CarL1 Wilmington Blue Rocks

Late Comeback, Hard Rains Drench Blue Rocks, 5-4

Published on May 14, 2011 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Wilmington Blue Rocks News Release


Woodbridge, VA - The calm before the storm had a multi-layered feel at Pfitzner Stadium on Saturday night. Through the game's first seven frames, the Wilmington Blue Rocks (19-15) held an easy advantage. Then came an inning's worth of rain and an explosion of runs as the host Potomac Nationals (13-21) rallied for a 5-4 rain-shortened win to tie the three-game set at one apiece. The game was called after a 36-minute delay with only eight innings in the books due to hard rain, unfavorable radar and the grounds crew's failure to cover the first-base area during the downpour.

The Blue Rocks grabbed a 3-0 lead in the very first inning on Danny Rosenbaum with RBI hits from Tim Ferguson and Alex McClure along with an error by second baseman Jeff Kobernus. Justin Bloxom's first home run of the season, a solo shot, put Potomac on the board in the second against Tyler Sample before the Blue Rocks responded with a Ferguson RBI single in the third for a 4-1 score.

Sample cruised from there. The third-round pick from the 2008 draft fell an out short of tying for the longest outing of his career. He departed with a man at third and two outs in the seventh. Justin Marks (1-2) protected the lead at the time with a strikeout of Kobernus. Sample allowed two runs (one earned) on seven hits and one walk over 6.2 innings. He struck out four and fired 96 pitches (61 strikes).

Alas, Eury Perez drew the P-Nats within one with an RBI groundout in the seventh. Then came the rains to start the eighth. Rosenbaum departed on the hook after seven innings. He gave up 10 hits and four runs (three earned) while walking three and whiffing five. Dean Weaver (1-0) entered and faced the minimum in the eighth.

In the bottom half of the inning, the rains intensified and Potomac's offensive prowess followed in concert. The switch-hitting Bloxom followed his titanic blast to right while batting left in the second with a one-out low liner batting right that scraped over the wall for a second solo shot and a 4-3 margin. Steven Souza and J.P. Ramirez collected consecutive singles thereafter. Sandy Leon reached on a fielder's choice at second to put men at the corners and a walk to Francisco Soriano loaded the bases. Perez then slammed a single up the middle to plate two and put the P-Nats ahead.

Marks induced a comebacker from Cutter Dykstra to end the inning. But the heavy rains forced the umpiring crew to call for the tarp and the delay ensued. On two tries, the grounds crew failed to fully cover the field, leaving the first-base line and the area around the bag uncovered.

The series concludes on Sunday afternoon at 1:05 p.m. Prospect right-hander Jake Odorizzi (3-0, 1.97), who has notched double-digit strikeouts in three of his last four starts, gets the ball for the Blue Rocks. Potomac counters with southpaw Mitchell Clegg (1-2, 6.29). Broadcast coverage begins at 12:35 p.m. as studio host Adam Dobrowolski brings fans the Rocks Report Pre-game Show, presented by Wawa, on 89.7 WGLS-FM and online at wgls.rowan.edu.

PEBBLES OF KNOWLEDGE:

The Blue Rocks have lost seven of their last eight on the road.

Saturday marks Wilmington's first loss to Potomac all season (4-1). However, the club fell to 2-7 in road games against divisional competition.

Through two games on the series, the teams have committed a total of 10 errors with three by the Blue Rocks and seven by Potomac.

Check out the Wilmington Blue Rocks Statistics

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Carolina League Stories from May 14, 2011


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