CarL1 Wilmington Blue Rocks

Blue Rocks Game Notes for August 6

Published on August 6, 2009 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Wilmington Blue Rocks News Release


RAIN KINGS:The record-setting pace of rainouts in the CLcontinued on Wednesday as Mother Nature forced the postponement of the Blue Rocks' series finale against the Winston-Salem Dash. It marks the Rocks' 13th rainout of the season and third on the road. The game will be made up as part of a doubleheader when Winston-Salem comes to Frawley Stadium on August 12. Also, thehome rainout against Salem from August 2 will be made up during a doubleheader at Salem's Memorial Stadium on August 28.

UNSTOPPABLE:When a team is hot it has the ability to win games in many ways. The Blue Rocks fall nothing short of scorching right now. One night after scoring a second-half high 11 runs and equaling a franchise-record with five dingers, the Blue Crew beat the Winston-Salem Dash with pitching and just a few timely two-out hits on Tuesday at Wake Forest Baseball Park. The 3-1 Wilmington win was its 10th consecutive victory, placing the Rocks just one shy of the longest winning streak in team history. Eight of the 10 wins have come by two runs or less.

PITCHING PROWESS:Mario Santiago, Danny Gutierrezand Brandon Sisk combined to surrender just the lone score on three hits as the Blue Rocks shut the Dash offense down. After Santiago allowed a solo home run to Seth Loman to open the second inning, Winston-Salem's bats went silent. Santiago retired the final 15 batters he faced, striking out five and walking none over six innings. He has now won three straight road starts posting a 1.56 ERAduring that time. Gutierrez replaced him in the seventh and recorded five more consecutive outs. He issued a two-out walk in the eighth but struck out Kent Gerst thereafter. Sisk came on in the ninth to finish things up. He struck out two for his team-best 13th save.

TWO-OUT HITTING:The Rocks put a pair on the board in the top of the fourth thanks to a pair of two-out RBI singles. With one out and his team trailing 1-0, Nick Van Strattenhit a double down the third-base line. After Eric Hosmer grounded out, Paulo Orlandobrought Van Stratten home with a single to center. Orlando stole second and JamarWalton's grounder through the right side of the infield brought him home. In the eighth, Derrick Robinson's lead-off bunt hit combined with a fielding error to place him at second. Two batters later, Mike Moustakassingled him home for his team-leading 66th RBI and an insurance run.

YOU'RE GETTING SWEEPY:The Rocks earned their sixth series sweep of the season and their third straight at Winston-Salem. Tuesday's triumph also secured the team's sixth straight series win. Winston-Salem's lone prior sweep defeat also came in a rain-shortened two-game series at Wilmington May 1-2.

BULLISH ‘PEN:The Wilmington bullpen added another three scoreless innings last time out. Rocks' relievers have now allowed only one unearned tally in their last 28.1 frames of work. The pen has proven pivotal during the winning streak, as eight of the 10 wins have come by two runs or less.

ON THE RECORD:The franchise record for most games won in a row stands at 11, accomplished from May 23-June 6, 1996. That season saw the second of Wilmington's four Carolina League Mills Cup Championships. The league record is 16, set by the 1950 Winston-Salem squad. The modern-day record (post-1960) checks in at 14, set by Salem in 2006. The streak ended when Wilmington beat the then Avalanche, 4-1, on August 30 at Salem Memorial Stadium.

PEBBLES OF KNOWLEDGE:The Blue Rocks held the Dash to just three hits on Tuesday - the Dash's second-worst performance of the season...The Rocks stand a season-high 16 games over .500 at 61-45...Wilmington played error-free ball after making a miscue its six previous games.

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Carolina League Stories from August 6, 2009


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