CarL1 Wilmington Blue Rocks

Four-Run Fourth Carries Blue Crew

Published on May 3, 2019 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Wilmington Blue Rocks News Release


Wilmington, DE - The Wilmington Blue Rocks overcame five errors on Friday thanks to a four-run fourth inning en route to a 4-3 victory over the Carolina Mudcats at Frawley Stadium. The win broke a six-game home losing streak and was its sixth victory in the last eight contests overall.

With Wilmington trailing 2-0, Sebastian Rivero opened the fourth frame with a walk. Nick Pratto then singled and MJ Melendez brought both home with a double to center. One out later Angelo Castellano got the momentum going again with a walk. After Ricky Aracena grounded into a fielder's choice, Rudy Martin brought two more runs in with his grounder up the middle.

Blue Rocks starter Brady Singer got the win by yielding just two runs on two hits in five innings. Singer (3-2) fanned seven and walked only one. Holden Capps allowed a run in the seventh, but preserved the lead during his two innings. That set the stage for Tyler Zuber who earned his fifth save thanks to four strikeouts in two frames.

Wilmington overcame two errors in the fifth by Cristian Perez, an error in the fifth by both Melendez and Aracena and another miscue by Castellano in the sixth.

The Rocks continue their three-game homestand on Saturday against Carolina. Right-hander Jackson Kowar (1-1, 3.08) gets the start for Wilmington with first pitch slated for 7:05 p.m. Tickets are available at BlueRocks.com and fans who cannot make to the ballpark can catch all the action with the Voice of the Blue Rocks Cory Nidoh on 89.7 WGLS-FM.

PEBBLES OF KNOWLEDGE:

Wilmington won for the first time in seven tries at Frawley Stadium and for only the seventh time in 15 total home games this year. The Rocks have had far more success on the road, going 10-4 outside of the First State. The Blue Crew offense has been much more potent away from the friendly confines of Frawley Stadium so far on the season. The Rocks have scored 27 more runs in away affairs and are batting 61 points higher on the road. Eleven of the Blue Crew's 12 homers have come on the road. Wilmington has not hit a homerun in its home ballpark since Opening Night- a string of 14 consecutive contests.

The Wilmington defense continues to struggle in 2019. The Rocks equaled their season-high with five errors on Friday. That comes on the heels of nine defensive miscues during their four-game series in Frederick. They now have at least one error in 15 of the last 16 games. The Blue Crew is last in the Carolina League with 48 total errors as a team. The club has committed at least three errors in seven different contests, multiple defensive miscues in 13 games and one in all but five.

The magic number is four for the Wilmington Blue Rocks. The Blue Crew offense has scored four or more runs in a game 14 times this season and have only lost two of those contests. In the 15 games the Rocks have scored three runs or fewer they are just 5-10. Wilmington's offense has endured its struggles this year. The Blue Crew attack has managed five or fewer knocks in a game 12 times this season and are last in the Carolina League with 171 hits and a .201 batting average.

Wilmington has had an odd schedule to start the 2019 season. Wilmington opened the campaign with a series against Salem and then played 17 consecutive games against CL South opponents. The Rocks went 9-8 during that stretch. The Blue Crew are now in the midst of playing 24 out of 27 against the CL North. Wilmington's weekend series with Carolina is the only inter-division stretch for the club until Memorial Day Weekend. The Rocks are 6-2 so far during this divisional portion of the slate.

Check out the Wilmington Blue Rocks Statistics

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Carolina League Stories from May 3, 2019


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