CarL1 Wilmington Blue Rocks

Durham & Alvarez Combine for Deadly Big Flies, 10-Game Road Trip Starts with Loss

Published on May 15, 2009 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Wilmington Blue Rocks News Release


Lynchburg, VA - It's amazing how quickly things can change. A three-run lead and a three-game winning streak vanished with two swings of the bat on Friday night, as the Blue Rocks (16-18) dropped a walk-off game in extras to the first-place Lynchburg Hillcats (22-12), 6-4. Miles Durham tied the game at 4-all in the eighth with a two-out, three-run inside-the-park homer. Top Pirates' prospect Pedro Alvarez ended the night when he bombed a high and deep shot to right with a man on in the 10th. The loss dropped Wilmington's record in extra-inning games to 1-3.

The Blue Crew grabbed an early 1-0 lead when Johnny Giavotella snapped an 0-for-16 hitting funk with a one-out double in the first inning and scored on an RBI single by top Royals' prospect, Mike Moustakas. Starter Danny Duffy labored a bit in the second inning, going full count on three batters and throwing 30 pitches. While Lynchburg got a run on a Jared Keel single, Duffy struck out back-to-back batters in Kent Sakamoto and Alex Presley, both swinging, to strand a couple of runners.

That was the only major test for Duffy, who left in line for the win after five innings of one-run ball. The youngest Blue Rock at age 20 allowed four hits, one walk and struck out three. He had the lead thanks to a two-run fourth for the Rocks. Jeff Bianchi began the frame with a single against starter Chi-Hung Cheng and stole second when David Lough struck out. An errant pick-off throw to second by Cheng gave Bianchi third base and Paulo Orlando knocked him home with a single to right. After Clint Robinson singled, catcher Ryan Eigsti connected on a first-pitch swing for another RBI single and a 3-1 lead.

Former Carolina League Pitcher of the Year Rowdy Hardy allowed just a pair of hits over 1.1 scoreless innings from the sixth into the seventh. He left after allowing a gap double to Keel, prompting a change to Brandon Sisk. Sisk quickly retired the two batters he faced that inning, getting a groundout to shortstop from Sakamoto and a weak bouncer to himself off the bat of Presley.

A two-out hit meant what appeared to be a crucial insurance run for the Blue Crew in the eighth. Bianchi walked on a full-count pitch from repeating reliever Moises Robles with two down and stole second again before Lough singled him in and took second on a throw home. Robles struck out Orlando swinging on a full-count slider away to strand Lough in scoring position.

Leading 4-1 going into the bottom of the eighth, Wilmington took a couple of quick, stiff jabs to the face from the host Hillcats. Jose De Los Santos got his lone base hit in five at-bats with a slap bunt single that three Blue Rocks charged, but nobody covered at first base. Jordy Mercer singled to right, sending De Los Santos to third. Sisk rebounded, striking out the dangerous Alvarez looking on a full-count fastball down the middle and inducing a weak pop out to first in foul ground from Matt Hague. But then came Durham, who lined a ball to right. Jamar Walton made an ill-timed head-first dive that missed the ball and the runners whipped around. Orlando, the center fielder, collected the loose ball on the warning track but had issue on the throw to the cut-off man, slowing a relay to the plate and Durham crossed safely with an inside-the-parker for a 4-4 tie.

Walton managed a two-out infield hit in the ninth against Michael Colla and stole second. Alas, Adrian Ortiz struck out swinging to strand him there. In the top of the 10th, Michael Dubee (1-0), son of Phillies' pitching coach Rich Dubee, set down the Blue Rocks 1-2-3.

The most recent addition to the Wilmington roster, right-hander Juan Abreu (0-1), began the bottom half of the 10th with a full-count walk to Mercer. Alvarez followed with a titanic swing at the first pitch for a mammoth walk-off dinger, his team-leading seventh.

The Blue Rocks continue their season-long 10-game road trip with game two of the journey and three-game weekend series on Saturday at 7:05 p.m. Right-hander Eduardo Paulino (1-0, 6.63) will face a former Blue Rock, lefty Paul Mildren (1-3, 6.08). The 2008 part-time Blue Rock took a loss against his former mates on April 18.

PEBBLES OF KNOWLEDGE:

Fifteen of the Hillcats' league-best 22 wins have come in come-from-behind fashion.

Jamar Walton and David Lough each had a multi-hit night. Both men went 2-for-4 with a couple of singles.

Four different Blue Rocks drove in single scores on the night, including Mike Moustakas' team-leading 26th.

With a pair of stolen bases in as many attempts on Friday, Jeff Bianchi upped his season total to eight in 10 tries.

Eight of the nine men in the order had a hit in the game. Only Adrian Ortiz, who finished 0-for-5 with a strikeout and groundball double play ball, failed to record a knock.

Wilmington's first hit of the night, Johnny Giavotella's double, marked the only extra-base hit among the team's 10 total hits.

Brandon Sisk blew a save for the third time this year. He allowed three runs on four hits over 2.2 innings, striking out three and walking none while firing a wild pitch.

The loss dropped Wilmington to 14-2 when leading after seven innings.

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Carolina League Stories from May 15, 2009


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