off single by Josh Rodriguez off shortstop Chris McConnell set the stage. After a sac bunt and a fly out, Stephen Head plated Rodriguez with a single to right field.

The fifth saw a similar formula for identical results, as Mike Butia began the frame with a single just past the dive of first baseman Brad McCann. Butia took second on a groundout to first by Jose Constanza, and with two outs Jerad Head (no relation to Stephen) sent Butia home with a single to left for a 2-0 deficit.

McCann provided Wilmington's only threat in the sixth. After Mario Lisson reached on a two-out single, McCann was given the green light, swinging at a 3-0 pitch. His hefty cut belted the ball deep to left field, chasing Nate Panther to the warning track. But the equalizing ball's flight path died there in Panther's glove to end the inning.

Kinston put the game out of reach in the bottom of that sixth by chasing the league's best pitcher with a three-run frame. Consecutive hits by prospects Max Ramirez and Wes Hodges started the inning. Panther pushed each of them up with a sac bunt, forcing Hardy to intentionally walk Matt Whitney to set up the double play. Bases loaded, Butia bounced a ball to McCann at first who fired to McConnell for a force at second base. But McConnell's relay throw to first with Hardy covering was late, allowing Ramirez to score for a 3-0 game.

With Rodriguez at the plate, a wild pitch by Hardy scored Hodges from third and pushed Butia to second. Rodriguez followed up with an RBI single to left for the 5-0 score that sent Hardy to the showers.

Relievers Russ Haltiwanger and Yovany D'Amico combined for 2.1 hitless and scoreless innings thereafter, but the damage was already done.

Wilmington could not solve Kinston starter Sung-Wei Tseng (3-6), nor reliever Michael Finocchi, who earned his third save in three tries. Tseng tossed six innings of four-hit ball with no walks and one strikeout for his third win in four starts overall, and his first in four tries against the Blue Rocks. Finocchi worked three one-hit innings of relief with a pair of walks and three strikeouts.

Game two of the three-gamer will see a battle of prospect right-handers as Wilmington's Julio Pimentel (4-3, 2.67) meets Kinston's Steve Wright (0-0, 11.25) on the Fourth of July at 7:00 p.m.

GAME NOTES: Miguel Vega had two of Wilmington's five hits, going 2-for-4 on the game.

Chris McConnell, Brad McCann and Mario Lisson combined for the other three hits.

Rowdy Hardy's ERA went up from 1.51 to a personal season-high 1.87, making Salem's Brad James the new ERA leader in the Carolina League at 1.84.

Only twice this season has Hardy failed to last six innings in a start. Both times, he has gone 5.2 innings, both times he allowed five runs, departing with a 5-0 deficit, and both times he suffered a loss against the Kinston Indians. His prior setback came on June 6 at Frawley Stadium in a 6-4 game.

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Carolina League Stories from July 3, 2007


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