CarL1 Wilmington Blue Rocks

Junis, Nessy Lead Rocks to Victory against Keys

Published on June 5, 2015 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Wilmington Blue Rocks News Release


WILMINGTON, DE - The Blue Rocks got six solid innings from starter Jakob Junis on Friday night, as they took game two of a four game series with the Frederick Keys by a final of 5-1. Wilmington improves to 31-23 on the season, while Frederick drops back to .400 at 27-27. The Rocks are now clear of the second-place Keys by four games, their largest division lead of the season. Santiago Nessy produced a three-run double to lead the Rocks attack.

In his six frames of work, Junis picked up the win, as he allowed a single run on seven hits, and he struck out five batters. On the other side of the coin, Frederick starter Luis Gonzalez was saddled with the loss. He threw 5.2 innings, yielding three runs on six hits and three walks, to go along with three strike outs.

Wilmington broke the scoring open in the bottom of the fourth inning thanks to one big swing of the bat. With one out in the frame, Frank Schwindel walked, then after a Dexter Kjerstad fly out, the Rocks got two consecutive singles from Jack Lopez and Dominique Taylor to load the bases with two down. Nessy then stepped up and delivered the biggest hit of the evening, a three-run double off the wall in left-center field to clear the bases, making it 3-0 Blue Rocks. Gonzalez would strike out Logan Moon to end the inning.

The Keys finally got to Junis in the top of the sixth inning, although the damage could have been much worse. Adrian Marin began the frame with a double down the left field line, followed by an infield single from Drew Dosch. Frederick cracked the scoreboard when Tucker Nathans followed Dosch with a single of his own, scoring Marin and pulling the Keys to within 3-1. Junis would then bare down, getting Chance Sisco to fly out, Brenden Webb to strike out, and Anthony Caronia to fly out to escape the frame with only one run coming across.

Wilmington added to their lead in the bottom of the seventh inning with a two-out rally. Moon singled with one out in the frame, then after moving up to third base on a Ramon Torres ground out, he scored on a Robert Pehl base hit, making it 4-1 Rocks. Mauricio Ramos would then reach on an error by Frederick third baseman Drew Dosch, and the Blue Crew would cap the scoring in the game with a Schwindel single that scored Pehl, pushing the lead to 5-1.

The Blue Rocks and the Keys are back at it on Saturday night in game three of this four-game series. First pitch from Frawley Stadium is scheduled for 7:05 p.m., and fans can listen to the broadcast on 89.7 WGLS-FM. For tickets, call 302-888-BLUE, or visit www.bluerocks.com.

PEBBLES OF KNOWLEDGE:

Don't look now, but Frank Schwindel is at it again. The Rocks first baseman already owns a seven, eight, and nine-game hitting streak this season, and with a 1-for-3 performance on Friday, Schwindel has now hit in seven consecutive games once again. Over his last week's worth of contests, Schwindel is 8-for-22, good for a .364 average. He has also collected four doubles, five RBIs, and two runs over that stretch. The streak helped Schwindel break out of a mini-slump, as he was 0-for-11 over three games immediately prior to his last seven games.

With a 3-for-4 performance on Friday night, Jack Lopez continued to dominate Frederick pitching this season. Lopez has now played in 10 games against the Keys this season, and he is 14-for-39 with two doubles, two RBIs, and six runs against the Rocks' Northern Division foe. Lopez is now batting .359 against Frederick this season, and he is just 20-for-125 against the rest of the Carolina League in 2015, good for a .160 average.

The Blue Rocks have done an amazing job of defending their home turf in 2015. With their win on Friday, Wilmington improves to a Carolina League best 12 games above .500 at 21-9. That success has helped cover up their 10-14 record away from Frawley Stadium, where the biggest difference has been the pitching. Rocks hurlers are pitching to a 2.30 ERA in 30 games at home, while that mark balloons to 3.74 in 24 games on the road. Wilmington seems to particularly enjoy hosting the Keys, as they are now 5-1 against Frederick at Frawley this season. In fact, Wilmington's first game of the season in front of their home crowd came on April 16 against these same Keys, when they walked off as 3-2 winners thanks to a game-winning double in the bottom of the ninth from Bubba Starling. The opposite is true when it comes to playing at Harry Grove Stadium, where the Blue Rocks have lost three of four games to the Keys this year.

Friday marked a nice bounce-back effort for starting pitcher Jakob Junis. In his last start on May 30 at Carolina, Junis set or tied multiple season-highs, all of them negative. The righty lasted five innings, allowing a season-high seven runs (including a season-high tying six earned runs). He also yielded a season-high tying eight hits against the Mudcats, with two of them (another season-high tying mark) going for home runs. With his six innings and one run allowed on Friday, Junis has now recorded five starts in which he has gone at least six frames and allowed one run or less. He has also given up as many as six earned runs in three games this season.

THEY SAID IT:

Manager Brian Buchanan:

"(Jakob Junis) did a great job. He kept the ball down, which is what he needs to do. He mixed all of his pitches well and that's the key for him, just mixing it up and keeping the ball down. (If he can do that) he'll be fine."

"Obviously, it's good for your confidence (to work out of jams), but he, for the most part, has been doing that this year. All the guys have (been getting out of jams). It's good to be in that situation and get out of it, and when they do get out of it it's a confidence builder."

"(Santiago Nessy) has some pop in his bat. He can swing it well. I think, coming to a new organization, it's kind of tough on him. I think he's still trying to figure out what's going on. He can swing it. He's got a good arm and I think he receives it okay. He's solid, he does a good job."

"I think we've been out in (RBI situations) all year and they've come through. They're swinging the bats well and we're pitching well and playing defense, and that's why we're winning games. That's just the bottom line. We're getting two-out RBIs and getting big hits when we need them."

Catcher Santiago Nessy:

"It is has been good (transitioning to the Kansas City Royals,) every change happens for something and I am glad to be a part of the Kansas City Royals organization and (I have been) enjoying it."

"(Luis Gonzalez) threw me a fastball right down the middle and I just tried to get the bat on it. I think all of my teammates are trying to improve on (the two-out bases loaded at-bats.) We are working on it every day in the cage and it is going to happen, there is a lot (of baseball) in the season left to be played. Last night we came back and tonight we did a really good job."

"This is the first time I have caught for (Jakob Junis) but he is a really good pitcher and tonight I felt he kept the ball down well, and his changeup was there. He was attacking with a fastball and then came back with a changeup, it was really good (tonight,) and then he has his breaking ball. He is working on it. He is a really good pitcher with a really good arm. We also have a really good pitching staff here."

"It is fun (working with this pitching staff.) When the team is doing good, everybody is having fun. The basic is trying to know each pitcher. It is my first time year with the organization and my first time with the guys. It is just trying to know the pitchers, trying to know the guys. Trying to know how they pitch and what pitch is best. Little by little you get to know everybody."

"I thought (the ball was gone off the bat,) but in this park the ball, it doesn't fly much. It is okay though, I will take (the three-RBI double.) I have been working everyday trying to stay under the ball longer and working every day to keep getting better."

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Carolina League Stories from June 5, 2015


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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