CarL1 Wilmington Blue Rocks

Grand Slam Cans Blue Crew

Published on May 15, 2010 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Wilmington Blue Rocks News Release


Woodbridge, VA - Making his second straight spot start for Jairo Cuevas, Manauris Baez (1-2) ran into trouble in the third inning. Five straight hits ended with a Tyler Moore grand slam to put the Blue Rocks in a hole they could not climb out of in a 7-4 loss to the Potomac Nationals at Pfitzner Stadium on Saturday night. Prospect first baseman Eric Hosmer fell just a triple shy of the cycle on a 4-for-5 night and Jamie Romak hit his second homer in as many days. The loss forces a Sunday rubber match.

Wilmington led 2-0 after plating single scores in the second and third innings. Jamar Walton tripled to right to begin the second against Marcos Frias (2-2) and two batters later, with the infield in, Eddie Prasch doubled him home on the first pitch he saw. The next inning, Hosmer blasted a two-out solo homer to right-center, his second on the season.

Baez worked around multiple baserunners in the first and second before a string of stings in the third. Four straight singles packed even more punch when Moore mashed a mammoth grand slam to left-center on an 0-2 pitch. Baez would finish the inning but would not return thereafter. In three frames he allowed five runs on nine hits and a walk while whiffing three. His three innings necessitated 70 pitches (41 strikes).

Hosmer doubled for a second time in the fifth and Romak slammed a 1-1 pitch to left thereafter to draw the Blue Crew within a run, 5-4. It would get no closer.

Frias (2-2) earned the win despite a shaky outing. In five innings he gave up four runs on eight hits and a walk. He struck out two but threw two wild pitches.

Potomac added two scores in the seventh. Southpaw Brendan Lafferty had thrown three scoreless innings entering the seventh when Michael Burgess doubled, stole third and scored on a Brian Peacock single to right. Manager Brian Rupp brought on prospect Patrick Keating. Peacock stole second, but Keating struck out Bill Rhinehart and got a fly-out to center from Moore. The inherited runner would cross, however, on Tim Pahuta's double to center for the 7-4 score that went final.

Three Potomac relievers combined on four scoreless innings of two-hit ball. Closer Cole Kimball faced the minimum in the ninth for his fifth save in as many tries, inducing a 4-6-3 double play off the bat of Hosmer to end the game.

The three-game set concludes Sunday at 1:05 p.m. Right-hander Tim Melville (1-5, 9.76) will oppose fellow righty Brad Peacock (1-4, 5.11)

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Carolina League Stories from May 15, 2010


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