CarL1 Wilmington Blue Rocks

Blue Rocks Game Notes

Published on April 25, 2012 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Wilmington Blue Rocks News Release


The Blue Rocks bid for their first five-game winning streak since taking seven straight from May 16-22, 2011 at Salem and versus Myrtle Beach.

KUEBLER COMES THROUGH: With two outs and two strikes in the ninth, Jake Kuebler needed a knock. His Wilmington Blue Rocks had blown a 3-0 lead and sat in a 3-3 deadlock with the Salem Red Sox. In fact, Salem pitching had retired 17 of the 18 batters before him. During that time, only Brett Eibner's leadoff contact found fair ground for a hit. As reliever Pete Ruiz came home, Kuebler came through, sending a hard single up the middle that scored Eibner and put the Rocks ahead to stay in a 4-3 defeat of the Sox. The Blue Rocks' fourth straight win has them above .500 for the first time in 2012.

HEATING UP: Over their first 13 games of the year, the Blue Rocks scored a total of 36 runs (2.8/g), with just 25 of them earned on opposing pitchers. In their last four they have plated 26 (6.5/g) with 19 of them affecting their foes' ERA.

FAMINE TO FEAST: While the stats from Sunday's suspended game will not count until the game is completed and official on June 8, consider this. A Wilmington club that entered the weekend as one of baseball's two teams sans home run now has eight over the last four days.

MISTER ROGERS: Despite the drama when he allowed a pair of two-out baserunners, Nick Rogers failed to surrender a run yet again. In five relief appearances and seven innings, Rogers has not allowed a single score while issuing just one walk against eight strikeouts.

A CUTH ABOVE: Cheslor Cuthbert's hot hitting continued. The fourth-youngest player in Blue Rocks' history went 2-for-4. After going 4-for-32 (.156) with two RBIs over his first nine games, Cuthbert gone 11-for-26 (.423) with eight RBIs. Now the team leader in runs batted in, Cuthbert also has a two-run homer pending from Sunday's suspended game.

FLETCH LIVES: After starting the season 7-for-46 (.152) with one RBI and 13 strikeouts through 13 games, Brian Fletcher has notched three straight multi-hit showings going 6-for-14 (.429) with a homer, three RBIs and not a single whiff.

SWING & A MISS: Yordano Ventura is the first Wilmington pitcher to notch double-digit strikeouts in a game this season. In 16.1 innings, the right-hander has struck out 25 men (13.8 / 9 IP) while walking eight (3.1:1 ratio). He reached 99 mph on the scouts' guns as he struck out five of the first six men he faced and nine of the first 13. Of his 14 outs recorded, 10 strikeouts made for a swing and a miss 71% of the time he retired his foe. All four hits he allowed were singles including one on the infield and one that was misjudged by a charging Fletcher in shallow left.

ONE-RUN EXTREMES: The Blue Rocks' league-leading eighth one-run game of the year (4-4) was the first for Salem.

FORE!: Kevin David's fourth-inning homer is the fourth of his career and just his second since 2010. On a related note, all four homers hit this series by the Blue Rocks have led off innings.

UNLUCKY NO. 13: With 13 total strikeouts by the three Wilmington pitchers, the Rocks fell a whiff shy of notching the most strikeouts by a Salem foe at Memorial Stadium in a nine-inning game. The record for the 17-year-old facility was set on August 12, 2007 by the staff of the Myrtle Beach Pelicans.

ARE YOU TOO GOOD FOR YOUR HOME?: Salem left 11 men on base for the second straight game. The Red Sox are 4-for-24 (.167) with runners in scoring position on the series.

ABOVE WATER: The Rocks are over .500 for the first time since July 13, 2011.

Check out the Wilmington Blue Rocks Statistics

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Carolina League Stories from April 25, 2012


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