CarL1 Wilmington Blue Rocks

Comeback Kids Rally Thrice In 9-7 Win

Published on August 19, 2009 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Wilmington Blue Rocks News Release


Frederick, MD - The rally Rocks have struck again. Wilmington came back from three different deficits and down as many as four scores to beat the Frederick Keys on Wednesday night, 9-7. Johnny Giavotella and Clint Robinson hit the team's first back-to-back home runs of the season to forge the second of three ties, while aggressive baserunning by a record-setting Derrick Robinson combined with two Keys errors for a pair of unearned runs in the ninth to break the last deadlock of the night. The Blue Rocks (70-50, 32-19) won despite getting out-hit 14-6 to secure their 13th straight road series victory. The Blue Crew has not lost a road set since mid-May and has won 10 of its last 11 games away from Frawley Stadium.

The Blue Rocks scored twice in the ninth without the aid of a single base hit to break up a 7-7 draw and take their first lead of the night. Keys closer Brandon Cooney (0-2) grazed Derrick Robinson with an 0-2 pitch to put the speedster on base. The "Floridian Flash" stole second on a pitchout for his second swipe of the night, breaking his own single-season franchise record with his 63rd take of a base. The throw appeared to beat Robinson, but the tag was not there. While Frederick protested mightily, the call stood.

Giavotella walked thereafter and the duo was off and running for a double steal when Clint Robinson struck out looking. Catcher Caleb Joseph made an errant throw to third that bounded down the line as both men advanced another base with Derrick Robinson scoring for an 8-7 lead. Anthony Seratelli dropped down a squeeze bunt and Cooney forced an errant throw to first as Giavotella crossed the dish for an insurance score.

Reliever Kelvin Villa (5-7) got the win with three innings of one-run ball. He allowed four hits but no walks and struck out two. Eric Basurto hit the first batter of the ninth only to retire the next three in a row including two strikeouts for his second save.

Starter Mario Santiago left on the hook after his shortest outing since his first start of the year. He allowed six runs (five earned) on 10 hits with two strikeouts over just 3.1 innings. Ray Liotta followed with 1.2 perfect innings, stranding two inherited runners.

Jamar Walton delivered the first game-tying run with a sacrifice fly to left in the second that plated Paulo Orlando for a 1-1 tie. With two outs and the bases clear in the fifth, Giavotella fouled off five pitches during a 10-pitch at-bat before blasting a towering home run to left that cleared all three levels of signage, his fourth of the campaign. Clint Robinson followed with his 11th blast of the year on a 2-0 pitch to pull Rocks even at 6-6.

Villa gave up a run in the sixth before Chase Fontaine collected his second sacrifice fly of the game in the eighth to knock Clint Robinson home for the 7-7 score in the eighth.

The four-game, three-day series concludes at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. The Blue Rocks will toss super southpaw prospect Danny Duffy (8-3, 3.49) against a fellow ranked chip and lefty in Zach Britton (8-6, 2.71). In three starts against Frederick, Duffy is 2-0 with only one unearned run allowed in 19.1 IP.

PEBBLES OF KNOWLEDGE:

The Blue Rocks notched their 27th come-from-behind win of the year. Their largest deficit overcome came coincidentally enough at Frederick on June 28 when the team came back from a 6-0 eighth-inning deficit to post a 7-6 win in a regulation nine frames.

Clint Robinson's home run coincided with his father's birthday. He also went deep on his mother's birthday earlier this season and did the same last year with Low-A Burlington. The "Alabama Hammer" went 3-for-4 with a walk and three runs scored in addition to his home run.

Wilmington had not posted back-to-back home runs since Cody Strait and Jeff Bianchi took Winston-Salem's Anthony Carter deep twice on August 5, 2008.

Frederick's Pedro Florimon, Jr. went 5-for-5 in his team's loss. Through three games on the series, the All-Star shortstop is 9-for-11 with five extra-base hits, five RBIs and three runs scored.

The Keys' Zack Clark allowed one run over three innings of middle relief in his first CL outing since a demotion from Double-A on Tuesday. Clark hails from Newark, DE.

In addition to the timely double steal in the ninth, the Rocks also turned the trick in the eighth when Anthony Seratelli and Jamar Walton combined to take third and second. The Blue Crew has pulled off three successful double steals on the series.

Brian Rupp's squad finished the night with eight stolen bases as a team, upping its total to a league-high 176 on the year. That gaudy number ranks third in all of MiLB.

Both Mike Moustakas and Eric Hosmer did not play in the game.

The Blue Rocks own the league's best road record this half (18-6).

Check out the Wilmington Blue Rocks Statistics

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Carolina League Stories from August 19, 2009


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