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CarL1 Wilmington Blue Rocks

BLUE ROCKS HUSH FREDERICK BATS ONCE AGAIN

June 22, 2007 - Carolina League (CarL1)
Wilmington Blue Rocks News Release


Wilmington, DE - One night removed from holding the Frederick Keys to one hit, the Wilmington Blue Rocks pitching staff was at it again in a 5-1 triumph over the first-half champions of the Carolina League's Northern Division at Frawley Stadium on Friday night. In front of a sellout crowd of 6,898, three Blue Rocks pitchers combined to limit the Keys to a pair of base hits, while the Wilmington lumber, led by first baseman Miguel Vega, came to life late in the game. Vega went 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles and an RBI and Marc Maddox drove in the eventual game-winning run with an RBI single in the sixth to lead a 10-hit Rocks offensive. With the win, the Blue Crew has won its first two games of the second half and, in the process, gained its first back-to-back wins since May 28-29.

Wilmington reliever Justin Barnes spearheaded a splendid bullpen effort, as the right-hander combined with All-Star southpaw Gilbert De La Vara to twirl five one-hit frames and retire 15 of the game's final 16 batters. Barnes (2-1) allowed the lone base hit while recording a pair of strikeouts in 2.1 innings and De La Vara retired the final eight batters of the game in order for his team-leading seventh save of the season

In Thursday's series opener against the Keys, Blake Johnson and three relievers combined to throw Wilmington's first one-hitter in two seasons. With tonight's efforts, the Blue Rocks have out-hit Frederick 22-3 through the first two games of the three-game set.

Twenty-year-old righty Daniel Cortes started for Wilmington, looking to notch his first victory in ten starts. But, the Pomona, CA native ran into trouble in the first inning, allowing the Keys to scratch across the first run of the game. Cortes walked lead-off man Blake Davis and then surrendered an RBI double to Arturo Rivas two batters later.

Cortes walked five men and hit a batter, but held Frederick to just a run on one hit over his three innings of work.

The rest of the night's offensive fireworks would belong to Wilmington, as the Rocks went to work on Keys starter Carlos Perez (5-6) in the fifth inning. The Frederick southpaw held the Rocks to a single hit and no runs through the first four innings, allowing just a lead-off double to Brian McFall in the second. Perez had set down nine-straight heading into the fifth, when his namesake got Wilmington going.

Rocks left fielder Wilver Perez tripled to left field to lead off the frame and then scored on Miguel Vega's first of two doubles on the ballgame to knot things up at one-apiece.

An inning later, Chris McConnell got aboard with a lead-off single against Carlos Perez and was moved to second on a sac bunt by Jose Duarte. With one out in a tie game, Maddox ripped a ball past a diving Ryan Finan and down the third base line to chase home McConnell for a 2-1 Wilmington lead - an advantage they would not relinquish.

With the bullpen keeping the Keys at bay, the Blue Rocks bats delivered the final, decisive blow in the eighth. With his team ahead 2-1 and with Perez still pitching for Frederick, Duarte led off the frame with a single up the middle. After a Maddox sac bunt moved Duarte to second, Keys skipper Tommy Thompson opted to intentionally walk Mario Lisson and go to his bullpen.

Right-hander Manny Basilio was called upon to face Brian McFall with one out and runners on second and third. The Wilmington right fielder promptly delivered a soaring double into the left-center field alley; chasing home both runners for a 4-1 Blue Rocks lead. Later in the frame, McFall would come home on a wild pitch by Basilio to close out the scoring.

Carlos Perez was charged with four runs on seven hits with two walks and five strikeouts over 7.1 innings, snapping his personal two-game winning streak.

The Blue Rocks try for the three-game sweep of the Keys on Saturday night at 6:05 p.m., as All-Star southpaw Rowdy Hardy (8-1, 1.55) opposes Frederick right-hander Jason Berken.

GAME NOTES:

To say the least, Miguel Vega had a breakthrough performance against the Keys, logging a pair of doubles and an RBI. The Blue Rocks first baseman entered Friday's game with just one extra-base hit over his last 14 games and only three RBIs in his last 15 contests.

With his 2.2 scoreless innings in relief, closer Gilbert De La Vara lowered his already miniscule ERA from 0.89 to 0.82. Including Friday's work, he southpaw has yielded just three earned runs in 33 innings.

In what turned out to be his final at-bat of the night, catcher Kiel Thibault singled in the eighth inning to extend his hitting streak to seven games, tying a personal season-high.

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Carolina League Stories from June 22, 2007


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