CarL1 Wilmington Blue Rocks

Miscues & Double Plays Let Down Blue Rocks

Published on May 30, 2012 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Wilmington Blue Rocks News Release


Zebulon, NC - He might have the worst luck in baseball this season. The defense committed a season-worst five errors. The offense hit into a season-worst four groundball double plays. The closer allowed an inherited runner to score for the first time. Add it all up, and starter Jason Adam suffered his league-worst eighth loss as the Wilmington Blue Rocks (24-27) fell to the Carolina Mudcats (24-27), 5-3. The loss guarantees the Blue Crew of a losing road trip and requires a win on Thursday night to avoid a losing month of May.

Carlos Moncrief and Giovanny Urshela each singled in scores in the second and third inning to put the Blue Rocks in an early hole they would not escape. Alex McClure doubled in a run in the fifth but Carolina starter Francisco Jimenez (5-2) struck out Angel Franco to strand men at second and third, maintaining his team's lead in the process.

Jesus Aguilar doubled an insurance run home in the sixth while Urshela's batted ball and Geulin Beltre's third error of the season played two more in the seventh. Adam left with a 3-1 score on the board only to see Nick Rogers allow a hand-me-down man to cross. As a result, Adam allowed four runs (three earned) on six hits and one walk over 6.2 innings, striking out five.

Wilmington rallied in the eighth behind a two-run double off the top of the 25-foot high wall down the left-field line by Brett Eibner, but got no closer. Beltre started the ninth with an infield single only to see Michael Liberto bounce into a 6-3 double play. Jordan Cooper then struck out McClure to log his first save.

The four-game series concludes at 7:15 p.m. on Thursday night. The Blue Rocks will look to right-hander Sugar Ray Marimon (3-0, 2.13) against Carolina southpaw Mike Rayl (3-5, 4.07). Broadcast coverage begins at 6:45 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:

The Blue Rocks have made a miscue in a season-high eight straight games. Wednesday's five miscues tied with the team's May 8 performance against Lynchburg for the most by the Blue Rocks this season. Uncharacteristically shortstop Alex McClure made two of the mistakes. He entered the game with just four errors on the season and the CL's top fielding percentage among shortstops at .975.

Brett Eibner got his first hit of the road trip with his eighth-inning double. He was 0-for-20 on the journey before his two-run blow gave him the team lead in RBIs at 22.

The Blue Rocks hit into four double plays once before on the season. That came on May 4 at Potomac in a 5-4 loss.

Jason Adam has lost seven straight starts. During that time he has received 15 runs of support.

Wilmington outhit Carolina both overall (12-9) and in extra-base hits (4-2).

Brian Fletcher went 2-for-3 with two doubles, a walk, a steal and a run scored. He is 6-for-11 on the series with two RBIs. He has a team-best 18 multi-hit showings on the season.

Check out the Wilmington Blue Rocks Statistics

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Carolina League Stories from May 30, 2012


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