CarL Carolina Mudcats

Mudcats Win Third Straight, 5-2 in Kinston

Published on April 19, 2023 under Carolina League (CarL)
Carolina Mudcats News Release


KINSTON, N.C. - Blayberg Diaz collected his first RBI single of the season, Gregory Barrios also drove in a run while going 3-for-4 and Daniel Guilarte went 2-for-5 with two runs and a RBI as the Carolina Mudcats defeated the Down East Wood Ducks 5-2 on Wednesday afternoon at Grainger Stadium in Kinston.

The Mudcats (5-5) led from start to finish in Wednesday's morning start in Kinston. Diaz drove in Carolina's first run of the game with a RBI single to short in the second. The run-scoring hit was his first of the season. Luke Adams lifted the Mudcats to a 2-0 lead in the third after hitting into a double play to score Guilarte. Jheremy Vargas did the same to spark Carolina's three-run fourth as his double play ball scored Fernandez to make 3-0 Carolina. Guilarte and Barrios then went back-to-back with RBI singles as Carolina built a 5-0 lead in the fourth.

Down East (5-5) starter Leandro Lopez allowed four of Carolina's five runs in Wednesday's game. In all, Lopez (1-1) allowed four runs (two earned) on four hits over three innings pitched. He also finished with three walks and four strikeouts. Relievers Seth Clark and Josh Gessner followed with Clark allowing an unearned run in the fourth before tossing a scoreless fifth. Gessner then took it the rest of the way with four scoreless innings and five strikeouts.

Jacob Misiorowski started and cruised his way through the first with three straight strikeouts. He went on to return for the second and worked around a leadoff single by getting his next batter to hit into a double play. Reliever Miguel Guerrero followed and went on to finish the second by getting a groundout on the only pitch he threw to end the inning. Misiorowski, meanwhile, went an inning and 2/3 and finished with one hit allowed and three strikeouts while reaching 25 pitches (16 strikes).

Jimenez (W, 1-0) came on for the third and turned in five solid frames with just one run on four hits. Jimenez struck out five, walked one and faced just 20 batters over his five-inning effort.

Reliever Nick Merkel allowed a solo home run in the eighth but kept the Wood Ducks to just the one late run. Shane Smith pitched the ninth and earned the save after working around two hits with two strikeouts.

The victory was Carolina's third straight and lifted them to a .500 record at 5-5 for the season. It also lifted Carolina to a 2-0 lead in the six-game road series.

The Mudcats and Wood Ducks will continue their series on Thursday night at Grainger Stadium with RHP Yujanyer Herrera starting for Carolina and RHP Jose Corniell starting for Down East.

HOME RUNS:

Down East: HR: Blackmon (1, 8th inning off Merkel, 0 on, 1 out).

TOP PERFORMERS - BATTERS:

Barrios, 2B (Carolina): 3-for-5, 1 RBI

Guilarte, SS (Carolina): 2-for-5, 2 R, 1 RBI

Hall, 1B (Carolina): 2-for-3

Diaz, C (Carolina): 1-for-3, 1 RBI

Mitchell, C (Down East): 3-for-3, 1 2B, 1 RBI

Galan, LF (Down East): 2-for-4

Blackmon, CF (Down East): 1-for-3, 2 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI

TOP PERFORMERS - PITCHERS:

Misiorowski (Carolina): 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 SO

Jimenez (W, 1-0) (Carolina): 5 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 SO

Smith (S, 1) (Carolina): 1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 SO

Clark (Down East): 2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 SO

Gessner (Down East): 4 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 5 SO

SCORING:

Mudcats 2nd (Mudcats 1, Wood Ducks 0) -- Low strikes out E Fernandez doubles to LF Galan H Perez grounds out, 2B Mesa to 1B Villarroel, E Fernandez to 3rd Diaz singles to SS Cueva, E Fernandez scores Vargas strikes out

(1 Runs, 2 Hits, 0 Errors, 1 LOB)

Mudcats 3rd (Mudcats 2, Wood Ducks 0) -- Guilarte singles to RF Espinal Barrios singles to LF Galan, Guilarte to 2nd Guilarte to 3rd on a wild pitch on a wild pitchBarrios to 2nd on a wild pitch on a wild pitch Hall walks Adams grounds into double play, Guilarte scores (no RBI), Barrios out at 3rd, 3B Figuereo, Hall to 2nd, Adams, out at 1st, 3B Figuereo to 1B Villarroel Low strikes out

(1 Runs, 2 Hits, 0 Errors, 1 LOB)

Mudcats 4th (Mudcats 5, Wood Ducks 0) -- E Fernandez reaches on an error by SS Cueva H Perez walks, E Fernandez to 2nd (#44) Seth Clark replaces (#45) Leandro Lopez at P Diaz walks, E Fernandez to 3rd, H Perez to 2nd Vargas grounds into double play, E Fernandez scores (no RBI, unearned), H Perez to 3rd, Diaz out at 2nd, SS Cueva to 2B Mesa, Vargas, out at 1st, 2B Mesa to 1B Villarroel Guilarte singles to SS Cueva, H Perez scores (unearned) Guilarte steals 2nd Barrios singles to LF Galan, Guilarte scores (unearned) Barrios caught stealing 2nd, C Mitchell to SS Cueva

(3 Runs, 2 Hits, 1 Errors, 0 LOB)

Wood Ducks 6th (Mudcats 5, Wood Ducks 1) -- Blackmon walks Gutierrez singles to SS Guilarte, Blackmon to 2nd Figuereo flies out to RF H Perez, Blackmon to 3rd Mitchell flies out on a sac fly to RF H Perez, Blackmon scores Cueva flies out to CF E Fernandez

(1 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors, 1 LOB)

Wood Ducks 8th (Mudcats 5, Wood Ducks 2) -- (#29) Nick Merkel replaces (#39) Edwin Jimenez at P Espinal strikes out Blackmon homers to RCF, Blackmon scores Gutierrez strikes out Figuereo strikes out, out at 1st, C Diaz to 1B Hall

(1 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors, 0 LOB)

The Carolina Mudcats are the officially licensed Class-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. First established in 1991, the Mudcats have provided affordable family fun for over 30 years at Five County Stadium in Zebulon, N.C. Follow the Mudcats online at www.carolinamudcats.com, and on social media at www.facebook.com/carolinamudcats, www.twitter.com/carolinamudcats, www.tiktok.com/@carolinamudcats and www.instagram.com/carolinamudcats.

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Carolina League Stories from April 19, 2023


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