CarL1 Wilmington Blue Rocks

Late Offensive Surge Cements First Win

Published on April 11, 2010 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Wilmington Blue Rocks News Release


Myrtle Beach, SC - Finally, the Wilmington Blue Rocks (1-3) taste triumph in 2010. A four-spot in the ninth saw the Rocks bat around for the first time this season to make sure there was no doubt in an 8-3 defeat of the Myrtle Beach Pelicans (3-1) at Coastal Field on Sunday afternoon. Eric Hosmer delivered the game winner with an RBI single in the seventh. He finished with two hits and owns a .500 batting average through four games. Jamie Romak collected two hits and two more RBIs for a team-best seven. Starter Alex Caldera pitched beautifully, piggybacking reliever Ivor Hodgson, Jr. (1-0) got the win, and Barry Bowden retired the side 1-2-3 in the ninth.

The Blue Rocks scored six of the game's last seven runs including their four-run ninth. Tied 2-2 in the seventh, Myrtle Beach reliever David Francis (0-1) started the inning by giving up a single to leadoff man Patrick Norris. A sacrifice and an intentional walk later, Hosmer smacked a first-pitch single to left to put the Rocks ahead to stay.

Catcher Salvador Perez added an insurance run with a double in the eighth to plate Jason Taylor. Hodgson allowed a single score in the bottom half of the inning, but stranded the tying run in scoring position with a whiff of Gerardo Avila. Then came the ninth against reliever Yeliar Castro.

After inducing a comebacker against Adrian Ortiz, Castro would not record another out. Alex Gordon walked, Hosmer singled and Romak drove in a run with a hit to center. A four-pitch free pass to Taylor followed to load the bases and prompted Myrtle Beach skipper Rocket Wheeler to bring on usual closer Benino Pruneda, Jr. Perez grounded a double-play ball to short, which Amadeo Zazueta bobbled for an error as everyone was safe and the lead reached 6-3. Fernando Garcia doubled home two more thereafter to account for the final margin.

With their first series complete and their first win in hand, the Blue Rocks trek to North Carolina for a three-game set against the Kinston Indians. Another piggybacking turn of the rotation will have Jairo Cuevas (NR) make his 2010 debut at the start. Fellow righty Manuaris Baez (NR) will follow. Kinston right-hander Joey Mahalic (NR) gets the ball for the K-Tribe. Game one comes Monday night at 7 p.m. The series pits two of the top-four pitching rotations in all of minor league baseball according to Baseball America against one another.

PEBBLES OF KNOWLEDGE:

With the win, the Blue Rocks avoided their first four-game sweep defeat to Myrtle Beach since 2001.

The Blue Rocks are the last team both in the Carolina League and among the full-season Kansas City Royals clubs to earn a victory.

Six different Blue Rocks finished with two hits. Three men in Brian Rupp's lineup drove in a pair of runs.

Wilmington totaled 14 hits for the second time on the young year.

Alex Caldera allowed just two runs on four hits in 4.2 innings. He walked one and struck out three.

Juan Rivera singled and scored in his Blue Rocks debut. Every eligible player on the roster has now seen game action except for repeating outfielder Jamar Walton, who has not physically joined the team yet.

Alex Gordon continues to have trouble getting pitches to hit. He received his fourth bruise in as many games and worked his fifth and sixth walks including another intentional free pass on an 0-for-2 day at the plate.

Eric Hosmer and Jamie Romak have hit in each of the team's four games.

Myrtle Beach failed to put a man beyond first base in six different innings including three 1-2-3 frames.

Despite losing three of four games on the series, the Blue Rocks outhit the Pelicans 39-38 and only got outscored by one run, 23-22.

Monday's game in Kinston will mark a quasi-homecoming for shortstop Ryan Wood who played his college ball at nearby East Carolina University.

Check out the Wilmington Blue Rocks Statistics

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Carolina League Stories from April 11, 2010


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