CarL1 Wilmington Blue Rocks

Blue Rocks Game Notes

Published on July 3, 2012 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Wilmington Blue Rocks News Release


LUCKY NUMBER 13: How do you score six runs on one hit? Ask the Wilmington Blue Rocks who did just that in the decisive 13th inning to beat the Frederick Keys on Monday night, 12-6. The Blue Rocks have won six of their last eight in improving to .500 on the half.

SECOND-HALF SURGE: 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 68 runs over its first 12 games of the second stanza for an average of 5.7 runs/game. The team that hit 31 home runs over the 70-game first half, the second-lowest total in the league, has bashed 11 early in the second. The Blue Crew hit a league-worst .231 in the first half but owns a .273 (114-for-418) contact clip so far this half.

WIDE LOAD: With Matt Fields' second homer in as many days, the Rocks' home-road home run split widened all the more. An amazing 37 (88%) of the team's 42 homers have come away from Frawley Stadium.

FIELDS OF DREAMS: Fields, a recent signee from the independent ranks, entered last night with five hits in his first nine games (5-for-31, .161). He nearly matched that sum last night alone as he went 4-for-7 with two doubles and a homer.

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 18-13 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.

BIG NIGHT: The Blue Rocks set new season-high marks for runs scored in a game (12); hits in a game (17); innings played in a game (13); time of game (4:35); and pitchers used in a game (6). The six-run 13th tied as the most productive single inning for Wilmington's offense this year.

A LONG TIME AGO...: At four hours and 35 minutes, last night's game was the longest-lasting affair for the Blue Rocks since a 16-inning contest at Salem from July 25-26, 2006. The 4-3 loss for Wilmington took two days to play due to a local curfew prohibiting the start of an inning after 11:30 p.m.

THE OLD SWITCHEROO: Before the game, the Royals announced closer Nick Rogers received a promotion to Double-A Northwest Arkansas. The corresponding move had southpaw Antonio Cruz join the club from Rookie Surprise. Cruz made his Wilmington debut with two innings of scoreless relief, but allowed two of three inherited runners to cross.

IF YOU AIN'T FIRST: With their win last night and some help out of town, the Blue Rocks have worked their way into a three-way tie for first place in the North at 6-6 this half. Outside of starting each half this season at 0-0, the Blue Crew had not owned even a piece of the penthouse since June 29 of last year.

LIVE ARM: Usual infielder Luis Piterson pitched for the second time this season and in his career. Unlike his tough outing in mop-up duty of a blowout loss at Winston-Salem last month, he was called upon to face just one man with a lopsided lead last night. He replaced Cole White with a 3-0 count on Jeremy Nowak, who began the game as the designated hitter, but by that point was also a pitcher. Piterson promptly struck Nowak out to end the game.

LET'S GET SERIESOUS: The Blue Rocks have won consecutive series for the second time all season and the first time since May 18-23 (Myrtle Beach/Potomac). The Rocks have not won three straight sets since May 16-25, 2011 (Salem/Myrtle Beach/Frederick). The four-game sweep at Salem that began the run marks the most recent time Wilmington has won three straight road games, something it can do with a win tonight.

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Carolina League Stories from July 3, 2012


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