CarL1 Wilmington Blue Rocks

Blue Rocks Blanked In Seventh Straight Setback

May 7, 2010 - Carolina League (CarL1)
Wilmington Blue Rocks News Release


Frederick, MD - The 2010 futilities of the Wilmington Blue Rocks (10-18) continued Friday night. While the team made a number of highlight-caliber plays defensively and starting pitcher Ivor Hodgson (2-2) delivered the staff's best start in a week, the offense was held to six hits in a 2-0 shutout loss to the first-place Frederick Keys (17-11). Nate Nery (2-2)and prospect Brandon Cooney combined on the blanking, the Rocks' fourth donut of the season. Eric Hosmer went 3-for-4, but the Rocks were 0-for-4 with men in scoring position. Wilmington has lost seven straight to fall a season-worst 7.0 games out of first and eight games below .500.

Frederick got on the board early as leadoff hitter Xavier Avery bashed Hodgson's second pitch of the night off the second tier of signage in left field for the outfielder's first home run of the season and a 1-0 Wilmington deficit.

Nery, meanwhile, dominated from the start. He retired the first 11 he faced until Hosmer singled over short with two down in the fourth. Anthony Seratelli doubled to begin the fifth, but never left the bag as three straight outs followed. One half-inning later, Frederick added to its lead with an RBI single off the bat of Kyle Hudson to plate catcher Luis Bernardo from second base. The run was unearned on Hodgson due to a Seratelli error at second during the inning.

The Blue Rocks went down 1-2-3 in the sixth and never got a runner past first in the seventh despite a leadoff hit by Hosmer.

In the eighth, Salvador Perez singled to center with two down and Adrian Ortiz followed with a bunt single to first. First baseman Joe Mahoney underhand flipped the ball to an unoccupied first base for an error as Perez took third and the Keys made a pitching change.

Cooney entered and jumped ahead 0-2 on Patrick Norris before striking out the center fielder looking. Nery allowed just five hits and no walks while striking out four over 7.2 shutout innings for his second win in as many starts.

Hodgson was done after seven innings of two-run ball (one earned). He scattered nine hits and one walk while whiffing five. Harold Mozingo worked around two walks in a scoreless eighth to keep it close, but the Blue Rocks failed to capitalize upon Hosmer's leadoff single in the ninth as three straight outs followed. Cooney earned his fifth save in six tries.

The middle contest of the series comes Saturday night at 6 p.m. A southpaw showdown will pit the Blue Rocks' Chris Dwyer (0-2, 4.37) against Cole McMurry (1-1, 5.48). Dwyer, just a second-year professional, searches for his first career win.

Check out the Wilmington Blue Rocks Statistics



Carolina League Stories from May 7, 2010


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