CarL1 Wilmington Blue Rocks

Blue Rocks Game Notes

Published on July 2, 2012 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Wilmington Blue Rocks News Release


RUNS, HITS & HOMERS, OH MY: Despite a season-best 16 hits and a pair of four-run leads, the Wilmington Blue Rocks needed to hold on late. But that they did as Sam Runion earned a two-out save and the Blue Crew beat the defending Carolina League champion Frederick Keys on Sunday, 8-7. The Blue Rocks have won five of their last seven.

EXPLOSIVITY: In the first half, the Blue Rocks scored just 227 runs for a league-low 3.2 runs/game average. Despite playing two seven-inning games and being held to one run on Sunday, Wilmington has scored 56 runs over its first 11 games of the second stanza for an average of 5.1 runs/game. The team that hit 31 home runs over the 70-game first half, the second-lowest total in the league, has bashed 10 early in the second. The Blue Crew hit a league-worst .231 in the first half but owns a .266 (97-for-364) contact clip so far this half.

ONE-RUN FUN: No team in the Carolina League has played more one-run games than the Blue Rocks. With Sunday's success, the team is 14-17 in such circumstances. The Rocks have played the seventh-most one-run games in MiLB. The Triple-A Iowa Cubs (PCL) lead the way with 36 (15-21).

TRIO OF TATERS: The Blue Crew tied a season-high mark now recorded four times with its three home runs in the game. It last turned the trick on June 23 in the nightcap of a doubleheader at Carolina.

WIDE LOAD: With the three dingers, the Rocks' home-road home run split widened all the more. An amazing 36 (88%) of the team's 41 homers have come away from Frawley Stadium.

PENNY LANE: Lane Adams started the day with three hits as a Blue Rock (3-for-33). He doubled his hit total by going 3-for-5 with a double.

THE POWER OF THREE: Adams was one of three Blue Rocks to post three hits in the game. Cheslor Cuthbert and Angel Franco also finished the game 3-for-5. Cuthbert picked up his team-leading 34th RBI while Franco notched his 12th double.

3-2-1 BLASTOFF: Brett Eibner became the first Blue Rock to reach double-digit dingers with his leadoff shot in the second. He also had an RBI double and worked a walk for his first multi-hit game since June 9. He is on pace to hit 17 home runs this season, something that has happened once since Michael Evans and Sean McNally each hit 17 in 1997. Last season John Whittleman became the third Blue Rock ever to hit 20.

SO LONG, NEIGHBOR: Earlier today, the Kansas City Royals announced that Wilmington closer Nick Rogers has been promoted to Double-A Northwest Arkansas. He departs tied for fourth in the Carolina League and second on the Royals' farm with eight saves in nine tries. He posted a 2.17 ERA and struck out nearly a man an inning (29 IP, 27K). In a corresponding move, southpaw Antonio Cruz has joined the club from Rookie Surprise. See his box on page 10 for more.

NORTHERN EXPOSURE: The Blue Rocks are in the midst of facing only divisional foes over a stretch of 13 straight and 17 of 20. The Rocks are 17-34 against Southern squads and 17-13 against their brothers in the North. The Blue Crew has a non-losing record against every team in the North, but has lost more than it has won against all four teams in the South.

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Carolina League Stories from July 2, 2012


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