CarL1 Wilmington Blue Rocks

Dash double up on Blue Rocks in series finale 8-4

April 26, 2009 - Carolina League (CarL1)
Wilmington Blue Rocks News Release


Winston-Salem, NC - Two big innings led to the demise of the Wilmington Blue Rocks on Sunday, as the Winston-Salem Dash (9-9) took three of four from the Blue Crew (9-9) with an 8-4 triumph in the finale. Super southpaw Danny Duffy (2-1) appeared mortal for the first time in a Blue Rocks uniform. The youngest player on the team allowed three home runs and six total scores between the fourth and fifth innings to absorb his first loss of the year. Shortstop Jeff Bianchi doubled, homered and drove in three. The Rocks have lost five of their last six.

The Rocks grabbed a first-inning lead for the second straight day. Johnny Giavotella singled, stole second and scored on Bianchi's two-out double for a 1-0 contest. The offense would just about vanish from then on. Winston-Salem starter Anthony Carter (2-1) faced just two over the minimum after that two-base hit, en route to lasting a career-best innings.

A few gambles injured scoring attempts in the second and third. Paulo Orlando reached to begin the second, but was caught stealing at second. Ryan Eigsti worked a lead-off walk in the third, but was gunned down at home plate on the back end of a fly-ball double play to end the inning. Right fielder Christian Marrero picked up the outfield assist.

While the Blue Rocks went 1-2-3 in the fourth and fifth, the Dash blasted three home runs. In the home fourth, all nine men batted against Duffy and six straight men reached base. Brent Morel drove in three with a home run to left-center and Marrero followed with a solo shot to right-center. Duffy would strand men at the corners thereafter, but gave up another homer to Morel on a first-pitch swing in the fifth. The two-out blow drove in another pair of tallies for a 6-1 deficit the Blue Rocks could not overcome.

Relievers Ben Swaggerty and Aaron Hartsock each allowed a run over the final three innings. Swaggerty gave up a two-out RBI single to Jordan Danks in the sixth for the only run on his two innings of work. An unearned run came across while Hartsock hurled the eighth. A lead-off walk came plateward on a C.J. Lang two-out double.

Giavotella made the most of an Adrian Ortiz triple in the sixth, as the second baseman's groundout knocked home the speedy outfielder. Wilmington made the final score look more respectable in the ninth when Bianchi followed a Mike Moustakas single with his second homer of the season.

After a scheduled day off on Monday, the Blue Rocks continue their seven-game road trip with the first of three at Potomac's Pfitzner Stadium against the defending champion Nationals on Tuesday night. Right-handed Eduardo Paulino (1-0, 5.19) will oppose lefty Will Atwood (0-3, 16.03) at 7:05 p.m.

PEBBLES OF KNOWLEDGE:

The Blue Rocks left just three men on base, one in scoring position, and went 1-for-7 as a team with runners poised to cross the dish.

The team's fastest nine-inning game of the year took just 2:08.

It marks the first loss for Danny Duffy since July 3, 2008 while pitching for Low-A Burlington at Kane County, a span of 12 starts.

Three of the four games on the series were decided by a single run.

Check out the Wilmington Blue Rocks Statistics



Carolina League Stories from April 26, 2009


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