CarL1 Wilmington Blue Rocks

Carrasco Homers for Second Straight Night in Wilmington Win

Published on May 31, 2019 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Wilmington Blue Rocks News Release


Fayetteville, NC- A two-run homer by Dennicher Carrasco in the first inning propelled the Wilmington Blue Rocks to a wire-to-wire 5-3 win on Friday at Segra Stadium. The victory increased the Rocks' lead to six games in the CL North and lowered their magic number to 11 to clinch a first-half CL North crown with just 15 contests remaining.

Carrasco wasted little time putting the Blue Crew ahead. With two down in the opening frame and Brewer Hicklen at first base, Carrasco sent Chad Donato's 2-1 pitch soaring over the right-field fence. Hicklen would add an RBI-single in the fifth and a run-scoring bunt base hit in the seventh. He finished the night 3-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored.

It was more than enough run support for the Wilmington pitching staff. Left-hander Daniel Tillo yielded just two runs (one earned) on four hits over 5.2 frames. The 25th-ranked prospect in the Royals Minor League system, according to MLB.com, fanned four and walked only two en route to the win. He gave way to Collin Snyder who allowed an inherited runner to score, but limited the damage in the sixth. Rito Lugo followed with two scoreless innings and then Tad Ratliff allowed a run in the ninth, but still nailed down his 12th save.

The Blue Crew continue their seven-game road trip at Fayetteville on Saturday. Left-hander Daniel Lynch takes the mound for Wilmington as first pitch is slated for 5:00 p.m. Fans can catch all the action with the Voice of the Blue Rocks, Cory Nidoh on 89.7 WGLS-FM.

PEBBLES OF KNOWLEDGE:

Conventional wisdom suggests there is no such place as home, but the Blue Rocks have thrived outside of the First State in 2019. With Friday's win Wilmington improved to 19-9 on the road this season. That's the second-best mark in the Carolina League, behind only Down East, which is one of only two places the Blue Crew have not visited yet this season.

Four has been the magic number for the Wilmington offense in 2019. When the Rocks score four times in a game they are 20-2 on the year. Conversely, when Wilmington manages just three scores or fewer in an affair the team is only 14-18.

Dennicher Carrasco had gone 10 full months without hitting a home run when the month of May began. Evidently the turn of the calendar was all Carrasco needed, because the 23-year-old Dominican Republic native finished the season's second month with five long balls. Carrasco hit a two-run homer on Thursday at Fayetteville and added another two-run bomb on Friday. Four of Carrasco's five homers this season have come on the road and with one man on base. As a team Wilmington has had much better success hitting dingers on the road in 2019. Seventeen of the team's 21 home runs this season have come outside of the First State.

Check out the Wilmington Blue Rocks Statistics

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Carolina League Stories from May 31, 2019


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