Losing Streak Hits Eight Games for Wilmington
Published on June 13, 2012 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Wilmington Blue Rocks News Release
Wilmington, DE - The Wilmington Blue Rocks (28-38) franchise has not been in a funk like this in years but on Wednesday they saw their losing streak extended to eight games after a doubleheader sweep by the Salem Red Sox (38-27) by scores of 3-2 and 3-0. This is the worst losing streak for the Blue Rocks since they lost eight straight in 2005 when they were an affiliate of the Boston Red Sox.
In Game One, the Blue Rocks defense let them down in the ninth inning. Up 2-1 with one out and Chase Boruff on the mound, the Rocks reliever walked Jackie Bradley Jr. Shannon Wilkerson proceeded to drop down a bunt to third. Cheslor Cuthbert tried to field with one hand and botched the ground ball, as both runners were safe. With Travis Shaw batting, both runners moved up on a double steal against new reliever Nick Rogers. Rogers struck out Shaw looking to bring the Rocks within one out of a win. Rogers fell behind Brandon Jacobs 2-0 in the count and then intentionally walked him to load the bases. Xander Bogaerts then delivered the clutch blow with a double down the right field line to plate Bradley Jr. and Wilkerson for a 3-2 lead.
The Blue Rocks went down in order in the ninth against Charlie Rosario with the last two outs coming via the strikeout as they lost their seventh straight game.
Going into the fourth inning, the Blue Rocks had gone 27 straight innings without scoring a run. Salem starter Jeremy Kehrt was perfect in the first three innings and retired the first two men he faced in the fourth, holding a 1-0 advantage. Brian Fletcher rolled a ball up the middle that Bogaerts picked cleanly, however, he fell on his face as he pivoted to make a throw to first. The next pitch to Brett Eibner was whipped into left field for a base hit to move Fletcher to second. Moments later, Cuthbert skipped a ball through the hole between short and third that scored Fletcher for the first Blue Rocks run since Saturday evening. The hit tied the game at one.
In the fifth, the Rocks added the go-ahead run once again with two outs. Alex McClure smoked a single into the left field corner. Whit Merrifield grounded a ball hard in between third and short but a diving Bogaerts stopped the ball with his glove. He came to his feet and fired to first but the throw was barely late. McClure had rounded third and was heading home during the throw. Shaw's toss from first to home was late to catcher Christian Vazquez as Wilmington took the lead at 2-1.
Wilmington starter Yordano Ventura danced around trouble most of the evening. He escaped a second and third, one-out jam in the first inning thanks to a pair of strikeouts. The righty navigated his way out of a bases loaded, two-out jam in the second. He allowed a solo shot to Vazquez to lead off the fourth inning, which initially gave the lead to Salem at 1-0. He totaled one run in five innings while striking out eight men in a no-decision.
In Game Two, Travis Shaw did early damage against Wilmington starter Brooks Pounders and the Sox rolled to a victory and sweep of the three-game set. With two outs in the first, Shaw tattooed a line drive homer to right center field for an early 1-0 Salem lead.
In the third inning, Jackie Bradley Jr. and Shannon Wilkerson got aboard with one out before Shaw blasted a double to right center that scored both runners to raise the lead to three runs.
Keith Couch (6-4) started and picked up the win for Salem. He went six scoreless frames, allowing four hits and two walks.
Pounders (0-1) took the loss in his first Blue Rocks start. He surrendered three runs in six innings to go along with strikeouts.
The Rocks welcome in the Winston-Salem Dash for a four-game set to finish out the first half with a start time scheduled for 7:05 p.m. on Thursday night. Wilmington's RHP Jason Adam (1-9, 3.78) takes on Winston-Salem's RHP Justin Collop (6-1, 4.30). Broadcast coverage begins at 6:35 p.m. as studio host Rob Cunningham 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:
Wilmington has been held to three runs or less in 19 of its last 21 games and in 42 of its 66 on the year. Over the greater span, the team is 10-32 when held to three or less and 18-6 when plating four plus.
The Blue Rocks scoreless streak finally ended at 27 consecutive innings, after three two-out hits by Brian Fletcher, Brett Eibner and Cheslor Cuthbert plated their first run in the fourth inning of Game One on Wednesday. They were blanked for the last six frames of Saturday's game with Winston-Salem before being shut out in their last two. It is the franchise's longest span of innings without a run since at least the 2005 season. Their longest scoreless stretch on record since 2005 was 25.2 scoreless frames from July 25-27, 2006 when it was a Red Sox satellite.
Being blanked on just four hits, the Blue Rocks have been shut out nine times this season and in three of their last four contests. The Rocks were shut out six times in the first 41 games. Wilmington then pitched five shutouts without eating a bagel until three of the last four games they have played.
The Blue Rocks have now lost eight games in a row for the first time all season. They lost the final two games of a four-game set with the Carolina Mudcats from June 6-7 before being swept over the weekend by Winston-Salem. Wilmington had not lost eight in a row since dropping exactly that many from May 1-7, 2010. The team's last eight-game skid came from June 24-July 4, 2005 en route to the worst season in team history (60-80). The team's all-time worst losing streak is 10 games. It last happened in 2000, when they lost 10 consecutive from May 27-June 4.
The 2012 Blue Rocks low-water mark hit a season-worst on Monday, falling to ten games under .500. Wilmington has not been this many games below sea level since it was 56-66 in late August of last season.
The Blue Rocks were swept for the second time in as many series. The last time they were broomed in a three-game set against the Salem Red Sox was from June 15-17, 2010 when they dropped three straight at Frawley Stadium to the Boston Red Sox affiliate.
The loss in Game One was the Blue Rocks 12 th one-run loss of the season. They are now 11-12 in games decided by a single tally.
The Blue Rocks mustered five base hits in Game One and only four in Game Two. They have been held to five hits or less in six of their last seven contests and four games in a row.
Carolina League Stories from June 13, 2012
- Pelicans Offense Explodes for Two Homeruns in 8-6 Win - Myrtle Beach Pelicans
- Losing Streak Hits Eight Games for Wilmington - Wilmington Blue Rocks
- Baker Blasts But Keys Fall Short - Frederick Keys
- Salem Sweeps Wilmington in Wednesday Doubleheader - Salem RidgeYaks
- Winston Cuts Magic Number to Two in Sweep - Winston-Salem Dash
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- P-Nats Swept Again at BB&T Ballpark - Potomac Nationals
- Hillcats Can't Complete Sweep - Hill City Howlers
- Blue Rocks Game Notes - Wilmington Blue Rocks
- Mudcats Game Notes - June 13, 2012 - Carolina Mudcats
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