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CarL1 Myrtle Beach Pelicans

Crow Fans 13, Rocks Hold off Pelicans

September 1, 2010 - Carolina League (CarL1)
Myrtle Beach Pelicans News Release


WILMINGTON, DE - With the talent they have rising through their minor league ranks, the Kansas City Royals can afford to wait a little while for 2009 first round draft pick Aaron Crow to become the ace they expect. If Crow can harness the form he showcased Wednesday night against the Pelicans at Frawley Stadium, however, they might not have to wait long.

Crow dazzled over six and two-thirds innings of work, striking out 13 Myrtle Beach batters and only allowing four men to reach the basepaths, and Manauris Baez fought off a late Pelicans charge to preserve a 3-2 win in game three of this four-game series.

It was easy to tell early that Wednesday night would belong to Crow as the 12th-overall draft selection from one year ago powered through his first inning by striking out the Pelicans' side in order. Following a leadoff double by Myrtle Beach first baseman Mike Jones in the second, the right-hander continued to hum along, retiring the next 11 men he faced in order, six of them via K. The Pelicans, in fact, did not put more than one man on the bases at the same time against Crow until the fifth when Samuel Sime singled and Luis Sumoza drew Crow's only walk with two outs, and by that time, the Blue Rocks had taken control.

Myrtle Beach starter Matt Crim worked out of a series of jams early, leaving a pair of men aboard in the first, inducing his Carolina League-leading 24th double-play ball in the second, and seeing Wil Myers erased trying to advance to second on a wild pitch in the third. In the fourth, Wilmington finally got to him beginning with back-to-back singles by Ernesto Mejia and Nick Francis leading off the inning. With the pair at second and third after an unsuccessful attempt to get Mejia going first-to-third put Francis in scoring position on the throw, Salvador Perez grounded out to score Mejia and give his club the night's first lead at 1-0. Rey Navarro doubled Francis home one batter later, and two batters after that, Patrick Norris did the same with a single to score Navarro and stretch the Blue Rocks lead to 3-0.

Crim (7-11) worked another inning and two-thirds after getting out of the fourth with nothing more across but still allowed 11 hits and four walks while striking out one and taking the loss.

As the Blue Rocks offense finally got him some support, Crow continued to roll. He struck out Braeden Schlehuber behind Sime and Sumoza reaching in the fifth, whiffed Gerry Rodriguez behind a one-out Phil Gosselin triple in the sixth, and blew away Cody Johnson and Jordan Kreke in the seventh to end his day. Crow (2-2) turned in arguably his best outing of the season either here in the Carolina League or in the Double-A ranks where he started his season with the Texas League's Northwest Arkansas Naturals. His 13 strikeouts were by far a season high.

A Pelicans' rally attempt got off to a strong start in the eighth inning against Wilmington reliever Ryan Dennick, but after Cole Miles and Gosselin scored on a Jones ground ball to the right side that got through second baseman Rey Navarro to cut the lead to 3-2, Wilmington closed up shop. Reliever Manauris Baez (S, 3), pitching for the second night in a row, got the last out of the eighth inning and worked around two hits in the ninth to pick up the save.

Myrtle Beach will try to salvage a series split in its last road game of the 2010 season Thursday night at Wilmington. Right-hander Zeke Spruill (3-5, 5.64) gets the ball opposite Blue Rocks lefty Buddy Baumann (4-2, 2.27) for the four-game set's finale at 6:35.

The Pelicans return to Myrtle Beach for their final regular season series of 2010 on Saturday, September 4 against the Lynchburg Hillcats. For tickets, contact the Pelicans box office at (843)918-6000, (877)918-TIXX or stop by BB&T Coastal Field.

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